A Lost Tradition - The Nature of Architecture in Ireland

The common buildings of Ireland are utterly familiar: they form the backdrop to daily life in town and country. However, these plain houses, churches, mills and barracks are seldom regarded objectively, either as architecture or as artefacts with specific roots in the very particular circumstances of Irish history and culture.

This pioneering book by Niall McCullough and Valerie Mulvin documents these important themes, exploring the Irish architectural tradition from its beginnings in remote prehistory, through the Celtic and Medieval era to the complex Renaissance and Modern world. In presenting buildings as types rather than as isolated phenomena, A Lost Tradition creates a framework for discussing Irish country architecture as something which is both local to Ireland and yet firmly located within the mainstream of European culture.