Conference | University College Dublin | 24 – 26 June 2026
The Past, Present, and Future after Conquest: 1066, 1169
Call for Papers, deadline – 26 September 2025
Separated by almost exactly a century, England and Ireland were conquered by Norman invaders. The years of conquest, 1066 and 1169, mark major turning points in the national historiographies of England and Ireland, with these invasions leading to the violent imposition of foreign rulers and regimes that altered the very past, present, and future of the British-Irish Isles. The violent subjugation of England and Ireland were part of a wider pattern of expansion and colonisation across eleventh- and twelfth-century Europe, a process in which the Normans played a defining role. This conference aims to consider the Norman conquests of 1066 and 1169 in parallel. Rather than treating these invasions in isolation, we will explore their similarities and differences. It will seek to understand external perspectives on these invasions, beyond England and Ireland, and will encourage comparison with other invasions and conquests of the period. Whilst the conference will examine the immediate impact of these violent and disruptive events, it will also consider how these invasions led to a rethinking of the past. The crisis of these conquests led individuals and institutions to rethink their past, rewriting history to justify their actions and establish their place in a new and uncertain world.
Keynote lectures will be delivered by Dr Caitlin Ellis (Oslo), Professor Stephen Church (Lincoln), and Professor Seán Duffy (TCD)
The conference will consist of five sessions, which will last 90 minutes each. Applicants should submit an abstract of no more than 500 words for a 20-minute paper. Sessions will consist of three papers, followed by 30 minutes of questions. Comparative papers which focus on 1066 and 1169 are encouraged, though a primary focus on either 1066 or 1169 is acceptable. When submitting a paper proposal, please nominate one or more of the following thematic strands:
- Session 1: Rewriting the Past after Conquest
- Session 2: Justifications of Conquest and Violence
- Session 3: Beyond England and Ireland: The View of 1066 and 1169 from Wales, Scotland, and Continental Europe
- Session 4: The Church, the Papacy, and Conquest
- Session 5: Society, People, and Cultural Exchange before and after Conquest
Paper proposals should be emailed to Dr Dan Armstrong (daniel.armstrong@ucd.ie) AND Professor Michael Staunton (michael.staunton@ucd.ie) by the 26th September 2025