19/05/2026
Our next event will be held in Wexford Library on June 18th at 7pm. The talk will be the first in what we hope will be a new series of occasional talks by young or new speakers, perhaps addressing an audience like ours for the first time. These are people who have been researching a topic around the Normans, who have something to say and we want to give them a platform to do so. Hopefully we will all see more and more of these speakers in the years to come! If so, it will be a great legacy from the Year of the Normans.
Our first speaker in this new series is Luke Bradley whose talk is entitled 'The man who sold Ireland' - the legacy of Dermot MacMurrough. Luke is a tour guide employed in the Irish National Heritage Park with an MA in Public History and Cultural Heritage.
Dermot MacMurrough is a historical figure with few equals in Irish history. Over eight hundred years after his death, he remains reviled by many of his countrymen who believe him to be a traitor who opened the gates to invasion and centuries of occupation. His decision to collaborate with Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare ‘Strongbow’ on an invasion of Ireland is a watershed moment in Irish history that put Ireland on a new path that led to further conquest and colonization, albeit many years after Dermot’s death.
But to what extent can Dermot be considered a traitor? Is he truly responsible for what's often called ‘800 years of occupation'? How has Dermot's reputation changed in the centuries since his passing? In this talk, Luke Bradley will tackle these big questions.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.
If you would like to book a place, please register on Eventbrite (link: https://bit.ly/4eQRosF)
Ambassade de France en Irlande Région Normandie
Visit Wexford Wexford Library Wexford County Council Wexford Historical Society Uí Cinsealaigh Historical Society North Wexford Historical Society
