'Norman' architecture: Perception of origin and power in Irish cultural heritage

The architecture of monuments in Ireland has gone through various stages of acceptance, and, hence, different levels of revival. These stages are strongly linked to politics and the perception of power, rather than to aesthetic qualities. The relationship between architecture and politics is well rooted in history, and can affect how buildings are viewed and appropriated as cultural heritage. In Ireland, assessments of architecture are susceptible to such attitudes toward intangible heritage, and this has affected tangible artifacts such as Norman architecture. Over the years, this architecture, linked to Britain, has not always been popular in the Irish imagination; indeed, much of it was destroyed with the active assistance of successive governments because of its association with colonial rule. Indeed, it was only with civic intervention that these buildings were brought to public attention and the government forced to take action. However, castellated buildings from the medieval period continue to languish, and their descendants in the Norman Revival style have suffered mixed fortunes, despite being important and rare architectural types. This paper argues that because architecture is linked to place and culture and can impart meaning, forms of "Norman" architecture in Ireland, with their colonial associations, have been linked to politics and the perception of power. Yet because these origins do not adhere to the foundation myth of the Irish state, the result has been a lack of patronage and official knowledge; and instead, folk memory has played a part in constructing their identity. Consequently, much castellated medieval secular architecture has been poorly cared for, improperly restored, or inappropriately displayed to the public. The same is true of the revived Norman style. In Ireland it has endured negative attitudes related both to the historical circumstances described above and to the "Big House" tradition of which it is a part. Only two Neo-Norman buildings remain, and these will be analysed here. The paper will further argue that Irish buildings of the style have been alienated from the popular imagination by being seen as products of a ruling power, via their attempt to incorporate the "dual identity" of both countries onto their features while using predominantly English sources. The paper will conclude that as a result the style failed to become popular, given its historical context.