Tadhg O'Keeffe Knihy

The Irish landscape is dotted with thousands of medieval buildings, most of them in ruins. They are an invaluable resource, individually and collectively, for making sense of medieval Ireland and its people, provided one knows how to read the evidence of their architecture. This book helps the reader make full use of that evidence. It presents a comprehensive and fully referenced account of the cultures of medieval architectural endeavor in Ireland, and it describes and explains in detail the types of medieval building that survive. The book is replete with photographs, plans, and elevation drawings. (Series: Maynooth Research Guides for Irish Local History - Vol. 18) [Subject: History, Medieval Studies, Irish Studies, Archaeology, Architecture]

Focusing on eleventh- and twelfth-century Irish architecture, the book offers a new viewpoint that challenges the conventional labeling of this style as "Romanesque." It critically evaluates the implications of such classifications and their relevance to contemporary European architecture. Through this analysis, it seeks to deepen the understanding of Irish architectural heritage and its unique characteristics within a broader European context.