Colonial Ireland

Helicon History of Ireland

by Robin Frame

Between 1169 and around 1240, large parts of Ireland were occupied by members of an Anglo-Norman upper class, which had already advanced into Wales and which was still engaged in acquiring land in Scotland. In their wake came peasants, craftsmen and traders, to settle mainly in the lowlands of the south and east. English law and forms of government were also transplanted, as the Plantagenet kings asserted their authority, turning Ireland into a lordship where they could reward those around them with lands and rights, and from which they expected financial returns and support in their wars. No part of the island was unaffected by the military and political activities of the Anglo-Normans, who upset existing power-structures and faced Irish rulers with complex pressures and choices. This book examines the processes of conquest and colonization, against the background of economic expansion and seigneurial enterprise apparent elsewhere in Britain and Europe. It also explores the nature and extent of colonial retreat, and the political and cultural adjustments that were evident amid the less favourable conditions of the 14th century. The book, originally published in 1981, has been revised and expanded for the present illustrated edition, which also contains a guide to more recent work

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1981

About the author

Professor Emeritus at Durham University. His research has specialised in medieval Irish social and political history and relations between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in the middle ages.

Reviews

[Cian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Colonial Ireland was as varied socially as it was scattered geographically, with compeititing and overlapping interests carried over from a series of invasions from Norman marchers (conquerors) furthering the complexity with each new enterprize channelled by the sword and royal prerogative.

This book is a universal case-study in colonial society, its processes, its momentums and rapid declines, recoveries and, in the case of Ireland, integration with the native population. It is also an excellent study on the Norman military aristocracy that came to shapes modern Britain and much of Europe, and to explain the geopolitical signifigance of urban Irish settlement.

New Ross is stated as a prime example of this early urban success (ohh how the centuries change). Tge one glaring flaw of this book is that it is scant where it comes to the effects of colonialism on Gaelic society save from where it is readily apparent in relation to English interest. It is a problem the book faces up to in its prelude, nevertheless it is a prevalent through-out.