معرفی
Damian Bracken is a Senior Lecturer in the School of History at University College Cork, Ireland. He has held visiting academic positions at Boston University and Boston College, where he served as the Brian P. Burns Chair in Irish Studies. His work is deeply rooted in medieval Irish history, Hiberno-Latin literature, and Ireland’s engagement with early medieval Europe.
Research Interests: Bracken specializes in early medieval Ireland, with a focus on St Columbanus, monasticism, orthodoxy, authority, and the construction of Irish identity within the late antique and early medieval Christian world. He explores how Irish scholars and monastics negotiated their place between Rome and the peripheries of Christendom.
Publications and Research Trends: His recent work centers on manuscript culture, identity formation, and the intellectual legacy of Irish missionaries. Through numerous invited lectures and publications, he examines themes such as pilgrimage, exile, concord, and the rhetoric of orthodoxy. His scholarship often bridges Irish sources with continental European contexts, highlighting the interconnectedness of early medieval intellectual life.
Scientific Awards and Honors:
- Brian P. Burns Chair in Irish Studies (Boston College, 2015)
- Boston College Summer Scholarship (2013)
- Honorary Research Associate, Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, Cambridge University (2009)
- Visiting Associate Professor, Boston University (2006)
Advising and Grants: Bracken has supervised multiple PhD students to completion, including Rúairí O'Sullivan, Shane Lordan, and Robert J. Powell. He has been actively involved in organizing and directing academic conferences and summer programs, such as the UCC Summer School in Irish Studies and the Glenstal Symposium in Insular Monastic Culture. He has also served on national and international academic committees, including the Royal Irish Academy’s National Committee for Historical Sciences.
Labs and Teams: He is Director of ArCH (Armarium Codicum Hibernensium), a scholarly initiative focused on the facsimile publication of Irish manuscripts. He has co-edited key volumes in the Irish Manuscripts in Facsimile series and continues to promote access to Ireland’s medieval textual heritage.
