‍Theme: The Flight of the Ealrs

The Ulster Chieftains, their followers and their Journey to Rome

When the Ulster chieftains, Hugh O’Neill and Rory O’Donnell, and a hundred followers,sailed from Lough Swilly in September 1607, their aim was to go to Spain –hoping for support from King Philip III for another attempt to free Irelandfrom English rule.  But a storm at sea forced them to land in Franceinstead.  Eventually they reached Rome and met the Pope. For details oftheir journey – known as the ‘Flight of the Earls’ – we are indebted to theinvaluable record in Irish penned by another Ulsterman, Tadhg Ó Cianáin.

Time: 8pm Wednesday 12 November 2025

Guest Speaker Professor Nollaig Ó Muraíle

Nollaig ÓMuraíle spenteleven years as Reader in Irish and Celtic Studies at Queen’s University,Belfast, followed by ten years at the National University of Ireland, Galway.He is a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and Adjunct Professor of ModernIrish at Maynooth University. He has published studies of the 17th-centurygenealogical scholar Dubhaltach Mac Fhir Bhisigh, as well as work on Irishplace-names, on various collections of Irish annals, on the writings of JohnO’Donovan, Eugene O’Curry and the great Meath scholar, Fr Paul Walsh, and,recently, a re-edition of the Annals of Clonmacnoise (2022).

‍

Special Gift Presentation

As this year marks the 250^thanniversary of the birth of St Oliver Plunkett and as St John Henry Newman hasjust been made a Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV, a presentation will bemade to everyone attending of Generations of Priests by Fr ThomasMcGovern, which includes biographies of St Oliver and St John Henry. This bookalso includes the biography of other inspiring priests throughout history tomodern times, including St John Fisher, the Curé of Ars, St Pius X, BlessedClement von Galen and St Josemaría Escrivá.

‍