Conference 26-27 March 2026: The Franciscan Order in late medieval Ireland, 1230-1330.
Over two days, 26-27 March 2026, The School of History hosted a group of scholars working on the Franciscan Order in late medieval Ireland and beyond. The two-day event filled with stimulating presentations and discussions marked the 800th anniversaries of the death of St Francis of Assisi in 1226 and the establishment of the Franciscan Province of Ireland in 1230.
The opening lecture titled ‘The coming of the friars: a perspective from across the Irish Sea’ was delivered by Prof. Janet Burton, Professor Emerita at University of Wales Trinity Saint David and a Visiting Professor at the University of Reading. The workshop gathered academics from University College Cork (Dr Malgorzata Krasnodebska-D'Aughton, Dr Natasha Dukelow, event co-organisers), University College Dublin (Prof. John McCafferty), Atlantic Technological University (Dr Yvonne McDermott), National Monuments Service (Dr Anne-Julie Lafaye), Glenstal Abbey (Dr Colmán Ó Clabaigh) and Dr Edel Bhreathanch, former Adjunct Professor, School of History, UCC, who all presented new approaches to the history of the medieval Franciscan Province of Ireland.
The event was generously supported by Dr Hiram Morgan, Head of School and the School of History, with the logistical support kindly provided by the UCC College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences and UCC Hospitality.