Cultural exchange and identity in late medieval Ireland : the English and Irish of the four obedient shires / Sparky Booker.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Booker, Sparky, author.

Series:

Cambridge studies in medieval life and thought ; 4th ser., 109.

Cambridge studies in medieval life and thought ; fourth series, book 109

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ireland--Civilization--English influences.

Ireland.

Civilization.

Ireland--Social life and customs.

Manners and customs.

Physical Description:

xvi, 298 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Summary:

Examines the complex interactions between English and Irish neighbours in the 'four obedient shires' and how this shaped English identity.

Irish inhabitants of the 'four obedient shires' - a term commonly used to describe the region at the heart of the English colony in the later Middle Ages - were significantly anglicised, taking on English names, dress, and even legal status. However, the processes of cultural exchange went both ways. This study examines the nature of interactions between English and Irish neighbours in the four shires, taking into account the complex tensions between assimilation and the preservation of distinct ethnic identities and exploring how the common colonial rhetoric of the Irish as an 'enemy' coexisted with the daily reality of alliance, intermarriage, and accommodation. Placing Ireland in a broad context, Sparky Booker addresses the strategies the colonial community used to deal with the difficulties posed by extensive assimilation, and the lasting changes this made to understandings of what it meant to be 'English' or 'Irish' in the face of such challenges.--Publisher description.

Contents:

Introduction: Cultural Exchange and Identity in Late Medieval Ireland

Chapter 1. Defining the Region: The Four Obedient Shires

Chapter 2. Migration, Assimilation, and Status: The Irish of the Four Shires

Chapter 3. Mediation and Cooperation: The 'Two Nations' in the Church

Chapter 4. Interethnic Family Ties: Intermarriage and Fosterage

Chapter 5. Irish Customs in the Four Shires

Chapter 6. The Irish Language and the English Community.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781107128088

1107128080

OCLC:

1003797972