'In Catholics and the Law in Restoration Ireland, Paul Smith offers an illuminating and innovative study of English common law as it was promulgated, enforced, and resisted in 17th-century Irish communities... Smith’s analysis is most convincing when he provides fully fleshed-out details of localized Catholic experiences of law in Restoration Ireland. The complexity at the heart of the volume is what makes Smith’s analysis shine. This volume is recommended for readers interested in Irish history, Restoration British history, legal historians, and anyone interested in early modern popular culture.'David Greder, Reading Religion'refreshing... testifying to a wealth of meticulous research on a range of Catholics who considered, interacted with, suffered from and had recourse to different aspects of the legal system in Ireland.'Tadhg O'Hannrachain, Journal of Religious History