In 2021-22, we were delighted to partner with the Centre for the Study of Historic Irish Houses and Estates (CSHIHE) at Maynooth University on a joint initiative to identify historical connections between Irish and Welsh estates.
The two centres share the goal of promoting research into the historical influences and contemporary roles of landed estates and country houses within their respective countries.
Coordinated research on historical links between Ireland and Wales based on landed families, estates and their associated spheres of influence is, however, severely underdeveloped. The scoping study was established to identify subjects, questions and collections of Irish-Welsh interest which could provide foundations for collaborative research endeavour.
Dr. Adam N. Coward, who specialises in the social and cultural history of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Wales, was appointed as researcher on the project, working closely with Dr. Shaun Evans of ISWE and Prof. Terence Dooley of CSHIHE.
Dr. Coward’s project report identified a plethora of connections emanating from dual ownership of estates in Ireland and Wales, encompassing not only landownership but also social and familial ties, the establishment of infrastructure and transport networks, military service and the holding of local and national office, connections with empire, and connections based on political activism, education and cultural and antiquarian interest.
A preliminary overview of Dr. Coward’s findings was published in the Welsh History Review 31, 4 (December 2023), 549-79.
The scoping study has provided an invaluable framework for conversations on long-term collaboration between Bangor and Maynooth universities, and a larger collaborative follow-on project focusing on the dispersed Londonderry archives.