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New Gill History of Ireland #1
Medieval Ireland (New Gill History of Ireland 1): The Enduring Tradition – Ireland from the Coming of Christianity to the Reformation
Medieval Ireland – The Enduring Tradition, the first instalment in the New Gill History of Ireland series, offers an overview of Irish history from the coming of Christianity in the fifth century to the Reformation in the sixteenth, concentrating on Ireland’s cultural and social life and highlighting Irish society’s inherent stability in an very unstable period.
Such a broad survey reveals features otherwise not easily detected. For all the complexity of political developments, Irish society remained basically stable and managed to withstand the onslaught of both the Vikings and the English. The inherent strength of Ireland consisted in the cultural heritage from pre-historic times, which remained influential throughout the centuries discussed in Professor Michael Richter’s engaging and informative book.
Irish history has traditionally been described either in isolation or in the manner in which it was influenced by outside forces, especially by England. This book strikes a different balance. First, the time span covered is longer than usual, and more attention is paid to the early medieval centuries than to the later period. Secondly, less emphasis is placed in this book on the political or military history of Ireland than on general social and cultural aspects. As a result, a more mature interpretation of medieval Ireland emerges, one in which social and cultural norms inherited from pre-historic times are seen to survive right through the Middle Ages. They gave Irish society a stability and inherent strength unparalleled in Europe. Christianity came in as an additional, enriching factor.
Part I. Early Ireland (before c. AD 500)
Ireland in Prehistoric Times Political Developments in Early Times
Part II Ireland in the First Part of the Middle Ages (c. AD 500-1100)
The Beginnings of Christianity in Ireland The Formation of the Early Irish Church Christian Ireland in the Seventh and Eighth Centuries Secularisation and Reform in the Eighth Centuries The Age of the Vikings
Part III. Ireland in the Second part of the Middle Ages (c.1100-1500)
Ireland under Foreign Influence: The Twelfth Century Ireland from the Reign of John to the Statutes of Kilkenny The End of the Middle Ages The Enduring Tradition
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 3, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it's well written and informative, but on the other hand it's kind of spread thin. The book either needs another 100-200 pages, or you need to take it as a springboard for the topic. No more than a few pages are spent on any one topic, so if, say, you find the Anglo-Irish migration interesting, you're going to go find another book. So, I might recommend it for a starting point for someone who wants to read about Medieval Ireland but doesn't know where to start. By the end of this book, which is a pretty quick read, you'll have a few other topics you'll want to look up, and then you can get into some real research.
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January 3, 2023Early Irish kingship was of the sacral type (i.e. both an embodiment of his people and a symbol). He had to be without defects; his defeat was th defeat of his tuath.
This conception rulership influenced the status of the first bishops (they had the same honor-price as kings) but soon Christianity weakened the priestly status of kings.
There were trials before the ceremonial confirmation of kingship.
The average reign was about 15 years. A third of kings are known by name, a tenth by deed.
This conception rulership influenced the status of the first bishops (they had the same honor-price as kings) but soon Christianity weakened the priestly status of kings.
There were trials before the ceremonial confirmation of kingship.
The average reign was about 15 years. A third of kings are known by name, a tenth by deed.
June 6, 2014
The beginning of the book was a "2" for me and the end a "4." The first half (or more) of the book was not the history of Ireland but the history of Christianity in Ireland, presumably because that is what is covered in what sources remain. The end of the book was stronger and I found it more interesting.
August 8, 2011
This is a highly informative volume on medieval Ireland, and do not be misled because it is written by a German. It is very detailed, easy to read and a great introduction to the subject.
November 7, 2017
A highly informative and well written introduction to Irish Medieval History. Unlike the later books in the series (which are all well worth reading) this one is much shorter and lighter.
I found it difficult to put down and would gladly recommend it to anyone interested on beginning their study of early Medieval Ireland, academic and enthusiast alike. Though it does cram around 900 years of social, political, religious and cultural history into less than 200 pages, I feel the author accomplishes his goal of giving the reader a strong basic grasp of the Irish world at that time by sticking to the main points while allowing for some digression and context. It provides a good foothold from which to understand the complexities and development of Irish culture up to and into the turbulent centuries of the early modern period.
I found it difficult to put down and would gladly recommend it to anyone interested on beginning their study of early Medieval Ireland, academic and enthusiast alike. Though it does cram around 900 years of social, political, religious and cultural history into less than 200 pages, I feel the author accomplishes his goal of giving the reader a strong basic grasp of the Irish world at that time by sticking to the main points while allowing for some digression and context. It provides a good foothold from which to understand the complexities and development of Irish culture up to and into the turbulent centuries of the early modern period.
February 21, 2022
Informative book, with quite a bit of nuance. Successfully deconstructs colonial bigots like Gerald of Wales, but the author seems to be sort of lamenting the possibility that King John of England had to fully pacify Ireland, which is a bit odd.
Still it shows some of the nuances and complexities of the period like how a lot of the initial English settlers who came to Ireland ended up siding with the Irish against mainland England over time, and how the English desperately tried to respond to this by creating what was essentially an apartheid ring around their strongholds on the island like the Statue of Kilkenny (1366).
I do wish we got more social history, but what there is, is a good introduction to the period and is recommended as such. More could have been written about the pre-Christian era, which is relegated to only a few pages.
Still it shows some of the nuances and complexities of the period like how a lot of the initial English settlers who came to Ireland ended up siding with the Irish against mainland England over time, and how the English desperately tried to respond to this by creating what was essentially an apartheid ring around their strongholds on the island like the Statue of Kilkenny (1366).
I do wish we got more social history, but what there is, is a good introduction to the period and is recommended as such. More could have been written about the pre-Christian era, which is relegated to only a few pages.
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January 27, 2021An interesting book about Medieval Ireland. Mainly due to the fact that the author is German and thus does not ascribe to either the conservative English tendency to see the pre-Norman Gaelic Irish as backward; or the Irish tendency to see it as faultless era of Celtic Renaissance.
Rather he charts a doggedly neutral path.
In particular he has done some good research on the Irish church of the time; I found the reference to the lack of forgiveness for pagans in the 7th century particularly interesting since by then paganism was supposed to have been long extinct.
An interesting read and although it is now a little dated well worth the read particularly if one is interested in the Irish ecclesiastical history of this time period.
Rather he charts a doggedly neutral path.
In particular he has done some good research on the Irish church of the time; I found the reference to the lack of forgiveness for pagans in the 7th century particularly interesting since by then paganism was supposed to have been long extinct.
An interesting read and although it is now a little dated well worth the read particularly if one is interested in the Irish ecclesiastical history of this time period.
November 10, 2020
yes I got the information I wanted but god was it delivered in the most boring way possible
September 27, 2015
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Given that my main area of interest leans toward England, the majority of my knowledge of Ireland in medieval times comes with a decidedly English slant. It was refreshing then to find this text, though it was published in 1988. I would be very interested to read the newest edition that came out in 2005 to see what insights have been added in the last couple of decades. Despite the slimness of the volume, it contained a plethora of information focusing mainly on 500-1500 AD, though the two early sections dealt briefly with Ireland prior to that time.
I do have a few complaints - more than once the author made a point and supported it with some detail, but followed up with the phrase, "...but that won't be discussed here..." or something to that effect. This is something that would be very frustrating for someone with no background knowledge. It leaves the reader with two dilemmas - the first being why is this info important enough to mention but not be elaborated on and two, now I have to seek out this information elsewhere (for the truly interested, at least. Some are able to just gloss over lines like that and keep going. I am not one of those people.)
For once I appreciated a lack of photos. They would not have served the text well. Too often I read books that have X amount of colored 'plates' (please, be MORE pretentious) and half of them end up being kind of related to the topic, in that they're from the same time period, but often there is not a specific connection. If I recall correctly, this book at three or four black and white maps of Ireland. They were really all that were necessary, as the primary focus of the text was the development of Ireland in medieval times. While society, culture, literature, the Church, and so on were important to make this development happen, a smattering of random photographs were not.
This is a fairly intense academic work, despite the length. It might be off-putting for those with a casual interest. I would recommend starting elsewhere if you have no background knowledge of medieval Ireland. Otherwise, I can say I recommend it (or perhaps the most current edition) for those who already have a foundation.
Given that my main area of interest leans toward England, the majority of my knowledge of Ireland in medieval times comes with a decidedly English slant. It was refreshing then to find this text, though it was published in 1988. I would be very interested to read the newest edition that came out in 2005 to see what insights have been added in the last couple of decades. Despite the slimness of the volume, it contained a plethora of information focusing mainly on 500-1500 AD, though the two early sections dealt briefly with Ireland prior to that time.
I do have a few complaints - more than once the author made a point and supported it with some detail, but followed up with the phrase, "...but that won't be discussed here..." or something to that effect. This is something that would be very frustrating for someone with no background knowledge. It leaves the reader with two dilemmas - the first being why is this info important enough to mention but not be elaborated on and two, now I have to seek out this information elsewhere (for the truly interested, at least. Some are able to just gloss over lines like that and keep going. I am not one of those people.)
For once I appreciated a lack of photos. They would not have served the text well. Too often I read books that have X amount of colored 'plates' (please, be MORE pretentious) and half of them end up being kind of related to the topic, in that they're from the same time period, but often there is not a specific connection. If I recall correctly, this book at three or four black and white maps of Ireland. They were really all that were necessary, as the primary focus of the text was the development of Ireland in medieval times. While society, culture, literature, the Church, and so on were important to make this development happen, a smattering of random photographs were not.
This is a fairly intense academic work, despite the length. It might be off-putting for those with a casual interest. I would recommend starting elsewhere if you have no background knowledge of medieval Ireland. Otherwise, I can say I recommend it (or perhaps the most current edition) for those who already have a foundation.
April 29, 2009
Best if you are really interested in the subject- I was too distracted with other things to give it the time & thought it needed.
April 8, 2011
Could be titled The Roots of Medieval Irish Culture.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews