| Abstract: | This is the first systematic analysis of the contents of the earliest monastic chronicle in the Latin west, the so‐called Chronicle of Ireland, which spans the years 431/2–911. It aims to establish the reasons for which the Chronicle was compiled, unravel the process of compilation, and challenge the generic classification of the Chronicle and other European chronicles of this kind as works of historiography. As an alternative, it is proposed that the Chronicle might have been compiled with an eschatological objective in mind. The present investigation is shown to have implications for our understanding of early medieval chronicling more generally. |
