O Curas Hominum! From Clare to Prague: Life & times of Friar Anthony McBrody (original) (raw)

2023, Lorrha Medieval Conference

This paper was a talk delivered at the Lorrha Medieval History Conference held on 22 July, 2023. The talk focused on the life of the Clare-born Franciscan, Anthony McBrody (Atoin Mac Bruaideadha, c.1618-1680). McBrody was an important intellectual among émigré Irish Catholic clerics in the second half of the 17th century and all of his known writings are in Latin. Educated in Co Clare and later at St Isidore's College in Rome, he moved to Prague in 1651. From his writings much valuable information may be gleaned on Gaelic culture and society and, in particular, the former status and activity of his own family, the Clann Bhruaideadha, who once served as chronicler-poets to the Ui Bhriain (O'Briens) kings, and later earls, of Thomond. This was a talk presented at the Lorrha Medieval Conference and was on the back of a co-authored publication, Giacomo Fedeli, Luke McInerney & Brian Ó Dálaigh, 'Culture, Contention and Identity in Seventeenth-Century Ireland: Antonius Bruodinus’ Anatomical Examination of Thomas Carve’s Apologetic Handbook' (Cork, 2022).