‘The footsteps of that custom…still remaining’: Medieval memory culture and Thomas O’Sullevane’s portrayal of the Irish bardic tradition

Abstract

The preface to the Memoirs…of the Marquis of Clanricarde (1722) is a curious text. Written by Thomas O’Sullevane, ostensibly in response to the 1720 printing of the ‘Short view of the state and condition of the kingdom of Ireland’ by Edward Hyde, earl of Clarendon, the preface challenged ‘Protestant’ narratives of Catholic butchery in the 1640s. For the most part, O’Sullevane’s claims were supported by a sustained consideration of historical evidence, an uncommon feature in the contemporary discourse. His insights have had little impact, however, on how historians interpret the 1640s. Yet, Celtic scholars frequently invoke O’Sullevane’s preface to describe the schooling of Irish bardic poets—without reference to its broader purpose. The aim of this article is to historicise O’Sullevane’s work and to show how contemporary philological and antiquarian-minded investigations shaped O’Sullevane’s portrayal of the Irish past, especially the Irish bardic world.