Sin and Penance with Dr Elaine Pereira Farrell

Sin and Penance with Dr Elaine Pereira Farrell

Author: The Medieval Irish History Podcast June 27, 2025 Duration: 55:28

Welcome to the last episode of season two! Thank you everyone for their continued support. Today we chat to one of the foremost experts on the Penitentials, Dr Elaine Pereira Farrell, who explains how these prescriptive documents list various sins and the corresponding recommended penances (e.g. fasting, prayers, fines). We learn how the Penitential texts are valuable sources to the historian as they were used by priests engaged in pastoral work and as such can be reflective of societal behaviours, attitudes, and beliefs.

Further resources:

https://penitentials.com/

Elaine Pereira Farrell, 'Penance and Punishment in Early Medieval Ireland' Peritia (2021) 32, 57–78

Rob Meens, Penance in Medieval Europe, 600–1200 (Cambridge University Press, 2014).

Regular episodes every two weeks (on a Friday)

Email: medievalirishhistory@gmail.com

Producer: Tiago Veloso Silva

Supported by Maynooth University, especially the International Centre for Irish Cultural Heritage, the Dept of Early Irish, the Dept of Music, the Dept of History, & Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland.

Views expressed are the speakers' own.

Logo design: Matheus de Paula Costa

Music: Lexin_Music


For anyone curious about the centuries often summarized as simply "Vikings and monks," The Medieval Irish History Podcast offers a far richer and more nuanced journey. Hosted by Dr. Niamh Wycherley, this series moves beyond the stereotypes to reveal a complex, dynamic, and surprisingly vibrant world. Each episode is built around a lively and engaging conversation with a leading expert, delving into specific aspects of a period that is frequently evoked yet deeply misunderstood. Listeners will hear discussions that unpack new and exciting research, challenging outdated narratives and bringing fresh perspectives to the forefront. The podcast serves as a direct line to the latest academic insights, exploring everything from politics and religion to daily life and material culture, all grounded in the landscape of medieval Ireland. It’s an invitation to reconsider what you think you know, presented through accessible and thoughtful dialogue. This podcast is supported by the Department of Early Irish at Maynooth University and Taighde Éireann, ensuring a foundation of scholarly rigor while remaining genuinely engaging for anyone with an interest in the past. The views expressed within each episode belong to the individual speakers, contributing to a multifaceted and authentic exploration of history.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Medieval Irish History Podcast
Podcast Episodes
The Royal Irish Academy Library with Barbara McCormack [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:09
In this episode, we chat about the incredible academic and public resource that is the Library in the Royal Irish Academy. Academy Librarian Barbara McCormack tells us all about the collection of medieval manuscripts inc…
Castles in Medieval Ireland with Dr Victoria McAlister [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:21
Dr Victoria McAlister from Towson University, Maryland, on everything you ever wanted to know about castles! Featuring all the big hits, Maynooth Castle, Bunratty, Blarney, Trim, the Rock of Dunamase, Clonard castle, Fer…
Slavery in Medieval Ireland with Dr Janel Fontaine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:39
Apologies for the poor sound quality in this episode! This week Dr Janel Fontaine (Treasure Trove Officer, National Museums Scotland) talks us through some of the evidence for slavery in medieval Ireland. From the accoun…
The 'Story' of St Patrick with Dr Elizabeth Dawson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
It's time for our annual discussion of the man responsible for our national holiday in Ireland, Fáilte Ireland's global greening campaign and J. D. Vance wearing shamrock socks in the White House! Dr Elizabeth Dawson (Ca…
Women's Power and Patronage with Tiago Veloso Silva [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:43
Due to popular demand our podcast producer Tiago de Oliveira Veloso Silva has finally come on to the other side of the mic as one of our expert guests! We chat ‘soft power’, definitions of patronage, Agnes Ní Máelsechlai…
Isabel de Clare (d.1220) with Dr John Marshall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:48
"I have no claim to anything here save through her". These are the reputed words of one of the most famous knights in English history, William Marshal, describing his wife Isabel, daughter of Aoife and Strongbow. In hono…
1169: The English Conquest of Ireland with Dr Colin Veach [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:22
Happy St Brigit's weekend! (For links to Brigit content see below). Instead of Brigit we were eager to release an episode we recorded just before Christmas with the brilliant Dr Colin Veach, from the University of Hull,…