Deep History, Deepening Collaborations
34 Irish Kings and English Rulers Contesting Space, Contested Records, 1350–1500 By Dr Elizabeth Biggs, Medieval History (VRTI) and Dr Paul Dryburgh (The National Archives UK) Late-medieval Ireland was a contested space. Cultures, languages and political and legal systems clashed. English royal power, long-established settler communities , and increasingly autonomous Gaelic lords all competed for power. But on the frontier between English and Gaelic regions these competing cultures created mixed communities in a complex world where power was negotiated by written agreements as well as military force. In theory, the king of England considered the Gaelic chieftains as his subjects, but in practice his rule could not be enforced across much of Ireland. Where the sword failed words could succeed. A fascinating series of documents record the delicate negotiations between Irish kings and English rulers in the fourteenth century. These diplomatic agreements uncover the voices of the colonised Gaelic communities and their leaders, revealing astute political aspirations and a surprising degree of influence. Several of these rare survivors frommedieval Ireland are being newly digitised and translated into English, to be made available online through the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland. The most striking set of agreements between English royal power and Gaelic Irish leaders comes from the expedition of King Richard II to Ireland in 1394–5, when eighty Irish lords submitted in writing. These included many of the most influential and powerful rulers of Gaelic Ireland, including Brian Ó Briain of Thomond, Niall Óg Ó Néill and his father Niall Mór of Ulster, Toirdelbach Ó Conchobhair Donn of Connacht, and Art Mac Murchadha Caómhanach of Leinster. Thirteen parchments from the reign of Richard II at The National Archives (UK) have suffered damage through the centuries, making them especially difficult to read. The ink has faded and the parchment torn. Through cutting-edge conservation science, the documents have been imaged using Multi-Spectral Imaging, which takes photographs across a range of visible and invisible light to pick up details hidden from the human eye. With the generous cooperation of partners at Hampton Court Palace we were also able to test Hyper-Spectral Imaging, which maps a document across the full range of light wavelengths. This work was funded by The National Archives (UK) Strategic Research Fund Project Contesting Space, Contested Records in 2023. Our thanks to TNA and Lambeth Palace Library for allowing the use of their images, and to Constantina Vlachou-Mogire and Moira Bertasa at Hampton Court Palace for the use of their Hyper- Spectral Imaging camera. Right: Detail of a miniature of the fleet of King Richard II (1377–99), departing from Ireland in 1399 after an attempt to quell rebellion from Irish lords who overthrew the submissions Richard had accepted just four years earlier in 1395. When he returned to England, Richard II faced usurpation and death at the hands of his cousin, Henry IV (1399-1413). He was the last English king to visit Ireland until the Battle of Boyne (1690). The sail of the king’s ship bears the emblem of the sun in splendor. Credit: British Library, Harley MS 1319, f. 18.
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