Kilkenny city will host a major conference next week to commemorate the 800th anniversary of William Marshal’s charter of rights to the city.
Mayor Pat Crotty will officially launch the celebrations at a reception in the Tholsel next Friday, July 25, at 7.30 pm, which will be followed by a presentation on Kilkenny’s historic charters by John Bradley.
The conference will take place on Saturday in the Parade Tower, which was built by Marshal, with the keynote address being delivered by Professor David Crouch of the University of Hull, who is the world’s leading authority on William Marshal.
Other speakers on the day include Billy Colfer, Miriam Clyne, Alexis Bernstorff, Ben Murtagh and Adrian Empey.
Marshal’s deeds in medieval war, jousting, politics, kingship and commerce are legendary. He rose from relative obscurity to become one of the most powerful and famous men in Europe and from 1207 to 1213, Kilkenny was at the centre of his extensive lordship.
From the city he embarked on a massive campaign of town development and administrative re-organisation which transformed the south-east of Ireland.
The Kilkenny conference will celebrate Marshal’s life and achievements and marks the 800th anniversary of his charter of rights to Kilkenny city. The event is sponsored by Kilkenny Borough Council, the OPW and Kilkenny Archaeology.
On Sunday, July 27, Kilkenny Archaeological Society will present a tour of the Kells Priory with Con Manning and Miriam Clyne. The conference fee is €15, with all proceeds going to the KAS museum. For booking, cheque payments can be sent to Kilkenny Archaeology, Abbey Business Centre, Abbey Street, Kilkenny.
