Early Medieval Royalty to Gaelic Nobility in Western Ireland – the case of Caherconnell Cashel, Co. Clare
The Caherconnell Cashel in the Burren, Co. Clare, a settlement built in the late 10th century AD and used continuously through to the start of the 17th century, was home to prosperous local rulers. Their wealth was built on successful farming, allowing them to engage in fine craftworking, military pursuits, external trade, games, music, and literacy (as evident in, amongst other things, the discovery of the earliest ink pen in Ireland). In this lecture, Dr. Michelle Comber of the School of Geography, Archaeology, and Irish Studies at the University of Galway will discuss recent archaeological excavations at the site. As those who constructed Caherconnell likely had familial connections with Brian Boru, the evidence unearthed provides us with a fine example of how native nobility negotiated the turbulent years of Viking and Anglo-Norman activity in western Ireland.
Dr. Michelle Comber is a native Galwegian and a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Galway, where she has been teaching since the mid-90s. Her research interests lie primarily in the archaeology of Ireland’s Early Medieval period (approx. 5th to 12th century AD), especially its fine metalwork, economy and settlement, and in tracing social and economic change over broad spans of time. Dr.… Read the rest
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