History: Few academics have captured the attention of the Irish public in the way that Fr FX Martin did. Fondly remembered as "the Wood Quay priest", the Augustinian friar became a folk hero for his defence of the heritage of his adopted city in the face of the reckless determination of Dublin Corporation to construct "civic offices" upon what was a site of exceptional international archaeological importance. That campaign ultimately failed, but it served not only to save valuable artefacts, but to forge attitudes and an environmental awareness.
Ironically, that contribution was recognised in 1988 when FX Martin was awarded the Millennium Medal by his old adversary, Dublin Corporation.
This volume, a collection of essays written by his former students, colleagues and collaborators, is presented in memory of Fr Martin and their affection is apparent throughout. One contributor declares that FX had "few equals in the communication of knowledge, belief and enthusiasm", while another praised the friar's courageous stance at Wood Quay, "at a time when members of Ireland's political class and business community were mired in corrupt practices" and the selfish acquisition of wealth.
Michael Haren recalls the lively debate that characterised the medieval history seminars at UCD. In a sense, this collection is an extension of that forum, as 20 distinguished contributors thresh out themes close to the heart of their mentor. The volume reflects an interdisciplinary approach and the international perspectives present the reader with an insight into the complexity and richness of life in medieval Ireland. Several of the essays focus on issues around the meaning of "reform" in both an Anglo-Norman and 16th-century context. In one strand, Adrian Empy discusses the emergence of the medieval parish system in Ireland; Angret Simms assesses the changing physical environment created by similar developments, while Kevin Down reflects on the quality of the English parish clergy on the eve of the Tudor Reformation.
Further chapters focus upon intellectual relationships, including Jeremiah Hackett on Roger Bacon and Giles of Rome; Peter Gallagher's discussion of the influence of Petrarch on the Florentine humanist, Luigi Marsili; and Katherine Walsh's fascinating essay on the Reformation sympathies of Maria, the Habsburg queen of Hungary. From these it emerges forcibly that the Reformation divisions were never as clear-cut as is often imagined. Indeed, in another essay, Marie Therese Flanagan presents a magisterial assessment of the politicisation of devotional rituals in 12th-century Dublin, which cut across the sectarian divisions between native and newcomer clergy.
The chapters focusing upon medieval Dublin form the core of this volume, and two are particularly illuminating. Thomas Fuller, the 17th-century preacher, argued that "the eye will learn more in an hour from a map than the ear can learn in a day from discourse". This reality is reflected in Patrick Wallace's contribution, The Bigger Picture, which assesses the value and limitations of maps and reconstruction drawings of medieval Dublin. From another perspective, Howard Clarke presents a superb description of the street life of medieval Dublin. Clarke brings the city alive in a forensic analysis of the limited sources available, as he walks the reader through its teeming streets, discussing its functions and diversions, including public hangings, which he describes as "the medieval equivalent of modern television elimination programmes".
While FX Martin was a medievalist, his interests were never confined to that period, as his extensive bibliography - compiled by Clare O'Reilly - attests. Indeed, perhaps his greatest contribution to Irish historiography was his work in the 1960s on the 1916 Rising. In his evaluation of that endeavour, Michael Laffan argues that while our understanding of 1916 and its aftermath has been transformed beyond all recognition in the interim, it was Fr Martin's reflections that provided a dramatic impetus to the study of the Irish revolution.
Ostensibly this is a festschrift for FX Martin, but it is as much a collection of essays in memory of the department of medieval history at UCD, which has been absorbed into the School of History of Archives since his death. Michael Richter's essay in this collection places Ireland's Áes Dána - wise men - within the context of early European universities, which he defines as a community of "masters and students". FX's department was that. This beautiful book is a fitting testament to his memory and the environment he created.
Daire Keogh, a former student of FX Martin, lectures in the department of history at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra
Ireland, England and the Continent in the Middle Ages and Beyond: Essays in Memory of a Turbulent Friar, FX Martin OSA Edited by HB Clarke and JRS Phillips UCD Press, 360pp. €60