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When the English friar Richard Ledrede was appointed Bishop of Ossory in 1317 during the Scottish invasion of Ireland, Franciscans had been on the island for less than 100 years. Yet by that date 30 of their houses had already been established. The 'poor brothers' as they liked to call themselves were spread out across all four provinces preaching, begging and building. This talk will look at how the Friars Minor became one of the most successful religious orders of the Middle Ages and it will explore their deep and enduring appeal to people both of Gaelic Irish and English descent. Two centuries after Ledrede when Franciscans went into opposition to the Tudor Church of Ireland, they looked back to their medieval forebears to argue that they were the 'organic' and 'natural' conduits of Irish Christianity.John McCafferty is Professor of History at UCD and the Chair of the Irish Manuscripts Commission. He has been studying Franciscan friars for several decades.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
St Canice's Cathedral, The Close, Coach Rd, Kilkenny, Ireland R95 V63H, Ireland
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