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Ronan O'Reilly

Mr

Personal profile

Research interests

My principal areas of research centre on the military orders, specifically the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, during the high middle ages, as well as on medieval social memory and crusading history more generally. At the heart of my research lies an interdisciplinary approach, combing traditional aspects of empirical historical research with theoretical sociological frameworks in order to analyse historical data. My thesis examines the social memory and historical traditions of the military orders during the high middle ages and how understandings of these concepts enabled and justified the use of violence. More broadly my interests include:
•    Social/collective memory of the military orders (Templars/Hospitallers)
•    Violence and its centrality to the identity of the military orders
•    Heresy and the medieval inquisition 
•    Crusading history and Crusading memory 

Educational background

Royal Holloway, University of London                             (2021-Present)
PhD History
•    Thesis Title: Pathways to Violence: An Examination of the Social Memory and Historical Traditions of the Military Orders and their Role in Enabling Violence c.1148 – c.1314 

Royal Holloway, University of London                                 (2018-2019)
MA Crusader Studies – Pass with Distinction

University College Dublin (UCD)                                           (2015-2018)
BA History and Celtic Civilisation – First Class Honours 

Teaching

Royal Holloway, University of London                             (2022-Present)
Department of History – Tutor/Visiting Lecturer
Modules Taught:
•    HS1116: Rome to Renaissance
•    HS2050: Medieval Worlds: Power, Belief and Culture, c.1000-1300

University College Dublin (UCD)                                          (2019-2021)

School of Irish, Celtic Civilisation and Folklore – Tutor/Guest Lecturer 
Modules Taught:
•    CCIV10040 Vikings in the Celtic World
•    CCIV10020 Early Ireland Continuity and Change

University College Dublin (UCD) – Life Long Learning       (2019-2021)
Guest Lecturer
•    Designed and delivered lectures on various aspects of early medieval Irish history. 

Other work

RHUL, School of Humanities Postgraduate Seminar           (2021-2022)
Co-Founder and Convenor 
•    Co-founded the School of Humanities Postgraduate Seminar aimed at promoting interdisciplinary research amongst humanities PhD students.

Royal Irish Academy                                                               (2019-2022)
Researcher
•    Researcher on the Irish Historic Towns Atlas Project for the town of New Ross. The project aims at recording the topographical development of Irish towns.  

Affiliations

•    Pipe Roll Society – Member.
•    Royal Historical Society – Postgraduate Member.
•    Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East (SSCLE) – Member. 
•    Conflict, Violence and Terrorism Research Centre, Royal Holloway – Doctoral Research Fellow.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

  • Medieval history
  • Crusades
  • Military Orders
  • Templars
  • Hospitallers
  • Social/Collective Memory
  • Heresy
  • Violence
  • Cultural History