What is it about?

Often it has been assumed that Irish society was somewhat unusual when compared with its European neighbours during the middle ages. This chapter seeks to challenge this notion by comparing Irish society with other regions of Europe including parts of Spain, Italy, Poland, and Hungary.

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Why is it important?

Ireland has often been perceived as an insular society, cut off from mainstream European developments. This chapter demonstrates that society in medieval and early modern Ireland was not that different to other parts of Europe.

Perspectives

This chapter was an opportunity for me to think about Irish history in a much broader context. It allowed me to research other aspects of European history and open up new research areas which I hope to pursue in the coming years.

Dr Simon Egan
Queen's University Belfast

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This page is a summary of: From the Shannon to the Danube: Gaelic Irish Lordship in Its European Context, c.1169–c.1650, July 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004735521_009.
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