Reconstruction of the Gothic Past : cultures of conservation

Abstract

This thesis explores the restoration and conservation of Gothic ecclesiastical buildings in Ireland fronn the late eighteenth to the early tw/entieth century. Jwo key cistinct but interrelated contexts have been examined: firstly, the development of scholarship on Irish Gothic architecture from 1789 to the early tw/ertieth century, in both professional and non-professional contexts, and secondly, the approaches taken by different groups, including landlords and local communities, professional architects, and the Irish Ecclesiastical Commission, in the restoration, conservation and preservation of medieval buildings during this period. The introductory chapter and literature review evaluate the extent to which these subjects have been considered in the extant literature on the subject, identifying both the foundation texts for this investigation, as well as the texts in which the specific issues examined here have been overlooked. The second chapter establishes a theoretical framework for the thesis, in particular the development of critical historiography in Irish architectural history, identifying the works of critical theory which have informed the close reading methodologies used in my analysis of documents and texts in this thesis.