부산대학교 도서관

The present paper attempts to broaden our understanding of the conversion and Christianisation of Ireland by examining the relationship between early church sites and sites of potential royal significance. An exploration into the landscape context of Domnach Mór Maige Áine, an early church site in County Limerick, is used here as a means of investigating an emerging pattern whereby the very earliest church sites in Ireland are established near places of royal significance. The most prominent of the interrelated monuments identified within this landscape, in terms of both monumentality and its appearance in the historical material, is the site of Knockea. A new photogrammetric survey and a reassessment of O'Kelly's 1960 excavation of the site allow for new observations on the use of space and potential functionality of Knockea, comparable to some better-documented royal sites. The pattern explored in this paper is analogous to broader European trends, highlighting the importance of kings in the establishment and promulgation of early Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]