Colonisation and Conquest in Medieval Ireland

The history of English rule in Ireland stretches back to the twelfth century. This book examines the actions of the earliest English settlers in Ireland and asks a number of questions about the society they developed there. Why did these people come to Ireland? How did they interact with the native Irish neighbors? What was the nature of their relationship with England? This was also a time of English expansion in Wales and Scotland, and the book suggests comparisons and contrasts with the Irish experience in this broader setting.

• The book addresses the issue of colonial identity in a medieval context
• It places the Irish experience in a wider frame, and draws on the most recent work on English, Scottish and Welsh history
• It reassesses the legacy of the twelfth-century Church reform movement for later periods