Book Chapters by Tom Byrne
King in the West? Tracing the impact of Ireland’s myth and history in Game of Thrones
“...the hi... more King in the West? Tracing the impact of Ireland’s myth and history in Game of Thrones
“...the histories will open your eyes. You would do well to know about the lives of those who went before”
Jamie Lannister, Feast for Crows, p. 236
2000 professional mercenaries from the east arrive to form part of an invasion force. These sellswords’ wages are paid for by the sister, well married abroad, of a deposed and supposedly tyrannical king who hopes her House can win back power. Rebellious lords and renegade members of the council plot a strategy to defeat the usurper who now holds the crown. Dublin in 1487 is frenetic with activity and tense with expectation.
For despite the similarities to events and personalities portrayed in The Game of Thrones, the mercenaries in question were German and not from the Free Cities of Essos; Dowager Duchess Margaret of Burgundy was their paymaster rather than Daenerys Targaryen; Richard III was the king in question and the House of York the dynasty seeking restoration. The Earl of Kildare, Gerald FitzGerald, Lord Deputy of Ireland and the Earl of Lincoln, John de la Pole, both strong supporters of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses were the scheming nobles seeking to displace Henry VII and his recently established House of Tudor.
The parallels nevertheless are striking. A contested monarchy, exiled claimants, untrustworthy magnates, military expeditions – and uncertain pretenders.
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Game of Thrones and History, 2015
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Robert McNamara (ed.), The Churchills in Ireland, 1660-1965: Connections and Controversies, Dec 2, 2011
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Thomas O'Connor and Mary Ann Lyons (eds), Irish Communities in Early Modern Europe , 2006
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Liam Harte, Yvonne Whelan and Patrick Crotty (eds), Ireland: space, text, time, 2005
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Papers by Tom Byrne
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Ireland: Space, Text, Time, 2005
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Nirsa Working Paper Series, 2002
This database project was conceptualised to facilitate the transfer of the existing set of record... more This database project was conceptualised to facilitate the transfer of the existing set of records of Irish clerics who trained in France compiled as the result of scholarly research by L. W. Brockliss and P. Ferté and now lodged with, and published by, the Royal Irish Academy, to a digital format. Dr. Brockliss has kindly granted permission for his work
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Dutch Crossings: A Journal of Low Country Studies, 31(2), pp. 205-222, 2007
Abstract. This paper will examine an unexplored episode in Anglo-Dutch relations. At the outset o... more Abstract. This paper will examine an unexplored episode in Anglo-Dutch relations. At the outset of the War of Spanish Succession, French Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Torcy, believing that 'we are about to face the bloodiest war that has ever occurred in history*, dispatched Nathaniel Hooke (1664-1738) to the Netherlands. Hooke's mission was to penetrate Anglo-Dutch political and military circles. The ultimate aim, originally suggested by Hooke, was to explore the possibility of neutralising England or the Netherlands by diploma tic initia tive, political subversion or pre-emptive military strike. Hooke was uniquely qualified to undertake the task. Born in Ireland, he had participated in Monmouth's Rebellion in 1685 and been exiled in the Netherlands. Converting to Catholicism in 1688, Hooke went into exile in France. Following James II's death in 1701, Hooke sought to enter French service. By dint of personal experience and insightful analysis of the English political scene and his connections in the Netherlands, he persuaded de Torcy that he could be a valuable asset. The first test of his abilities was in the Netherlands in 1702. The outcome of the mission could have long term effects on Anglo-Dutch relations and French grand strategy in the crucial conflict to come. In the spring of 1702 the likelihood of a major conflict was increasing in Western Europe. The death of Charles II had left a huge swathe of the Spanish monarchy's far flung territories without an accepted ruler. William III and Louis XIV were busy marshalling rival coalitions to support their favoured candidates. Alongside military preparations, diplomatic and intelligence endeavours were also launched; unlike earlier wars between the stadholder-king and the roi soleily this was a confrontation approached with a distinct lack of enthusiasm on both sides. In later accounts of what came to be called the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), written with the benefit of hindsight, its outbreak, course and duration can tend to assume a sense of inevitability. To contemporaries, however, this was far from the case. The situation was confused in the extreme. Writing sample 2.
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Archivium Hibernicum
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Irish Soldiers and Military Conflicts in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean: a special issue of Irish Migration Studies in Latin America, 2010
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Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies , 2008
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in eSharp: Electronic Journal for the Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts , 2007
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Irish Migration Studies in Latin America, 2007
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Milieu: the magazine of the Geography Society , 2004
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NUI Maynooth Postgraduate Research Record, 2004
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Exhibitions by Tom Byrne
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Reports by Tom Byrne
Located within the books and manuscripts of the Old Library of the Irish College in the Centre Cu... more Located within the books and manuscripts of the Old Library of the Irish College in the Centre Culturel Irlandais are significant numbers of important works, that featured in the intense intellectual battle, an argument in the archives, for hearts, minds and, above all, souls in the Three Kingdoms of Ireland, England and Scotland during the confessional conflict of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, c.1530-1700. As Roman Catholicism slowly
retreated from much of the Three Kingdoms in the face of the success and expansion of the Protestant Reformation, exile colleges established abroad (with Paris playing a central role)
assumed the mantle for believers of preventing complete extinction of their faith within the islands – but also for disseminating the perspectives emanating from a process of internal change, the Counter Reformation or Catholic Reformation.
As the Catholic Church itself debated and eventually reacted to the criticisms of Martin Luther, John Calvin and many other ‘Protestant’ critics with reforms drawn up by the Council of Trent, colleges such those in Paris, whether Irish, Scots or English, recognising that the fractured parts of Christendom could not and would not be reconciled, began preparing for an ongoing effort to re-evangelise and re-establish the Catholic Church in all three countries according to Tridentine principles. The process was envisaged as being lengthy and far from unopposed. Stout resistance would be expected to be manifested by Anglican and Presbyterian divines and lay writers who as fervently believed in their position in matters of faith as did their Catholic contemporaries.
The legacy of this discourse of divine disputation remains in the Old Library. Specifically, a sequence of seminal, and celebrated, public clashes in print across Europe and subsequently the Three Kingdoms has left a rich corpus of material in the Irish College Collection. This is of great research interest and value to scholars of the history and theology of seventeenth and eighteenth century Ireland and Britain, and indeed of Europe more generally, in terms of both how and why the collection came to be formed, developed over time and why it exists in its present location today, as well as the exceptional intrinsic value of the items themselves in the context of European intellectual history, including many significant titles that were seminal works of scholarship at the forefront of and foremost importance during the religious and political debates of the Reformation period.
Together, this corpus of works from major figures and influential voices, as well as lesser known exponents and related works, represents a significant research resource offering valuable insights into key political and religious developments throughout the course of a crucial and formative period of early modern confessional conflict in the history of Three Kingdoms and Europe. To fully appreciate this corpus of works in the Old Library and its
value to scholars requires an overview of what volumes constitute the corpus, and why, a contextualisation of the works in the history of the period, and reference to other supporting works of contemporary history and theology within the collection.
This project aims to produce a comprehensive report meeting this need.
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Working Paper by Tom Byrne
NIRSA Working Papers Series, No. 7, 2002
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Drafts by Tom Byrne
This article explores an overlooked and previously unpublished manuscript, transcribed and annota... more This article explores an overlooked and previously unpublished manuscript, transcribed and annotated here, that contains what appears to be the only extant report thus far known of a Catholic sermon delivered (in Brussels) on 23 April 1685 (OS) to mark James II’s accession to the crowns of England, Ireland and Scotland.
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Uploads
Book Chapters by Tom Byrne
“...the histories will open your eyes. You would do well to know about the lives of those who went before”
Jamie Lannister, Feast for Crows, p. 236
2000 professional mercenaries from the east arrive to form part of an invasion force. These sellswords’ wages are paid for by the sister, well married abroad, of a deposed and supposedly tyrannical king who hopes her House can win back power. Rebellious lords and renegade members of the council plot a strategy to defeat the usurper who now holds the crown. Dublin in 1487 is frenetic with activity and tense with expectation.
For despite the similarities to events and personalities portrayed in The Game of Thrones, the mercenaries in question were German and not from the Free Cities of Essos; Dowager Duchess Margaret of Burgundy was their paymaster rather than Daenerys Targaryen; Richard III was the king in question and the House of York the dynasty seeking restoration. The Earl of Kildare, Gerald FitzGerald, Lord Deputy of Ireland and the Earl of Lincoln, John de la Pole, both strong supporters of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses were the scheming nobles seeking to displace Henry VII and his recently established House of Tudor.
The parallels nevertheless are striking. A contested monarchy, exiled claimants, untrustworthy magnates, military expeditions – and uncertain pretenders.
Papers by Tom Byrne
Exhibitions by Tom Byrne
Reports by Tom Byrne
retreated from much of the Three Kingdoms in the face of the success and expansion of the Protestant Reformation, exile colleges established abroad (with Paris playing a central role)
assumed the mantle for believers of preventing complete extinction of their faith within the islands – but also for disseminating the perspectives emanating from a process of internal change, the Counter Reformation or Catholic Reformation.
As the Catholic Church itself debated and eventually reacted to the criticisms of Martin Luther, John Calvin and many other ‘Protestant’ critics with reforms drawn up by the Council of Trent, colleges such those in Paris, whether Irish, Scots or English, recognising that the fractured parts of Christendom could not and would not be reconciled, began preparing for an ongoing effort to re-evangelise and re-establish the Catholic Church in all three countries according to Tridentine principles. The process was envisaged as being lengthy and far from unopposed. Stout resistance would be expected to be manifested by Anglican and Presbyterian divines and lay writers who as fervently believed in their position in matters of faith as did their Catholic contemporaries.
The legacy of this discourse of divine disputation remains in the Old Library. Specifically, a sequence of seminal, and celebrated, public clashes in print across Europe and subsequently the Three Kingdoms has left a rich corpus of material in the Irish College Collection. This is of great research interest and value to scholars of the history and theology of seventeenth and eighteenth century Ireland and Britain, and indeed of Europe more generally, in terms of both how and why the collection came to be formed, developed over time and why it exists in its present location today, as well as the exceptional intrinsic value of the items themselves in the context of European intellectual history, including many significant titles that were seminal works of scholarship at the forefront of and foremost importance during the religious and political debates of the Reformation period.
Together, this corpus of works from major figures and influential voices, as well as lesser known exponents and related works, represents a significant research resource offering valuable insights into key political and religious developments throughout the course of a crucial and formative period of early modern confessional conflict in the history of Three Kingdoms and Europe. To fully appreciate this corpus of works in the Old Library and its
value to scholars requires an overview of what volumes constitute the corpus, and why, a contextualisation of the works in the history of the period, and reference to other supporting works of contemporary history and theology within the collection.
This project aims to produce a comprehensive report meeting this need.
Working Paper by Tom Byrne
Drafts by Tom Byrne
“...the histories will open your eyes. You would do well to know about the lives of those who went before”
Jamie Lannister, Feast for Crows, p. 236
2000 professional mercenaries from the east arrive to form part of an invasion force. These sellswords’ wages are paid for by the sister, well married abroad, of a deposed and supposedly tyrannical king who hopes her House can win back power. Rebellious lords and renegade members of the council plot a strategy to defeat the usurper who now holds the crown. Dublin in 1487 is frenetic with activity and tense with expectation.
For despite the similarities to events and personalities portrayed in The Game of Thrones, the mercenaries in question were German and not from the Free Cities of Essos; Dowager Duchess Margaret of Burgundy was their paymaster rather than Daenerys Targaryen; Richard III was the king in question and the House of York the dynasty seeking restoration. The Earl of Kildare, Gerald FitzGerald, Lord Deputy of Ireland and the Earl of Lincoln, John de la Pole, both strong supporters of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses were the scheming nobles seeking to displace Henry VII and his recently established House of Tudor.
The parallels nevertheless are striking. A contested monarchy, exiled claimants, untrustworthy magnates, military expeditions – and uncertain pretenders.
retreated from much of the Three Kingdoms in the face of the success and expansion of the Protestant Reformation, exile colleges established abroad (with Paris playing a central role)
assumed the mantle for believers of preventing complete extinction of their faith within the islands – but also for disseminating the perspectives emanating from a process of internal change, the Counter Reformation or Catholic Reformation.
As the Catholic Church itself debated and eventually reacted to the criticisms of Martin Luther, John Calvin and many other ‘Protestant’ critics with reforms drawn up by the Council of Trent, colleges such those in Paris, whether Irish, Scots or English, recognising that the fractured parts of Christendom could not and would not be reconciled, began preparing for an ongoing effort to re-evangelise and re-establish the Catholic Church in all three countries according to Tridentine principles. The process was envisaged as being lengthy and far from unopposed. Stout resistance would be expected to be manifested by Anglican and Presbyterian divines and lay writers who as fervently believed in their position in matters of faith as did their Catholic contemporaries.
The legacy of this discourse of divine disputation remains in the Old Library. Specifically, a sequence of seminal, and celebrated, public clashes in print across Europe and subsequently the Three Kingdoms has left a rich corpus of material in the Irish College Collection. This is of great research interest and value to scholars of the history and theology of seventeenth and eighteenth century Ireland and Britain, and indeed of Europe more generally, in terms of both how and why the collection came to be formed, developed over time and why it exists in its present location today, as well as the exceptional intrinsic value of the items themselves in the context of European intellectual history, including many significant titles that were seminal works of scholarship at the forefront of and foremost importance during the religious and political debates of the Reformation period.
Together, this corpus of works from major figures and influential voices, as well as lesser known exponents and related works, represents a significant research resource offering valuable insights into key political and religious developments throughout the course of a crucial and formative period of early modern confessional conflict in the history of Three Kingdoms and Europe. To fully appreciate this corpus of works in the Old Library and its
value to scholars requires an overview of what volumes constitute the corpus, and why, a contextualisation of the works in the history of the period, and reference to other supporting works of contemporary history and theology within the collection.
This project aims to produce a comprehensive report meeting this need.