#OpenAccess highlight, 'Urban rebels in medieval Connacht: the revolt of Galway, 1388-9', by Patrick McDonagh is available through the following link! @universitypress.cambridge.org

Really happy to share the open access publication of my peer-reviewed article 'Urban rebels in medieval Connacht: the revolt of Galway, 1388–9' in Irish Historical Studies. This study examines the phenomena of popular urban revolt in medieval Ireland: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Today's unexpected archival discovery in the @nlireland.bsky.social. is this spooky pentacle on a late fourteenth century document. It is the signum or personal sign of a notary called Richard Wheeler. #Archives #Manuscripts #Medieval #Ireland #Halloween

Today's highlight in the manuscript reading room of the @nlireland.bsky.social. is this example of an impaled coat of arms belonging to Margaret de Typetot which shows her own coat of arms with those of her husband John Cheyne. Attached to a charter from 1378.

Good impression of the seal of the Staple of Waterford attached to a charter from 1457 at the @nlireland.bsky.social. The Staples where the designated entrepots for the export of certain goods in the lands of the kings of England and in Ireland included Waterford, Cork, Dublin, and Drogheda.

Gem of a seal belonging to Sir Richard de Burgh or Burke attached to an indenture from 1360 at the @nlireland.bsky.social. Showing the Burke coat of arms (a red cross on a gold field) it also shows a label at the top of the arms designating a junior branch of the family.

It was a pleasure to collaborate with Paul Dryburgh (TNA, UK) on this blog on the fascinating life of H.S Sweetman. More to come so watch this space! @historytcd.bsky.social @virtualtreasury.bsky.social www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...

Last night I attended the launch of Dublin in Deeds: Records of the Guild of St Anne, 1237-1778, @ria.ie The freely accessible digital resources and contextual essays are here on the Virtual Treasury website: virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/g... #Spéirghorm #MedievalSky

Really exciting development at the @nlireland.bsky.social. 380 deeds (D. 1 to D. 380) have been digitised and are available to view on the computers in the Manuscript Reading Room. Shown below is the great seal of Henry III (D. 166) and a papal bull of Pope Alexander IV (D. 195).

Really cool coming across this signature today in the @nlireland.bsky.social. 'T Norffolk' is the signature of Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk, and uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, both of whom where executed by Henry VIII. It is on a charter granting land in Ireland in 1528.

The seal of Risdeárd Ó hÉidigheáin, archbishop of Cashel in the early fifteenth century, at the @nlireland.bsky.social. Depicting him in his episcopal role, the seal also two coats of arms which appear to be those of the Butler earls of Ormond and the Fitzgerald earls of Desmond or Kildare.

Today's find in the manuscript reading room at the @nlireland.bsky.social is the common seal of the town of Clonmel attached to a deed from 1410 The seal shows a dog hunting a stag, whose antlers are a fine detail. #Manuscripts #Archives #Seals #Medieval #Ireland

Impressive seal belonging to Thomas of Lancaster, younger brother of the future Henry V, attached to a letters patent from 1408 when Thomas was the lieutenant of Ireland at the @nlireland.bsky.social. Thomas' seal shows his coat of arms which are surmounted by a helmet and a lion crest.

Good impression of the English exchequer seal attached to a letters patent to the second earl of Ormond from 1367 at the @nlireland.bsky.social.

Am very pleased to have just come across this nice manicule (or hand with a pointing index finger) in a letters patent of Richard II to the earl of Ormond dating from 1379 which is held by the @nlireland.bsky.social.

This Fri, 3 October at 2pm — 3rd and final talk in @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy's "Finding Ireland" online series: "Ireland's undiscovered past: the 1800s" from @gillianobrien.bsky.social. More info on how to join here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/eve...

Really fantastic seal belonging to Geoffrey Walsh attached to a deed from 1374 at the @nlireland.bsky.social. On the seal can be seen Geoffrey's coat of arms which shows a chevron, three barbed arrowheads, and two stars which are flanking the apex of the chevron.

A sixteenth century English royal seal showing Henry VIII standing on a ship with scepter and orb in hand at the @nlireland.bsky.social

An excellent talk well worth listening to given by Dr Paul Dryburgh, Medieval Records Specialist at The National Archives (UK), on the history of the medieval English colony in Ireland and the surviving documentary record: vimeo.com/event/510578...

A great seal depicting a child king enthroned in majesty at the @nlireland.bsky.social. This broken seal is attached to a writ in the name of King Edward, which in this case likely refers to the Yorkist pretender Lambert Simnel who was crowned as Edward VI in Dublin in May 1487.

More information on how to join this online talk here: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/eve...

This Fri, 19 September: Join Paul Dryburgh, medieval collections specialist @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy, for "England's first colony: medieval Ireland, 1171-1500". An overview of English intervention in Ireland and its role in the political development of the British and Irish isles.

An illustration of Noah's ark in a fourteenth century Irish manuscript accredited to Ádhamh Ó Cianáin, a scholar from medieval Fermanagh, at the @nlireland.bsky.social. In the top left can be seen the dove (or 'colu[m]ba') carrying an olive leaf returning to the ark.

This wax impression is likely the oldest seal in the @nlireland.bsky.social, dating from the 1170s (and so only a few years after the Norman Invasion of Ireland). The legend around the circumference of the seal reads 'Seal of Richard Tirel' and it depicts Richard as a mounted knight.

A link to the online version: historyireland.com/a-sea-of-par...

Very happy to see this in print, an article I have written for History Ireland's new September/October issue called "'A Sea of Parchment' - Original Medieval Deeds in the National Library of Ireland" which provides a survey of the @nlireland.bsky.social large collection of medieval deeds.

Sharing the recording of the John Grove Memorial Lecture for 2025 I gave for the Mortimer History Society on the Irish Lieutenancy of Edmund, fifth earl of March and seventh earl of Ulster during 1423-1425: www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7ie...

Brilliant lecture. Thank you 😊

Very enjoyable lunchtime lecture today at the @nlireland.bsky.social speaking on the library's medieval deeds. Was excellent to see so many people in attendance and interested in medieval Irish manuscripts.

One of my favourite manuscripts at the @nlireland.bsky.social is this royal charter of Edward III to Mellifont Abbey from 1348 with a fantastic illuminated initial depicting the letter 'E'. To learn more about this manuscript come to my free lunchtime talk today: www.nli.ie/exhibitions-...

As part of #HeritageWeek, you can also join us for two related free talks: 1) In Strongbow's Shadow: Exploring Medieval Ireland in the NLI www.nli.ie/exhibitions-...

🛡️⚔️ Shields and Arms: Medieval Heraldry at the @nlireland.bsky.social Did you know that the National Library of Ireland has a rich collection of heraldic manuscripts and material, primarily dating from the early modern and modern periods? 🗡️ Learn more: www.nli.ie/news-stories...

'A Rain deers head'. Um, if you say so... (Funeral Entry of Col Hill, 1665, NLI)

Excited to share a new collaboration led by Dr Eamon Darcy @maynoothuniversity.ie‬ with ‪@ria.ie @dri.ie‬ The Molyneux Papers-20 vivid county descriptions from the 1680s online: virtualtreasury.ie/curated-coll... + 👀👇 ‪@rtebrainstorm.bsky.social‬ tinyurl.com/yc3b3tpa #IrishHistory 📷TCD Library

Only a few days until my free public lecture 'In Strongbow's Shadow' for Heritage Week in the @nlireland.bsky.social on Thursday 21 August at 1pm which explores the library's large collection of medieval deeds and charters. Booking is required: www.nli.ie/exhibitions-...

A finely detailed seal with a coat of arms belonging to Robert son of Maurice FitzRobert of Carnalwy. It is attached to a charter in the @nlireland.bsky.social from 1368 recording a grant of property in the parish of St Brigid in Dublin. Witnessing the grant is Peter Woder, mayor of Dublin.

Roundels with beautiful golden crowns in a manuscript in @nlireland.bsky.social showing the descent of the mythical kingdom of the Britons from Leyr to his daughter Cordeilla and then to his grandsons Morganus and Cunedagius, sons of Cordeilla's sisters. The basis for Shakespeare's King Lear.

Happy to share a new blog post I have written called 'Shields and Arms: Medieval Heraldry at the National Library of Ireland' which examines a fascinating fifteenth century heraldic volume at the @nlireland.bsky.social www.nli.ie/news-stories...

Really superb miniature showing Adam and Eve in an illuminated fifteenth century manuscript held at the @nlireland.bsky.social

Good impression of the seal of the town of Dundalk in County Louth from 1420 at the @nlireland.bsky.social Really interesting to see a spearman as one of the coat of arms "supporters" which was all too fitting as Dundalk was an English frontier town in the late medieval period.

Very excited to be giving the following public lecture during National Heritage Week on Thursday 21 August at the @nlireland.bsky.social on the library's extraordinary collection of medieval deeds and charters www.nli.ie/exhibitions-...

Fascinating - not least because the next earl of Ormond was the subject of one of the handful of 16th century portraits featuring a gun.

🏰 Publication day! 🏰 Delighted to see my new guide to the Medieval Walled Towns of Meath is now available to download from the @heritagecouncil.ie website. It was a fun project to work on, exploring the histories of Trim, Navan, Kells and Athboy. irishwalledtownsnetwork.ie/new-publicat...

When the deeds have eyes...really fantastic portraiture, possibly of Edward III, in a English royal charter sent to Ireland in 1375 at @nlireland.bsky.social The face is drawn into the loop of the h for hib[er]nie or Ireland, and has a rather Big Brother (or Edward) is watching you feeling.

In what may be the oldest depiction of a gun an Irish manuscript - an ink drawing of a musket on a @nlireland.bsky.social charter from 1543 from the earl of Ormond to a Martin Potercelo granting property in Kilkenny. Potercelo is described as a 'gonn-' or gonner (gunner) in the grant.

If you missed my IMC paper on rumours of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester's murder you can watch it on catch up here (registered delegates only). It was my first Leeds paper so if you have any criticism of it I would LOVE to hear it so I can get better next year. imc-leeds.confex.com/imc/2025/mee...

Looking forward to speaking at the @nlireland.bsky.social on a political scandal which occurred at Dublin Castle on 13 December 1380 when the Bishop of Cloyne attacked the earls of Ormond and Desmond before Edmund Mortimer, earl of Ulster, then Lieutenant of Ireland www.nli.ie/exhibitions-...

One day until tomorrow's online lecture!

This Thursday @nlireland.bsky.social: A Scandal at Mass The Eyewitnesses to a Fourteenth Century Controversy. Dr. @patrickmcdonagh98.bsky.social, Research Studentship, Dept of Manuscripts & Special Collections (& previous VRTI Researcher!) on political scandals of the late 14th century in Ireland!

A recording of my paper on Sir Thomas Mortimer and the Lords Appellant Revolt of 1387 for anyone at Leeds who missed my paper during #IMC2025 (only available to those registered for the conference) imc-leeds.confex.com/imc/2025/mee...