Histories of Religious Identity and the Irish

Abstract

Researching medieval women necessitates the study of religion-bothreligious practice and religious identity. While sources may be limited forindividual faith and religious practice, there remains ample evidence forthe importance of religious identity shaping the lives of medieval religiouswomen. While finding religious women in the sources from medieval Irelandwas an important early project in my career, my later research intohow gender formed understanding and memory of religious violence hasprovided more nuanced analysis of the role of religion in the lives of Irishpeople in the past. The reach of Irish religious history has proved to belong and the conflicts over religious identity from Ireland continued toinform how Irish migrants and their children understood their new homesin Australia.