John McCafferty

John McCafferty is a Professor at the School of History, University College Dublin. He specializes in early modern Irish church history and manuscript preservation. His research spans religious identity, cultural memory, and ecclesiastical resilience during periods of political change. McCafferty serves as Director of the Mícheál Ó Cléirigh Institute and Chair of the Irish Manuscripts Commission.

Education includes a BA and MA from University College Dublin, and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on Irish religious history from 1500-1700, particularly the Church of Ireland and Catholic Reform movements. Recent publications explore British and Irish Catholicism through multi-volume scholarly works.

McCafferty's articles predominantly analyze historical manuscripts, Reformation impacts, and cultural identity. Trends include transnational religious networks, vernacular texts, and methodological innovations in church historiography.

• Blackman Prize
• Robert Gardiner Memorial Fund Scholar
• R. D. Edwards Memorial Essay Prize
• T. D. Williams Medal and Prize
• Denis Bethell Medal and Prize
• Maureen Wall Prize and Medal

He leads archival preservation initiatives for Catholic religious orders and mentors through the Irish Manuscripts Commission. His research team collaborates internationally on ecclesiastical history projects.