As the title suggests, this is a narrowly focused study. Neil O'Donoghue has two goals: the first is to study what Irish texts and realia (grave monuments, church buildings) indicate about the Irish veneration and use of the eucharist, especially as viaticum for the dying; the second is to demonstrate that Irish eucharistic practices did not differ significantly from those in Britain and on the continent. He chose the pre-Norman period, that is, from the fifth to the late twelfth centuries, because the conquerors from England introduced continental religious orders and Norman bishops who imposed a new order on the church in Ireland.

Following a clear historical introduction, O'Donoghue provides a seriatim listing of sources, divided into written, archaeological, and iconographical. He then describes the nature of the source (historical, hagiographical) to evaluate its content before moving on to what knowledge it offers about the eucharist in Ireland. He also provides English translations of passages from two significant texts along with the Latin and Irish originals. The endnotes, occupying ninety-nine pages, furnish valuable guides for further reading. Surprisingly, given all the research into Early Medieval Hiberno-Latin biblical exegesis in the last half-century, O'Donoghue did not consult the Eucharistic institutions’ narratives in the many Irish gospel commentaries.

This highly specialized study will be of most benefit to students of Irish church history and liturgy; students of medieval liturgy may be interested in its evidence that Irish liturgical practices reflected continental ones.