Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World

Front Cover
Psychology Press, 1997 - Architecture, Medieval - 261 pages

The castles of Ireland are an essential part of the study of medieval Europe, but were, until recently, a subject neglected by scholars. A lord's power and prestige were displayed in the majesty and uniqueness of his castle. The remains of several thousand castles enable us to reconstruct life in Ireland during these crucial centuries.
Castles in Ireland tells the story of the nature and development of lordship and power in medieval Ireland. Ireland formed the setting to the interplay of the differing roles of competing lordship: English and Irish; feudal European and Gaelic; royal and baronial. Tom McNeill argues that the design of the castles contest the traditional view of Ireland as a land torn by war and divided culturally between the English and Irish.

 

Selected pages

Contents

Before 1166
7
Early castles of stone
27
Early castles of earth and timber
56
Castles and the establishing of English lordships in Ireland
75
1
85
7
91
75
102
Castles in a divergent tradition
118
Lesser stone castles
148
Castles of the Irish
157
Summary
165
The fourteenth century
171
dates and distribution
201
structure and use
211
The later middle ages and the end of castles in Ireland
224
Copyright

Other editions - View all

Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World
T.E. McNeill
Limited preview - 2005
Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World
T.E. McNeill
Limited preview - 2005
Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World
T. E. McNeill
No preview available - 1997

Common terms and phrases

accommodation angle appears Archaeology bailey base block building built Burgh Carrickfergus castle centres chamber chamber tower clearly compared Connacht construction continued courtyard crannogs curtain wall defence ditch dominated door Dublin earlier early east enclosure England English entrance evidence excavation existence Figure fireplace first-floor four Galway gate house gate tower Greencastle ground floor half hall idea identified inner Ireland Irish John Journal Kilkenny king lack land late later latrine Leask least less lesser Limerick linked loops lords lordships major marked Meath medieval middle military motte original outer passage period present probably projecting rectangular remains rooms royal seems seen side simply single south-west stair stone structure thirteenth century timber tower tower-houses town Trim turrets Ulster vault whole

References to this book

About the author (1997)

Dr Thomas McNeill took his doctorate in archaeology at Queen's University, Belfast, where he is currently Lecturer in Medieval Archaeology. He is the author of The English Heritage Book of Castles and The Archaeology of Ulster (with J. P. Mallory).

Bibliographic information

QR code for Castles in Ireland
TitleCastles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World
AuthorT. E. McNeill
Editionillustrated, reprint
PublisherPsychology Press, 1997
ISBN0415228530, 9780415228534
Length261 pages
  
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