Power and pilgrimage on the periphery: Gaelic lords, European pilgrims and the networks of Saint Patrick’s Purgatory, c. 1350-c.1550

This thesis employs a broad, lateral approach, examining a wide range of sources, resulting in an exhaustive study of Lough Derg’s late medieval history. The reassessment of Irish language material relating to the pilgrimage site affords new, unique insights into the place of the Purgatory in Gaelic society.

The cumulative analysis of pilgrim itineraries offers a nuanced and detailed examination of the ecclesiastical and secular networks that facilitated travel to and from western Ulster. Rather than a remote and isolated site, this thesis demonstrates how Lough Derg was very much connected with the rest of the western world. Indeed, the Purgatory sat atop a series of well-established networks – both ecclesiastical and secular – that extended its reach to the outermost limits of Europe.<br><br><i>Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2028.</i>