Culture and society in early modern Breifne/Cavan

Brendan Scott, editor

‘The papers in this book reveal the strategic and cultural significance of Breifne in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and shed light on what was happening in broader terms throughout Ireland at this time. The book is illustrated with plates of colourful maps of the area which are of interest in themselves', Books Ireland.

‘A fine collection of essays from a number of notable contributors … Brendan Scott and the authors of the various essays are to be congratulated on producing a work that will add to our knowledge and understanding of life in Breifne during a very turbulent period in the history of our land', Larry McDermott, The Clogher Record (2009).

‘The county of Cavan, in the west of Ulster is the subject of this in-depth historical study … a microcosmic study such as this allows the authors to concentrate on diversity of experience, showing that the division between Irish and settlers was not always as polarized as presented elsewhere, even during the 1641 uprising', Reference & Research Book News (Feb 2010).

‘This important collection of essays on early modern life in Breifne/Cavan has emerged from a hugely successful conference called “Breifne/Cavan in the late medieval/early modern periods: an interdisciplinary conference” which was organised and hosted by Cavan County Museum … there are eleven essays in this volume an all of them, coming from different perspectives, help to throw light on this period of change and upheaval in Breifne … In 1995, Cavan: essays on the history of an Irish county (which was edited by Raymond Gillespie) was first published. Now, fourteen years later, we have another collection of essays in Culture and society in early modern Breifne/Cavan. It is hard to overstate the importance of these two volumes in understanding the history of Breifne and Cavan', Liam Kelly, Breifne journal (2009/10).

‘Over the past decade, Four Courts Press has supported a growing list of solid local studies in Irish history. Culture and Society in Early Modern Breifne/Cavan, edited by Brendan Scott, is a fine addition to this catalog … the thematic sweep of this interdisciplinary collection is broad … taken as a whole, this volume represents a significant contribution to our understanding of issues in early modern Irish history and demonstrates the important ways that local studies can shed light on broader historical problems … the care with which the contributors to [this book] have take to keep “big picture” contexts in mind models an approach to local studies that underscores the relevance and importance of this kind of perspective and is a significant strength of this volume', Joseph Cope, H-Net List for British and Irish History (January 2011).

‘It is a testament to Dr Brendan Scott’s abilities to have organised the conference with such an impressive array of scholars, and have their work published in just over a year. This book is to be welcomed as an engaging and significant collection of essays on an Irish county whose history is certainly worthy of wider attention, and enriches our understanding of early modern Ireland generally. It packs quite a punch with its concentrated focus on the early modern period …The book is rounded off with Brendan Scott’s examination of the reporting of the 1641 rebellion in Counties Cavan and Leitrim … Scott’s chapter makes for a dramatic conclusion to an engaging volume', Henry A. Jefferies, Irish Economic and Social History (Spring 2011).