The Wider Gaelic World
Published: 5 September 2023
Dr. Simon Egan
This two-year project was funded by the European Commission as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship and undertaken by Dr Simon Egan. The project sought to investigate the relationship between the emerging ‘British’ state and the autonomous Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland and Scotland. By 1603 the political power of the Gaelic world (or Gàidhealtachd as it is commonly, though not exclusively, known) had been broken in the face of the recently created British state. Certain Gaelic dynasties such as the Campbells of Argyll and O’Briens of Thomond found accommodation within the new order. Hitherto however, little research has been undertaken on how other, recalcitrant dynasties such as the O’Donnells and O’Neills possessed the capacity to not only (i) resist governmental encroachment; but also to (ii) actively threaten this process of state formation throughout the sixteenth century. By drawing upon a series of case studies, the project charted the fortunes of the more powerful Gaelic Irish and Gaelic Scottish dynasties and by engaging with a broad base of primary material, this project explored the political and military development of the Gáidhealtachd during two key phases of Anglo-Scottish relations. The first phase investigated how certain Gaelic lords manipulated the course of Anglo-Scottish hostilities from 1513-59 in order to enhance their position within ‘British’ politics. The second phase explored how the Gaelic lords reacted to the gradual development of Anglo-Scottish peace and amity from 1560-94. The main objective of this project was therefore to uncover the basis for the strong level of Gaelic political and military resilience within ‘British’ politics throughout the sixteenth century and how significant a factor this was in contributing to the outbreak of the Nine Years War (1594-1603).
The project will result in a number of outputs, including several articles and book chapters as well as a project monograph. These will be advertised on the project website in due course. In July 2020, the research held a very successful two-day conference via Zoom. The event included twelve speakers from across the UK, Ireland, and North America while delegates from as far afield as Australia, Russia, and Sweden participated in the discussion. The conference proceedings will be published as an edited collection in due course. Further details will be advertised via the project website.
First published: 5 September 2023
<< Research