Trim parish celebrates 800th anniversary of the arrival of the first Dominicans in Ireland
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Fr John Kennedy CC, Bishop Tom Deenihan, Fr John Harris OP, Bishop John Buckley, seminarian Bruce Cargill and Fr Paul Crosbie, PP, Trim.Image 2 of 4
Oisin Walsh, seminarian Bruce Cargill and Carley Medeiros.Image 3 of 4
Fr John Harris OP with Aoife Farrelly and Colm Lennon.Image 4 of 4
Dermot Bolger, Fr John Harris OP and Nora Brady, aunt of Fr Conor McDonough OP.The parish of Trim has celebrated the 800th anniversary of the arrival of the first Dominicans in Ireland. Trim was home to one of the most prominent Dominican houses in the country, known locally to this day as Black Friary.
Marking the occasion, the homily was preached by Fr John Harris OP, Provincial of the Irish Dominicans. He pointed out that the Dominican priory in Trim was established by Geoffrey de Geneville, the great grandson-in-law of Hugh de Lacy who built Trim Castle, the largest medieval castle in Ireland.
Fr Harris explained that the arrival of the first Dominicans in Ireland “was part of the great Church reform and spiritual renewal launched by the Fourth Lateran Council (1213-1215) at which Saints Dominic and Francis were present”.
He highlighted the example of the friary founder, Geoffrey de Geneville, as evidence of this renewal. “Geoffrey received the Dominican habit and lived the last six years of his life in the priory here in Trim after resigning the lordship of Meath in 1307,” he said.
“Living in the priory, now as a friar and not as lord, sitting in prayer in the spacious and beautiful cloister which he himself had financed, and catching through the corner of his eye the magnificent castle some 600 metres away which was the symbol of his so extraordinary and adventurous life, touching five countries and two continents, a friend of kings, husband and father, knight, lord of vast territories, and crusader, now as a lowly friar he prepared to meet his maker.”
The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Tom Deenihan who complimented the congregation in the packed parish church in Trim “which we do not get to see everywhere” he said. The Bishop was assisted by retired Bishop John Buckley from Cork, local priests, Fr Paul Crosbie and Fr John Kennedy as well as seminarian Bruce Cargill from the Diocese of Metuchen, USA.
Fr Harris suggested that the story of Geoffrey de Geneville provides lessons for the Church in Trim today. “We can go on for a while in the old ways of cultural Catholicism, fast disappearing before our eyes or this can be a time of true renewal” he said. “We can have no better example of this than in the decision of Geffrey de Geneville who left his castle in Trim and moved to the friary. This move can be like a prophetic moment for you in this parish. As we plan for the future no less a determination and courage is being asked of us, as that move by the great lord of Trim from the castle to the Black Friary, to work for the food that endures to eternal life”.