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Dublin 8’s Medieval Knights and Pilgrims

Dublin 8’s Medieval Knights and Pilgrims

Nowadays, people embarking on their journey from Dublin to northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, whether it is with an organized tour group or travelling there independently on foot or by bicycle, can start their journey from Dublin by having their Camino Passport issued at the Camino Information Centre at Saint James’ Church on James Street, Dublin 8.

There is in fact a long association between Dublin 8 and medieval pilgrim routes to Rome, Jerusalem and in particular the Shrine of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain and there are several sites which indicate its significance to pilgrims in medieval times. The first of these is in Kilmainham.

The Knights Hospitaller in Kilmainham

There was a strong connection between Kilmainham and medieval Irish pilgrimages to Rome, Jerusalem and the Tomb of Saint James is the presence from the late 12th century onward of the priory of the Knights of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem‘, better known as simply the ‘Knights Hospitaller’ at site of the present day Royal Hospital Kilmainham.  This order had a strong connection to Jerusalem and the Holy Lands and to the care and protection of pilgrims and the patrolling of pilgrim routes. The Hospitallers also had a presence in the Iberian Peninsula from the 1140’s and both they and the Knights Templar fought in the Spanish Reconquista of the 12th and 13th centuries.

The Knights Hospitaller were first  established in Ireland In 1174  when they were granted land by Richard De Clare, commonly known as Strongbow, then Lord of Leinster, for the construction of a priory at Kilmainham.

The priory buildings of the Knights Hospitaller lay to the west of the present-day Royal Hospital Kilmainham between it and Bully’s Acre and consisted of a hospital or hospice, towers, an inner castle or fort and a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of the order. Pilgrims starting their journeys from Ireland to Jerusalem, Rome or Santiago De Compostella, would have visited here before continuing on their way.

The Priory remained until 1540 when the order’s priories and estates were seized by Henry VIII during the Reformation and the last master of the priory, John Rawson, was given compensation and the title of Viscount Clontarf to leave quietly.

History of the Knights Hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller owe their origins to the Benedictine Order which founded a hospital attached to a Benedictine monastery  run by group of monks and sisters  in Jerusalem in the 1160’s.

These monks and nuns tended to Christians, Jews and Muslims in Jerusalem and interaction with these groups brought them into contact with a knowledge of medicine and physiology which was superior to anything in Europe at that time. They also treated diseases such as leprosy, which was widespread in Europe at the time and which carried a huge social stigma.

Militarization of the Hospitallers.

After the First Crusade ended in 1099, Jerusalem and the Holy Lands came under the control of the crusaders. In 1113, Pope Paschal II granted these monks a charter giving them autonomy from any king and answering only to the pope and the Knights Hospitaller became militarized. The Hospitallers, along with the Knights Templar, patrolled the borders of the crusader states of the Holy Lands and served as escorts for pilgrims who were now arriving in ever increasing numbers.

While the Templars were focused solely on military matters, the Hospitallers had a dual role; caring for the sick and injured and protecting pilgrims and the borders of the Holy lands.

These knights wore plain robes and battle tunics which were originally black with a white cross, while their leaders wore red tunics with a white cross. The modern Saint John’s Ambulance Brigade has its roots in the Hospitallers and its symbol of a white cross on a black background harks back to its medieval origins. The knights of both the Hospitallers and Templars were required to take a vow of celibacy

Departure from the Holy lands

Following the capture of Jerusalem by Saladin, the Muslim sultan of Egypt and Syria in 1187 AD, the port city of Acre became the Hospitallers and Templars last foothold in the Holy Lands and when it finally fell in 1291, the crusaders departed and never returned.

The Hospitallers took control of the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea in 1310, where they became known as The Knights of Rhodes, until 1522 when Rhodes was seized by Ottoman armies. After resisting fiercely for six months, the knights were allowed to leave carrying their weapons and banners in honor of their bravery. John Rawson, the last master of the Kilmainham priory, was a veteran of the Siege of Rhodes.

Malta and the Great Siege

After 1530, the Hospitallers began to establish themselves in Malta and their most famous battle took place there 25 years after the loss of their properties in Ireland. The ‘Great Siege of Malta’ lasted from May to September 1565. Under the leadership of their grandmaster Jean de la Valette, 2,500 fighting men, including 500 Knights of the order, withstood a siege by 40 thousand Ottoman soldiers. The modern capital city of Malta, Valetta is named in la Valette’s honour.  The order now became known as the Knights of Malta and Valetta became their headquarters.

They stayed in Malta until 1798 when they were expelled from the island by Napolean Bonapart and finally moved to Rome. The Sovereign Order of Malta, which is a descendent of the Hospitallers  and  whose flag is white cross against a red background, is headquartered in Rome today and is focused solely on healthcare and charitable work.

Pilgrims who stayed from the late 12th century until 1540 at the priory in Kilmainham were already encountering an organization that was steeped in the traditions of the Crusades and wars in Spain and whose knowledge and experience of medicine was unrivalled in Europe at that time.

 

 

 

 

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