Abstract

This paper considers how archaeology and archaeologists contributed to the development of Irish national identities in what was to become Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland. By reconsidering how turn-of-the-century archaeologists interpreted ancient monuments, this paper will suggest how modern political and social boundaries have been shaped and legitimated by extending them into the mists of prehistory. In doing so I will examine the relationship between political institutions and archaeological institutions, including museums, universities, periodicals and avocational societies.