The castles of Ireland are an essential part of the story of medieval Europe, but were, until recently, a subject neglected by scholars. The remains of several thousand castles shed a clear light on the experiences of Ireland during these crucial centuries. As objects meant to display their lord's power and prestige, castles had to be impressive, and uniformity denied that. Dr McNeill weaves the evidence from the castles into the story of the nature and development of lordship and power in medieval Ireland. The physical remains of the castles reflect the different roles of the competing lordships: English and Irish; Feudal and Gaelic; royal and baronial. He argues that the design of the castles contests the traditional view of Ireland as a land torn by war and divided culturally between the English and Irish.