The papers in this volume of the Geological Society Special Publications were accepted for presentation at a joint meeting of the Metamorphic studies Group and IGCP Project 235 (metamorphism and geodynamics) held at the University College, Dublin. The aim of the meeting was to bring together specialists on the different aspects of metamorphic geology to review their techniques and discuss P-T-t histories of metamorphic belts and their underlying thermal controls. The majority of the papers describe the metamorphism and metamorphic histories of various terrains around the world.