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Volume 4. Gaelic and Gaelicised Ireland in the Middle Ages by Kenneth Nicholls

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• Gaelic and Gaelicised Ireland in the Middle Ages [top]
  Written by Kenneth Nicholls. General Series Editors: James Lydon and Margaret MacCurtain. Volume 4 in the series.
  First Published in 1972 in Great Britain by Gill and Macmillan in paperback, 196pp, ISBN 071710561X
  Cover design by Cor Klaasen; Illustration: Ghent, University Library, MS. 2466
  Original UK retail price when first sold: £2.50 net

About the book/synopsis: This book is the fourth volume in 'The Gill History of Ireland', a comprehensive eleven-volume series of books which covers Irish history from the 5th Century to the 1960s.

This particular volume falls into two distinct parts - the first devotes itself to giving a general account of the society and institutions of Gaelic and gaelicised Ireland during the later Middle Ages and is limited in its scope and conclusions only by the extent of the available evidence. The second part of the volume concentrates on providing a brief history of those regions of Ireland outside the control of the English administration during the same period. Both parts of the book are based on original research.

Chapters:
Foreword; Preface

Part 1. Society and Institutions
1. Introduction: The Background of Late Medieval Ireland: the land; Ireland, a lineage society; the expanding clans; the Anglo-Norman settlements and their decline; The Gaelic reconquest
2. Political Structures and the Forms of Power: the Irish lordship; Tanistry and Inauguration; Public assemblies; Revenues and Exactions of the lords; Lords' land rights; Monopolies and pre-emption; Lords' officers; 'Buyings' and sláinte
3. The Legal System: The Irish legal system; The judges; Brehon Law and English law; legal procedures; Compensation and the principle of joint responsibility; the law of land: 'Irish gavelkind'; forms of partition; Customs approaching 'gavelkind'; the pledge of land
4. Social life and Groups: the people; nomenclature; marriage and sexual life; affiliation: the 'naming' of children; fosterage; the professional learned classes; the poets; military groupings; the galloglass
5. The church and clergy in society: the Irish church; the clergy; clerical life; papal provisions; the monastic orders; coarbs and erenaghs
6. Economic life: agriculture and pastoralism; foreign trade and the coastal towns; patterns of settlement
Part II: Historical
7. Ulster: the O'Neills of Tyrone; 'Little Ulster' and Clandeboy; Tirconnell; Fermanagh and Oriel
8. Connachts: the O Connors down to the Bruce invasion; the rise of the Mac Williamships and the wars of faction; the later period; Brefny, The O Farrells of Annaly
9. Munster: the O Briens of Thomond; The Mac Carthys of Desmond; The earls of Desmond and the Anglo-Norman lords of Munster; The Butler territories
10. Leinster and Meath: The Mac Murroughs, kings of Leinster; the O Byrnes and O Tooles; Leix and Offaly; the Westmeath lordships

Bibliography; Glossary; References; Index
Maps: Ireland circa 1255; Ireland circa 1297; Ireland circa 1500; Ireland in the 15th-16th Century; Ireland circa 1530