This course looks at the development of society, church and state in Ireland in the wake of the Viking raids and settlements. This period sees the evolution of strong dynastic kingships, and the rise of competition for dominance of the whole island, as well as the creation of some early medieval Ireland's most important literary texts, artistic monuments, and archaeological sites, including the evolution of Dublin. Current debates are emphasised, and students are encouraged to form views concerning these. A key element in the course is its interdisciplinary approach, encompassing the disciplines of history, archaeology, literature, religion and art history.

15x1hr lectures; 5x1hr seminars over ten weeks as scheduled in MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options for Celtic & Gaelic and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

None.

None.

Essay (2,250 words) - 25%

Exam (120 minutes duration) - 50%

Oral Presentation - 5%

Written Summary (800 words) - 15%

Class preparation and participation - 5%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ Provide an introduction to the historical and archaeological developments in Viking Age Ireland and explore the major themes and debates relating to Ireland during this period.

■ Foster critical awareness and deepen understanding of medieval Ireland through a creative synthesis of source-material.

■ Develop intellectual and analytical skills acquired during the first two years, whether in Celtic, Archaeology or History, and encourage the development of transferable skills by fostering individual initiatives, personal choice, and group discussion.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

■ Outline and identify important changes in the historical, political and social development of medieval Ireland

■ Critically assess current scholarly debates in relevant disciplines.

■ Formulate well-expressed written and oral arguments drawing on a variety of source material.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.