Medieval Record Sources

The introduction of English institutions to Ireland after the arrival of the Normans, and the close administrative ties that existed between the two countries during the rest of the middle ages resulted in a wealth of archival sources on both sides of the Irish Sea. This book serves as a practical introduction to these sources, in both manuscript and printed form, from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The institutions, central and local, which produced the records are described and the records placed in their administrative context. Advice is given on the scope and limitations of the surviving sources, and special attention is paid to the existence of substitutes for the records destroyed in 1922 in the Four Courts fire. In addition to the records of central and local government, ecclesiastical records in Ireland and abroad are dealt with, as are the private records of major Anglo-Irish families. Information is provided on the existence of guides, lists and indexes which facilitate access to unpublished material in various record repositories.