About
Christiaan Corlett studied archaeology and history in University College Dublin, graduating in 1995. Today Chris works as an archaeologist with the National Monuments Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Chris started off his career with an interest in the prehistoric archaeology of Ireland. However, he found it impossible to restrict himself to one time or one place. In the meantime his interests have expanded to include all sorts of subjects – from megalithic tombs to post-medieval churches; from early prehistoric rock art to religious carvings on 18th century headstones; from the traditional farmhouses of the Wicklow countryside to the slums of inner city Dublin; from folklore to folk life; and much more. Chris came to learn that the more you look the more you see and, in turn, the more there is to learn. He has also researched Ireland's pioneering photographers and antiquarians.
Chris has lived practically all his life in Wicklow and it is a county that he has fallen in love with as he came to discover and explore all its nooks and crannies. But his interests go well beyond his beloved Wicklow - it is impossible not to be attracted by the wonderful monuments and places in every county across Ireland. In particular, the beautiful county Mayo is a home from home. Even closer to home are counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford, which contain a wealth of known archaeological monuments.
Chris is a prolific author and has written, compiled and edited many books with subject matters ranging from archaeology, history, folklore and early photography. He is also a very frequent contributor to the quarterly magazine Archaeology Ireland
as well as a variety of national and local journals, such as the Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, the Irish Arts Review, the Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society, as well as many more. He is known for writing in a lively and accessible style that brings his subjects to a wider audience. This is evident in his epic blog series A History of Consequence, hosted by Coles Lane, which examines 40 historical events that shaped 500 years of medieval Irish history.
Chris also has a love of photography and is renowned as one of Ireland’s best photographers of archaeological and historical monuments – not least because of his love for archaeology, but also because he has a deep understanding of the subjects that he documents.
