Tomás Ó Carragáin

I am an archaeologist specialising in early medieval Ireland and its European context (c. AD 400-1200). Throughout my career, I have used the rich archaeological evidence from Ireland to contribute to wider scholarly debates about the early medieval world and the interface between materiality, ritual, and memory. I have led research projects on early medieval architecture, the layout of ecclesiastical complexes, and the landscape archaeology of religion and religious change. Carved stone monuments are another long-standing interest of mine, with a substantial number of publications exploring how they were used to shape social memory, structure rituals, and define territories. I have secured several substantial research grants and have lectured widely at leading universities in Europe, the US, and beyond, delivering keynote lectures at several international conferences. I have edited two leading journals, Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature (2016-2022) and The Journal of Irish Archaeology (2007-2009). A graduate of UCC and the University of York, I am a Member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (MIAI) and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London (FSA) in 2010 and a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA) in 2013.

Prospective Research Postgraduates  I welcome enquiries from prospective research postgraduates (MPhil or PhD) who are interested in any aspect of early medieval archaeology; carved stone monuments; monastic and church archaeology; medieval buildings; the archaeology of ritual and religion; landscape and settlement archaeology and related fields. 

Current projects include:

Digital Atlas of Early Irish Carved Stone (DAEICS)  Funded by the National Monuments Service through an IRC COALESCE INSTAR+ award, this project is making a substantial contribution to both the academic understanding and public appreciation of carved stone monuments of late prehistoric and early medieval date. PI: Tomás Ó Carragáin.

ECCLES: Early Christian Churches and Landscapes  Part of a pan-European project, Corpus Architecturae Religiosae Europeae (CARE), the ECCLES Project is investigating early medieval churches and landscapes across Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England. PI: Thomas Pickles, University of Chester.

Previous projects include: 

The Making Christian Landscapes (MCL) Project
Harnessing exciting new evidence from pre-development excavations of burial grounds and settlements, the project combined the methods of landscape archaeology with historical research on territories and landholdings to investigate the profound, long-term impact of Christianity on the landscapes and societies in Ireland and Atlantic Europe in the Early Middle Ages. Project outputs include more than forty articles in peer-reviewed journals and books,a substantial edited collection (Making Christian Landscapes in Atlantic Europe, 2016, 622pp), and a substantial monograph (Churches in the Irish Landscape AD 400-1100, 2021, 424pp). The project was funded by the National Monuments Service through an INSTAR Grant. PI: Tomás Ó Carragáin.

Churches in Early Medieval Ireland: Architecture, Ritual and Memory
This project involved the first comprehensive survey of the c.180 surviving early medieval churches in Ireland, and a wider study of the 700-year-long architectural tradition to which they belong. Though greatly revered by contemporaries, and built to house treasures of the golden age of Irish art such as the Book of Kells and the Ardagh chalice, these buildings had been neglected by scholars. The project explored why they looked as they did, and what they meant in the context of early Irish society. Project outputs include more than twenty articles in peer-reviewed journals and books, and a substantial monograph which was selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice.   

Inishmurray: Monks and Pilgrims in an Atlantic Landscape. Inishmurray, Co. Sligo, is one of the best-preserved early medieval monasteries in northern Europe, with unparalleled evidence of how resident monks and visiting pilgrims moved through its island landscape. The National Monuments Service commissioned a comprehensive survey of the island and targeted excavation of several monuments being eroded into the sea. These data formed the basis for wider analysis by Jerry O’Sullivan and I, involving historical and anthropological as well as archaeological research, which made a significant contribution to the study of ritual and social memory.

Climate and Society in Ireland from Prehistory to the Present (Royal Irish Academy) Co-edited with James Kelly (DCU), this volume explores how a long-term perspective on human adaptations to climate change can inform Ireland’s response to the crisis we face today.