From Carrickfergus to Carcassonne

‘From Carrickfergus to Carcassonne…’ has its genesis in the IRC funded exhibition of the same name which explores the unlikely links between medieval Ulster and Languedoc. Hinging upon the personal story of a charismatic individual - Hugh de Lacy, earl of Ulster, ‘From Carrickfergus to Carcassonne’ explores the wider interplay between the Gaelic, Angevin, Capetian and Occitan worlds in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. This book brings to light new research linking de Lacy to a conspiracy with the French King and details his subsequent exile and participation in the Albigensian Crusade in the South of France. The combined papers in this volume detail this remarkable story through interrogation of the historical and archaeological evidence, benefitting not just from adept scholarly study from Ireland and the UK but also from a Southern French perspective. The ensemble of papers describe the two realms within which de Lacy operated, the wider political machinations which led to his exile, the Cathar heresy, the defensive architecture of France and Languedoc and the architectural influences transmitted throughout this period from one realm to another. In exploiting the engaging story of Hugh de Lacy, this volume creates a thematic whole which facilitates wide ranging comparison between events such as the Anglo-Norman take-over of Ireland and the Albigensian Crusade, the subtleties of doctrine in Ireland and Languedoc and the transmission of progressive castle design linking the walls of Carcassonne and Carrickfergus.