BY THE MIDDLE OF THE 15TH CENTURY a series of lordships had become firmly established along Gaelic Ireland’s western seaboard. These territories were controlled by a number of semi-autonomous kin groups, or ‘septs’. They were not homogenous entities but instead emerged under varying socio-political conditions and negotiated their relationships with society and landscape in multiple ways. Both physical geography and environment played a significant part in shaping the settlement and economic structures of each group. While this was a relatively conservative society, rooted in the traditions of the past, the lordships were also outward facing in their social and economic outlook. Rather than being remote and marginalised, these groupings were embedded within the broader north-western Atlantic social world, tied to the Continent through trade, the fishing industry and the increasingly cultural interconnectedness of society. However, by the close of the 16th century the lordships were under considerable stress following centuries of internecine conflict and increasing pressure from the English administration in Dublin and London.

中文翻译：

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中世纪晚期盖尔爱尔兰的海事领主

到 15 世纪中叶，一系列领主已经在盖尔爱尔兰西部沿海地区稳固地建立起来。这些领土由许多半自治的亲属团体或“septs”控制。他们不是同质的实体，而是在不同的社会政治条件下出现，并以多种方式协商他们与社会和景观的关系。自然地理和环境在塑造每个群体的定居点和经济结构方面都发挥了重要作用。虽然这是一个相对保守的社会，根植于过去的传统，但贵族们的社会和经济前景也向外。这些群体并没有被偏远和边缘化，而是嵌入更广泛的西北大西洋社会世界中，通过贸易与大陆联系在一起，渔业和日益增长的社会文化联系。然而，到 16 世纪末，在经历了几个世纪的内讧冲突以及来自都柏林和伦敦的英国政府的压力越来越大之后，领主们承受了相当大的压力。