Restriction lift date: 2028-12-31
Gift exchange and the Tudor subjugation of Ireland: political messaging through material culture
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Date
2025
Authors
Shiels, Melissa Renee
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
This thesis is an exploration of the sources pertaining to political gift exchange in Renaissance Ireland. Sociologists have identified aspects of culture – gift exchange and material culture as highly symbolic and politically charged, and this framework applies to English-Irish relations throughout the sixteenth century. Diplomacy often obscured and diffused political and ethnic tensions and in a colonial context, gifts exchanged between actors communicated unspoken expectations on the part of the recipient. A gift register formed over time that enabled participants to convey unspoken messages and sentiments of loyalty. Gifts given at strategic times in sixteenth century political intrigues are a useful lens through which to examine the competing ideologies and aims of both the Crown and Irish political actors. Crucially, examining formal and informal gift exchange between a range of Irish female political actors and the Crown reveals elite Irish women’s strategies to secure dynastic protection and promotion for their natal and marital dynasties, shedding light on the heretofore overlooked extent of Irish women’s influence and participation in local, national, and international politics. Abstaining from gift-giving was also a message, one conveying deep disaffection with government policy and perceived overreach. By examining official state correspondence, personal correspondence, and inventories this research uncovers the range of gifts exchanged during political negotiations, explores the symbolic meanings implicitly communicated through such gifts, and identifies the response of the recipient and subsequent impact the gift had on political outcomes. This research demonstrates for the first time the significance of gift-giving in Renaissance Ireland, and the political savvy of Irish political actors, male and female, Gaelic and Anglo-Irish.
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Keywords
Renaissance , Material culture , Gift exchange , Female gift exchange , Irish History , Early modern history , Surrender and Regrant
Citation
Shiels, M. R. 2025. Gift exchange and the Tudor subjugation of Ireland: political messaging through material culture. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.