About

Neil Johnston, head of early modern records at The National Archives examines how Ireland was used as a colonial laboratory by the English Crown and its servants. His talk will explore how, from the 1530s onward, religious reforms fractured a centuries-old political settlement. These reforms undermined traditional Irish rule in favour of English-born governors and officials, culminating in the explosive tensions of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Join Neil to understand how the imposition of reform was resisted, how English rule was consolidated across Ireland, and how these methods were subsequently used across the emerging British empire.

This talk showcases the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, an international digital humanities project that aims to reconstruct the lost state collection of Ireland following the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922.