The cultural developments of Early Christian Ireland have long been recognised and described. There have, however, been few attempts to date to explain why the flowering of culture should happen at the time and in the way that it did.
First published in 1992, The Origins of Early Christian Ireland (now with a new preface by the author) explains changes in the period up to AD 800 in Ireland. External stimuli, most notably from Irish settlers in western Britain acted as catalysts which transformed a relatively moribund Iron Age culture into one of extraordinary vigour. All aspects of the culture changed radically, and changes in each had knock-on effects on others. Beliefs were revolutionised by Christianity; society was transformed by the church as an institution and the rise of the individual; agriculture was expanded by more advanced technology and the entrepreneurial flair of individual decision-making; craft production became more widespread and offered a vehicle for the display of personal wealth and status. Long-distance trade and ecclesiastical contacts integrated Ireland with the rest of Europe more effectively than ever before.
The book has two distinctive features, which means that it relates to two forms of academic market, each of which can be defined. Firstly, it deals with a particular culture-historical period, that of Early Christian Ireland, and presents an explanation of its origins and development to AD 800. This appeals to archaeologists and historians of Ireland, Britain and, indeed, Europe. Secondly, it takes a specific theoretical position and develops it using primarily archaeological but also extensive historical information. This is the most detailed application of processualist theory yet undertaken for a historic period in Europe. This appeals to archaeologists and anthropologists in Britain, and also North America where the processualist approach is the most popular theoretical position.