introduction VIKING AGE IRELAND Brian Bóraime (anglicised Brian Boru) was born in the second quar... more introduction VIKING AGE IRELAND Brian Bóraime (anglicised Brian Boru) was born in the second quarter of the tenth century into a kinship dynasty of which not a great deal had hitherto been heard and from which only the most far-seeing can have expected much. Brian's people, who lived in the south-east corner of what is now Co. Clare, were the Uí Thairdelbaig, who were a branch of the Déis Tuaiscirt, better known as Dál Cais, who were a branch of the Déis Bec, who were a branch of the Déisi of Munster. Déisi means 'vassals': thus Brian's people were a branch of a branch of a branch of a branch of people who were in any event only vassals of the kings of Munster.
From the earliest moments of their involvement in Ireland, the Geraldines (or FitzGeralds) – the ... more From the earliest moments of their involvement in Ireland, the Geraldines (or FitzGeralds) – the greatest of the Anglo-Norman dynasties established in Ireland after 1169 – became shrouded in myths, often of their own creation. This fund of mythology was later appropriated for political and polemical uses by writers across the post-medieval centuries up to the early decades of the Irish Free State. This book, the proceedings of the inaugural Trinity Medieval Ireland Symposium, examines the ‘myth of the Geraldines’ in two senses: the literary and historical evidence from the Middle Ages and its reception from the 16th century onwards; and the myths and misconceptions that have encrusted around aspects of Geraldine history in historical scholarship.
sixth busiest port in Ireland, with forty-four ships. Cromwell and 1798 were two defining moments... more sixth busiest port in Ireland, with forty-four ships. Cromwell and 1798 were two defining moments in the history of the town, when the vibrant Catholic community teetered on the verge of extinction. However, it survived through much of this upheaval, and one of the markers of the social landscape of Wexford in the past four centuries has been the enduring role of its Catholic population as fisherfolk, merchants and priests.
Geoffrey Keating’s lasting achievement is his monumental Foras Feasa ar Eirinn (‘Foundation of Kn... more Geoffrey Keating’s lasting achievement is his monumental Foras Feasa ar Eirinn (‘Foundation of Knowledge on Ireland’), compiled around 1634, one of the aims of which was to refute what he regarded as the long-standing denigration of Ireland by foreign, mainly English commentators, and to assert its right to sovereign status. Ireland is, he says, a ‘kingdom unique to itself, like a little world’.1 However sincerely he may have held that view, Keating’s analysis, which has been shared by many others down through the centuries, has only served to perpetuate the notion that there was something immutable and archaic about early Irish society, an ‘enduring tradition’ (to borrow from the title of one recent work on the subject),2 which merited preservation in its own right, and which prevailed in spite of the country’s repeated subjection to external assault. This view does not do justice to its subject, in that it fails to recognize that Irish society was an evolving entity which was not only responsive to external stimulus but had within itself the capacity to change.
By the early fourteenth century the English colony in Ireland was experiencing the effects of neg... more By the early fourteenth century the English colony in Ireland was experiencing the effects of neglect, and its government was not far from bankrupt as a result of the never-ending demands upon it by the absentee lord of Ireland. These conditions provided an ideal breeding-ground for an Irish resurgence. One particular manifestation of this, itself a product of the Edwardian wars, was the Bruce invasion, which began in May 1315 when a fleet-load of Scottish soldiers, who were veterans of the recent great victory over the English at Bannockburn, put ashore on the coast of what is now co. Antrim. They were led by Edward, the only surviving brother of Robert the Bruce; Robert had been king of Scots since 1306, and Edward had recently been ratified as heir presumptive to the Scottish throne. It was a major expedition, planned well in advance, and, although Scotland was then in the middle of a life-and-death struggle with England, for the next three and a half years a very significant proportion of Scotland’s hard-pressed resources was devoted to it.
Beginning in the late 1160s, and in the space of a few short years, the face of Ireland was trans... more Beginning in the late 1160s, and in the space of a few short years, the face of Ireland was transformed and the course of Irish history irrevocably changed. The English invasion effected a revolutionary metamorphosis on the landscape of Ireland, bringing enormous changes in patterns of landholding and methods of land exploitation; there followed an agricultural and economic transformation, and the introduction of a whole new social system affecting everything from the laws people used, to the homes they lived in, to the food they put on the table. Of course, it was by no means the case that all of Ireland felt the impact of these developments. Change was confined to those parts of the country successfully exposed to English colonization, which, as we shall see, never affected the entire island. Furthermore, while the events of the late twelfth century were clearly momentous, it would be wrong to underestimate the degree to which there was some form of continuity from the pre-invasion period.
Surely the most incisive commentary on Ireland and on Irish life ever produced is Topographia Hib... more Surely the most incisive commentary on Ireland and on Irish life ever produced is Topographia Hiberniae, an account written by a man called Gerald de Barri, better known as Giraldus Cambrensis or Gerald of Wales, as a consequence of two visits which he made to the country in 1183 and 1185.2 Gerald, a strong advocate of church reform, was partly Anglo-Norman and partly Welsh, and his family were among the first to settle in Ireland after the invasion of the late 1160s. His commentary on Ireland is therefore not an unbiased one, and in many respects resembles what a European settler in the Americas or Australia in more recent centuries would have said about the indigenous inhabitants there. It is the defence produced by an agent of an invading and conquering army to justify its actions in dispossessing the native peoples, seizing and colonizing their lands, and, if necessary, bringing their way of life to an end. There is not much room here for objectivity. Above all else, Gerald and the countless others like him through the centuries have had one task: that is, to call attention to the deficiencies of the host society and to demonstrate the benefits that will accrue to the aboriginal population as a result of their conquest.
Henry III succeeded his father, King John, as king of England and lord of Ireland in 1216, while ... more Henry III succeeded his father, King John, as king of England and lord of Ireland in 1216, while still a young boy. In certain respects, throughout the thirteenth century, but especially during the period of over half a century in which Henry III was to reign, the English lordship of Ireland continued to expand and to prosper. The process of territorial conquest and colonization showed few signs of faltering. Land was being taken from the Irish; it was being planted with peasant settlers from England, from Wales and even from southern Scotland; it was being divided up into manors; and the methods of agricultural cultivation practised in England were being widely introduced. In each manor, typically, part of the land was held by the lord in demesne, and part divided into open fields held by the tenants. These great fields in turn would have been subdivided into strips in such a way that each tenant would have a holding scattered among them, having a share of both good and bad land. While part of the land fed stock, sheep in particular, much was under cultivation, with a three-course rotation of crops, part going towards the cultivation of winter corn (principally oats, wheat, barley and rye), part spring corn, and part lying fallow to give the land time to recover its fertility.1
... material in the text is scanty' (171), adding that 'much of the text relate... more ... material in the text is scanty' (171), adding that 'much of the text relates matter which could easily have been taken from the Welsh chronicles and ... Wil-liam Rufus, king of England from 1087 to 1100, is described twice in the Historia as Guilim Gledyf Hir, 'William of the long sword ...
Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society, 1988
... 205-6. 25 H. Morris, 'Louthiana: ancient and modern', Louth... more ... 205-6. 25 H. Morris, 'Louthiana: ancient and modern', Louth Arch. ... is, prior to his bankruptcy, while misfortune befell him upon his publication in 1845-6 of Owen Connellan's translation of the ... 43 See his letters in The Nation advocating its foundation, reprinted in Irish Book Lover, ...
... Briain, Tairrdelbach Bart Jaski Universiteit Utrecht Brian Boru; Kings and Kingship; Máel-Sec... more ... Briain, Tairrdelbach Bart Jaski Universiteit Utrecht Brian Boru; Kings and Kingship; Máel-Sechnaill I; Máel-Sechnaill II Henry A.Jefferies Thornhill College, Derry Armagh; Cork; Mac Carthy; Munster; Ua Briain Dorothy Johnston University of Nottingham Richard II Eamon P.Kelly ...
introduction VIKING AGE IRELAND Brian Bóraime (anglicised Brian Boru) was born in the second quar... more introduction VIKING AGE IRELAND Brian Bóraime (anglicised Brian Boru) was born in the second quarter of the tenth century into a kinship dynasty of which not a great deal had hitherto been heard and from which only the most far-seeing can have expected much. Brian's people, who lived in the south-east corner of what is now Co. Clare, were the Uí Thairdelbaig, who were a branch of the Déis Tuaiscirt, better known as Dál Cais, who were a branch of the Déis Bec, who were a branch of the Déisi of Munster. Déisi means 'vassals': thus Brian's people were a branch of a branch of a branch of a branch of people who were in any event only vassals of the kings of Munster.
From the earliest moments of their involvement in Ireland, the Geraldines (or FitzGeralds) – the ... more From the earliest moments of their involvement in Ireland, the Geraldines (or FitzGeralds) – the greatest of the Anglo-Norman dynasties established in Ireland after 1169 – became shrouded in myths, often of their own creation. This fund of mythology was later appropriated for political and polemical uses by writers across the post-medieval centuries up to the early decades of the Irish Free State. This book, the proceedings of the inaugural Trinity Medieval Ireland Symposium, examines the ‘myth of the Geraldines’ in two senses: the literary and historical evidence from the Middle Ages and its reception from the 16th century onwards; and the myths and misconceptions that have encrusted around aspects of Geraldine history in historical scholarship.
sixth busiest port in Ireland, with forty-four ships. Cromwell and 1798 were two defining moments... more sixth busiest port in Ireland, with forty-four ships. Cromwell and 1798 were two defining moments in the history of the town, when the vibrant Catholic community teetered on the verge of extinction. However, it survived through much of this upheaval, and one of the markers of the social landscape of Wexford in the past four centuries has been the enduring role of its Catholic population as fisherfolk, merchants and priests.
Geoffrey Keating’s lasting achievement is his monumental Foras Feasa ar Eirinn (‘Foundation of Kn... more Geoffrey Keating’s lasting achievement is his monumental Foras Feasa ar Eirinn (‘Foundation of Knowledge on Ireland’), compiled around 1634, one of the aims of which was to refute what he regarded as the long-standing denigration of Ireland by foreign, mainly English commentators, and to assert its right to sovereign status. Ireland is, he says, a ‘kingdom unique to itself, like a little world’.1 However sincerely he may have held that view, Keating’s analysis, which has been shared by many others down through the centuries, has only served to perpetuate the notion that there was something immutable and archaic about early Irish society, an ‘enduring tradition’ (to borrow from the title of one recent work on the subject),2 which merited preservation in its own right, and which prevailed in spite of the country’s repeated subjection to external assault. This view does not do justice to its subject, in that it fails to recognize that Irish society was an evolving entity which was not only responsive to external stimulus but had within itself the capacity to change.
By the early fourteenth century the English colony in Ireland was experiencing the effects of neg... more By the early fourteenth century the English colony in Ireland was experiencing the effects of neglect, and its government was not far from bankrupt as a result of the never-ending demands upon it by the absentee lord of Ireland. These conditions provided an ideal breeding-ground for an Irish resurgence. One particular manifestation of this, itself a product of the Edwardian wars, was the Bruce invasion, which began in May 1315 when a fleet-load of Scottish soldiers, who were veterans of the recent great victory over the English at Bannockburn, put ashore on the coast of what is now co. Antrim. They were led by Edward, the only surviving brother of Robert the Bruce; Robert had been king of Scots since 1306, and Edward had recently been ratified as heir presumptive to the Scottish throne. It was a major expedition, planned well in advance, and, although Scotland was then in the middle of a life-and-death struggle with England, for the next three and a half years a very significant proportion of Scotland’s hard-pressed resources was devoted to it.
Beginning in the late 1160s, and in the space of a few short years, the face of Ireland was trans... more Beginning in the late 1160s, and in the space of a few short years, the face of Ireland was transformed and the course of Irish history irrevocably changed. The English invasion effected a revolutionary metamorphosis on the landscape of Ireland, bringing enormous changes in patterns of landholding and methods of land exploitation; there followed an agricultural and economic transformation, and the introduction of a whole new social system affecting everything from the laws people used, to the homes they lived in, to the food they put on the table. Of course, it was by no means the case that all of Ireland felt the impact of these developments. Change was confined to those parts of the country successfully exposed to English colonization, which, as we shall see, never affected the entire island. Furthermore, while the events of the late twelfth century were clearly momentous, it would be wrong to underestimate the degree to which there was some form of continuity from the pre-invasion period.
Surely the most incisive commentary on Ireland and on Irish life ever produced is Topographia Hib... more Surely the most incisive commentary on Ireland and on Irish life ever produced is Topographia Hiberniae, an account written by a man called Gerald de Barri, better known as Giraldus Cambrensis or Gerald of Wales, as a consequence of two visits which he made to the country in 1183 and 1185.2 Gerald, a strong advocate of church reform, was partly Anglo-Norman and partly Welsh, and his family were among the first to settle in Ireland after the invasion of the late 1160s. His commentary on Ireland is therefore not an unbiased one, and in many respects resembles what a European settler in the Americas or Australia in more recent centuries would have said about the indigenous inhabitants there. It is the defence produced by an agent of an invading and conquering army to justify its actions in dispossessing the native peoples, seizing and colonizing their lands, and, if necessary, bringing their way of life to an end. There is not much room here for objectivity. Above all else, Gerald and the countless others like him through the centuries have had one task: that is, to call attention to the deficiencies of the host society and to demonstrate the benefits that will accrue to the aboriginal population as a result of their conquest.
Henry III succeeded his father, King John, as king of England and lord of Ireland in 1216, while ... more Henry III succeeded his father, King John, as king of England and lord of Ireland in 1216, while still a young boy. In certain respects, throughout the thirteenth century, but especially during the period of over half a century in which Henry III was to reign, the English lordship of Ireland continued to expand and to prosper. The process of territorial conquest and colonization showed few signs of faltering. Land was being taken from the Irish; it was being planted with peasant settlers from England, from Wales and even from southern Scotland; it was being divided up into manors; and the methods of agricultural cultivation practised in England were being widely introduced. In each manor, typically, part of the land was held by the lord in demesne, and part divided into open fields held by the tenants. These great fields in turn would have been subdivided into strips in such a way that each tenant would have a holding scattered among them, having a share of both good and bad land. While part of the land fed stock, sheep in particular, much was under cultivation, with a three-course rotation of crops, part going towards the cultivation of winter corn (principally oats, wheat, barley and rye), part spring corn, and part lying fallow to give the land time to recover its fertility.1
... material in the text is scanty' (171), adding that 'much of the text relate... more ... material in the text is scanty' (171), adding that 'much of the text relates matter which could easily have been taken from the Welsh chronicles and ... Wil-liam Rufus, king of England from 1087 to 1100, is described twice in the Historia as Guilim Gledyf Hir, 'William of the long sword ...
Seanchas Ardmhacha: Journal of the Armagh Diocesan Historical Society, 1988
... 205-6. 25 H. Morris, 'Louthiana: ancient and modern', Louth... more ... 205-6. 25 H. Morris, 'Louthiana: ancient and modern', Louth Arch. ... is, prior to his bankruptcy, while misfortune befell him upon his publication in 1845-6 of Owen Connellan's translation of the ... 43 See his letters in The Nation advocating its foundation, reprinted in Irish Book Lover, ...
... Briain, Tairrdelbach Bart Jaski Universiteit Utrecht Brian Boru; Kings and Kingship; Máel-Sec... more ... Briain, Tairrdelbach Bart Jaski Universiteit Utrecht Brian Boru; Kings and Kingship; Máel-Sechnaill I; Máel-Sechnaill II Henry A.Jefferies Thornhill College, Derry Armagh; Cork; Mac Carthy; Munster; Ua Briain Dorothy Johnston University of Nottingham Richard II Eamon P.Kelly ...
Collecting sixteen thought-provoking new essays by leading medievalists, this volume celebrates t... more Collecting sixteen thought-provoking new essays by leading medievalists, this volume celebrates the work of the late Rees Davies. Reflecting Davies' interest in identities, political culture and the workings of power in medieval Britain, the essays range across ten centuries, looking at a variety of key topics. Issues explored range from the historical representations of peoples and the changing patterns of power and authority, to the notions of 'core' and 'periphery' and the relationship between local conditions and international movements. The political impact of words and ideas, and the parallels between developments in Wales and those elsewhere in Britain, Ireland and Europe are also discussed. Appreciations of Rees Davies, a bibliography of his works, and Davies' own farewell speech to the History Faculty at the University of Oxford complete this outstanding tribute to a much-missed scholar.
Marking the 700th Anniversary of the Bruce Invasion of Ireland. By Seán Duffy, Peter Crooks, Cher... more Marking the 700th Anniversary of the Bruce Invasion of Ireland. By Seán Duffy, Peter Crooks, Cherie Peters, Caoimhe Whelan.
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