The Statutes of Kilkenny: How Anglo-Norman Ireland Tried to Stay English

In 1366, the Parliament of Ireland met in Kilkenny and passed a remarkable set of laws. The Statutes of Kilkenny were an attempt to halt the assimilation of English settlers into Gaelic Irish culture — banning intermarriage, Irish language, Irish dress, Irish laws, and even the use of Irish names. But who were these 'degenerate English' and why were they becoming 'more Irish than the Irish themselves'? This episode explores the medieval world of Anglo-Norman Ireland, where centuries of intermingling had blurred the lines between coloniser and colonised. We look at the key figures behind the statutes, including the powerful Butler family; the role of Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence; and the statutes' long afterlife as a symbol of cultural anxiety. The conversation touches on the Brehon Laws, the Irish custom of 'fosterage', the poetry of Gofraidh Fionn Ó Dálaigh, and the lasting question: did the statutes actually work? A deep dive into a fascinating moment where the fear of 'going native' was written into law. #StatutesOfKilkenny #LionelOfAntwerp #ButlerFamily #AngloNormanIreland #MedievalIreland #BrehonLaws #GofraidhFionnÓDálaigh #KilkennyCastle #EdwardIII #IrishHistory #GaelicCulture #Assimilation #Fosterage #PoyningsLaw #HistoryOfColonisation #FexingoHistory #Europe #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo