University College Dublin

Graduate Student, Archaeology

UCD Ad Astra Research Scholar/John Hume Institute

College of Arts and Celtic Studies/UCD John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies

Thesis Title: In Tírechán's Footprints: An Archaeology of the Early Medieval 'Collectanea'

About

I am currently an Ad Astra doctoral scholar with the John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies and UCD School of Archaeology. I primarily focus on early medieval Ireland and in particular, early Irish Christianity; its earliest ecclesiastical sites, features, rituals & landscapes alongside its associated texts and hagiographies. I am especially interested in the development of Irish Christianity; its manifestation, expression and performance, from the earliest missionary/conversion period to the seventh century cult of the saints and beyond. I am also interested in all things Patrician; from the historical Patrick and his writings to the later development of his cult and associated ecclesiastical primacy.

My doctoral research involves an archaeological investigation of Irish place-names, locations and landscapes named in an early medieval text known as the 'Collectanea' - a seventh century document written by an Irish bishop, Tírechán, which presents a hagiographical model of St. Patrick conducting a journey throughout Ireland. The named sites within the text represent a snapshot of the early medieval ritual landscape with firm references to contemporary physical structures, landscapes, archaeological monuments, rituals and traditions. The primary aim of the thesis is to examine and extract indications of potential archaeological information from the text itself and to place them in their social, ecclesiastical and landscape context. I employ a wide inter-disciplinary approach; utilising early Irish historical sources, placename evidence, antiquarian & Irish folklore sources alongside digital resources, aerial & satellite photography, mapping and field survey.

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