Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World.

Castles in Ireland: Feudal Power in a Gaelic World. TOM MCNEILL. xiii+261 pages, 132 illustrations. 1997. London:Routledge; 0-415-16537-7 hardback [pounds]35.This book is an invaluable addition to the literature on castles. Itcovers an area hitherto little discussed or represented in the sweep ofcastle studies, and one that has long deserved more extended treatment.McNeill fulfils this role admirably. He gives us a general survey ofcastles and tower-houses in Ireland from the first English conquestthrough to c. 1500. The format and methodology of the book is largelytraditional, though McNeill has new and valuable things to say oninterpretation.Castles in Ireland County AntrimAntrim Castle [1][2] Ballygally Castle Belfast Castle Carrickfergus Castle , Restored Castle Castle Upton Dunluce Castle , Castle Ruins Dunseverick Castle Glenarm Castle Kinbane Castle is divided into three parts. Part I looks at earlycastles to c. 1225, with separate chapters on stone and earth-and-timberconstruction and a discussion of the role of castles in theestablishment of English lordships in Ireland. Part II covers the early13th to the mid 14th century, defined as 'the central period ofEnglish lordship', covering castles McNeill interprets as derivedfrom English models before moving on to lesser castles and castles ofthe Irish. The later Middle Ages are discussed in Part III, withdiscussions both of enclosure castles and tower-houses.Within these sections the material is largely divided in acommon-sense fashion. Castle is discussed after castle; in most cases itis clear that McNeill has examined the surviving fabric in some detail(not something that can be said for certain other recent syntheses) andthat he has new and original things to say about their structure andinterpretation at a very basic level. The drawings are generally clearand of good quality, with one or two exceptions; that of Roscommon forexample (figure 55) is a little scrappy scrap��py?1?adj. scrap��pi��er, scrap��pi��estComposed of scraps; fragmentary: scrappy evidence.scrap and, given the importance ofthis structure, could have done with a more detailed plan.The division into period and then by theme works awkwardly in parts.For example, there is an invaluable discussion of tower-houses withinPart III, but it is never really resolved whether these structures cantruly be called 'castles'. In other places, it is often quitedifficult to follow McNeill's overall argument. This is partlybecause he prefers to write in narrative mode rather than one of formalexplanation, and partly because the reader tends to get lost in the(rightly) detailed exposition of the individual castles. As a result,chapters tend to degenerate into accounts of one castle after anotherwith no clear narrative link. I suggest that the reader goes through theEpilogue ep��i��loguealso ep��i��log ?n.1. a. A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play.b. The performer who delivers such a short poem or speech.2. a couple of times to get a clear view of where the author is'coming from' before tackling the main text.Archaeology is rightly a broad church, and traditional approaches tocastle studies remain the orthodoxy, but I do find McNeill'sapproach nevertheless academically rather timid. There is an implicitdeference to established narratives of castle development centred onEngland and France. This view has two limitations. First, change largelycomes from 'core' areas of Europe and diffuses outwards; thetask of the archaeologist is simply to record the extent of thediffusion. Second, there is an essentialist view of what castles'really are', usually tied up with their military intent.McNeill's mastery of his data leads him to see the limitations ofboth views; creative adaptation of Irish castles is acknowledged, and wefind that the military view simply does not work for many structures.Nevertheless, McNeill does not question these parameters: we are stillon the periphery, castles are still either military or something else,in varying degrees in each case.McNeill defers to Saunders in his definition of what a castle is;Saunders' (1977: 2) famous definition of a castle as 'afortified fortified (fôrt´fīd),adj containing additives more potent than the principal ingredient. residence which might combine administrative and judicialfunctions, but in which military considerations were paramount'.But McNeill later writes in apparent contradiction (p. 235):'When we study castles . . . what we are studying are thestructures of power, literally and metaphorically, in the society of themiddle ages . . . . The nature of that power will be reflected in thestructure of the castle, and so we should be able to deduce de��duce?tr.v. de��duced, de��duc��ing, de��duc��es1. To reach (a conclusion) by reasoning.2. To infer from a general principle; reason deductively: it from thatstructure. Until then, the castle is dumb, so we must not carry to thecastle preconceived pre��con��ceive?tr.v. pre��con��ceived, pre��con��ceiv��ing, pre��con��ceivesTo form (an opinion, for example) before possessing full or adequate knowledge or experience. notions of its role.'Thus is Saunders ably refuted; but McNeill neither makes the radicalnature of his views explicit (over 200 pages separate these two points),nor does he extend his observations on power beyond traditionalconsiderations of the exercise of feudal lordship Noun 1. feudal lordship - the position and authority of a feudal lordseigneury, seignioryberth, billet, post, situation, position, office, place, spot - a job in an organization; "he occupied a post in the treasury" . How were thesebuildings used as social arenas? How did medieval people move throughthem, subjectively experience spaces? How were castles viewed fromspecific points? (There is almost no discussion of the landscapesurrounding castles.) How did the different daily lives of women and menmanifest themselves in the organization of the castle?All these points do not detract from detract fromverb 1. lessen, reduce, diminish, lower, take away from, derogate, devaluate verb 2. the fact that Castles in Irelandis the most careful and scholarly book to be written on castles for ageneration. As such, it is a major step forward for castle studies.Thomas Kuhn suggested that research within a given scientific paradigmwould advance until it reached a point where the paradigm broke downunder the weight of contrary evidence. McNeill has written a book thatis successful in that it has pushed the traditional paradigm of castlestudies a long way forward - to its limits. It is to pay a compliment toCastles in Ireland to say that it demonstrates that the contradictionsof the traditional approach to castles are now painfully apparent.MATTHEW H. JOHNSON Department of Archaeology University of Durham (body, education) University of Durham - A busy research and teaching community in the historic cathedral city of Durham, UK (population 61000). Its work covers key branches of science and technology and traditional areas of scholarship. m.h.johnson@durham.ac.ukReferenceSAUNDERS, A.D. 1977. Five castle excavations: reports of theInstitute's project into the origins of the castles in England This page lists castles in England.Key National Trust ,Archaeological Journal 134: 1-156.