The conventional image of the diocesan church in late medieval Ireland is one of decay and decadence. One historian posited a degree of disorder ‘not far short of [the] total breakdown of organised religion in that…country’. However, a series of recent studies is revealing a very different picture: a church endeavouring to meet the pastoral … Read more
Baron de Coubertin’s idea that athletes world-wide should emulate the games of ancient Greece came to fruition over a century ago. Although the aura and ethos of the games have since been eroded by nationalism, racism, commercialism and international politics, their appeal has continued unabated, giving rise to quadrennial outbursts of global euphoria. Michelle Smith’s … Read more
In 1399, according to a letter sent by the Irish council to Henry IV, the new king of England, because there were no soldiers for the defence of Ireland and no money there in order to engage new ones, ‘the land is in danger of final destruction’. The letter outlined the problems facing the English … Read more
Among the various terms applied to works of reference, ‘atlas’ has now become the most user-friendly, more companionable than ‘companion’ and certainly less repellent than ‘dictionary’, ‘directory’ or ‘encyclopaedia’. To match its changing semantic context, the typical modern atlas has fewer and simpler maps than its mid-century predecessors; it also has more non-cartographic illustrations, especially … Read more
For Scots the name of Bruce conjures up the struggle against English conquest which began 700 years ago. Despite their distance in the past, the medieval king, Robert Bruce, and his great victory at Bannockburn in 1314 remain central to Scottish historical consciousness, seen as securing Scotland’s place as an independent realm and nation until … Read more