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vii Acknowledgments Colleagues and friends from several universities have been instrumental in encouraging me to bring Memory Ireland to fruition. This project grew out of work on Edmund Spenser and Irish cultural memory that I began while a research fellow at the Institute of Irish Studies, Queen’s University Belfast. Fortuitously, I had landed in a place with scholars whose work often dealt with memory. Dominic Bryan, as director of the institute, was particularly supportive of my plans, and I spent a wonderful year engaged in conversation with him and with colleagues—Gordon Gillespie, Anne Jamison, Gillian McIntosh, Ciarán O’Kelly, and Harvey Whitehouse—for whose insights, commentary, and wit I remain immensely grateful. At Trinity College Dublin, a two-year fellowship saw this project extend beyond a monograph on Spenser to something resembling its current shape. Stephen Matterson offered practical support for my work at a crucial time, for which I am in his debt, while colleagues like Gerry Dawe, Paul Delaney, Eileen Douglas, and Nicholas Grene were welcoming and encouraging. At the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, I am fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues whose scholarship is an inspiration and who are a pleasure to work with; particular thanks for support to Íde Corley and Chris Morash. Kevin Whelan generously offered his time and advice at an early stage of this project’s planning, and Anne Fogarty also made useful and supportive suggestions. Thank you to the staff at Syracuse University Press for their professionalism and help in bringing this first volume to fruition: Glenn Wright, Annelise Finnegan, Lisa Renee Kuerbis, D. J. Whyte, Kay Steinmetz, and Marcia Hough. I am so grateful for their work and effort. Many thanks are owed, too, to the contributors of this four-volume project, whose work has, viii Acknowledgments ultimately, made this possible. For their timely work, and for tolerating the rounds of queries and edits, I extend many, many thanks. My warmest gratitude to Maureen Frawley and Helen and Tony Lenehan for support and laughter and for babysitting that allowed my work to continue. Finally, to Donal, dear Caelin, and wee Oscar, thank you for the day-to-day joy of life that has been behind Memory Ireland. ...

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