Power and Patronage in Medieval Ireland: Clonard from the Sixth to Twelfth Centuries

Principal Investigator: Dr Niamh Wycherley

This is a 4-year history project funded by a Pathway award from Research Ireland. This project proposes a detailed case study of one medieval Irish institution of strategic importance, the Church of Clonard. It addresses unresolved research problems about how the Church became one of the most powerful institutions in Ireland, and how exactly it operated. Key to answering these questions is an analysis of the co-dependencies between Church (represented by ecclesiastical leaders) and State (represented by local, provincial, and national aristocracies). The implications of the project are potentially far reaching, showing us to what extent our current perceptions of class, identity, gender, and government, are formed by developments of the medieval period.