How did early church sites differ from one another? A comparative approach within the kingdom of Fir Maige, Ireland

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dc.contributor.authorO'Donnell, Rory
dc.contributor.authorÓ Carragáin, Tomás
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-07T09:50:03Z
dc.date.available2026-04-07T09:50:03Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractEarly medieval Europe is characterised by a wide spectrum of church sites that contributed in distinct ways to the formation of communities and polities. However, it is challenging for archaeologists and historians to distinguish between them because they often employed the same basic ‘grammar’ in their layout and architecture, while most of them receive scant attention in the textual sources. It is argued that the most promising approach is a comparative one within a small, well-defined area, as this removes extraneous regional factors so that measurable variables primarily reflect the character, function, and relative importance of the church. This is illustrated by topographical and geophysical surveys of four examples in the northeast of the Irish kingdom of Fir Maige: a substantial landed monastery (Brigown), an ecclesiastical out-farm on its lands (Kildrum), a lesser landed church (Labbamolaga), and a royal community church (Killeenemer). New evidence is presented for the origins of the sites; for their scale, layout, and development; for habitation, agriculture and craft activity; and for ritual practice. This targeted comparative approach greatly refines our understanding of the specific niches they occupied within the settlement hierarchy.en
dc.description.versionPublished Version
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.authororcidO'Donnell, Rory
dc.identifier.authororcidÓ Carragáin, Tomás §0000-0001-7227-4287
dc.identifier.citationO'Donnell, R & Ó Carragáin, T 2022, 'How did early church sites differ from one another? A comparative approach within the kingdom of Fir Maige, Ireland', Church Archaeology, vol. 21, pp. 5-31.
dc.identifier.endpage31
dc.identifier.issn1366-8129
dc.identifier.journaltitleChurch Archaeology
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0001-7227-4287/work/208087794
dc.identifier.startpage5
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/18680
dc.identifier.volume21
dc.language.isoen
dc.rights© 2022, Liverpool University Press.
dc.rights.accessrightsopen access
dc.statusPeer reviewed
dc.subjectFir Maige
dc.subjectIreland
dc.subjectEarly medieval Europe
dc.subjectChurch sites
dc.subjectCommunity
dc.titleHow did early church sites differ from one another? A comparative approach within the kingdom of Fir Maige, Irelanden
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)
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