A Nation in Medieval Ireland? Perspectives on Gaelic National Identity in the Middle Ages

This study argues that concepts of nation, nationalism, national ideology and identity did exist in Ireland in the 13th and 14th centuries, and that the Irish people used the concept of nation especially in response to foreigness or foreigners. Thomas Finan examines Bardic poetry, settlement patterns, the organisational nature of the Church and evidence from the medieval legal system to discern the ways in which people used and conceived of ideas of nationalism. The study demonstrates that this concept of nation was not based on political structure, but on ethnic descent and the relationship between an ethnically-linked group and a given geographical area. The modern debate over nationalism is also reviewed.