Medieval Irish Dominican studies

Hugh Fenning, editor

‘This series of articles was originally published in the religious journal the Irish Rosary between 1948 and 1953 by O’Sullivan, a Dominican scholar with an international reputation. It was suggested that they be printed in book form but the idea was rejected apparently on the grounds that they lacked footnotes. Hugh Fenning OP has ably undertaken the task of editing this volume, adding the original footnotes and a bibliography and bringing the style up to date … It is not just an institutional history but takes in the social and political context as well from the Norman invasion and subsequent wars of conquest and resistance to the impact on Ireland as a while of the introduction of the reformation', Books Ireland (May 2009).

‘Dr Hugh Fenning, who is archivist of the Irish Dominican province, has performed a major service not only to his own order but to scholars, students and those generally interested in the medieval Irish church by making these articles available in book form. He is far too modest in outlining his role as editor: while he has indeed tided up the text, provided footnotes and a bibliography, he has made a far greater contribution. He has corrected dates, factual errors, misread texts and at times interpretation', Liam Irwin, North Munster Antiquarian Journal (2009).

‘Researchers in the field will appreciate having easy access to these foundational articles … Recommended', J.M. Pope, Choice (April 2010).

‘The editor, the distinguished Dominican historian and archivist, Dr Hugh Fenning, is to be congratulated for republishing this seminal work on the medieval Irish Friars Preacher in a revised and accessible form … the chapters dealing with the daily lives of the friars remain unsurpassed as lively and engaging accounts of Hibernia Dominicana … an impressively comprehensive overview of late medieval religious life in Ireland. In particular, O’Sullivan’s skilful use of the register of the Dominican priory in Athenry enables us to see a medieval mendicant community in action … O’Sullivan has been very well served by his confrere Hugh Fenning and the volume is immeasurably improved by the latter’s discreet editorial interventions. One of the volume’s greatest strengths is its lively and engaging tone, which is attributed to the author’s skill as a preacher (p. 8). The major weakness of O’Sullivan’s original articles was the lack of any indication of the sources he employed. Dr Fenning has heroically addressed this by tracking down all the primary sources consulted by O’Sullivan and painstakingly annotating the entire text … [Fenning] also provides a lively overview of the current state of mendicant historiography in Ireland and the volume’s value is greatly enhanced by his provision of a bibliography and a comprehensive index … a major contribution to Irish medieval studies and ecclesiastical history and is likely to remain the authoritative text on the Dominican order in medieval Ireland for the foreseeable future', Colmán Ó Clabaigh, RSAI website (May 2010).

‘The 27 chapters which constitute this volume on the Order of Preachers in medieval Ireland were originally published by Benedict O’Sullivan OP as 27 individual articles in the erstwhile periodical Irish Rosary between 1948 and 1953 … Hugh Fenning has taken up the task of re-presenting these articles in a single volume for a new generation of readers. This idea had been mooted many years before the completion of the series; however, the project had not taken off. It is to the great credit of the present editor and those who encouraged him in the enterprise that this work has finally come to fruition … What is noticeable is the extent to which O’Sullivan’s original material largely stands the test of time; more often than not, the notes expand upon rather than correct the original text and its suppositions. These, often extensive, notes render the volume far more valuable than if it were merely a collection of O’Sullivan’s original articles, helpful as that might be in its own right … it is only when one begins to read this volume at length that one discovers the countless historical gems contained therein, including many an entertaining story … The re-presentation of Benedict O’Sullivan’s articles on the Dominicans in medieval Ireland for a new audience is a very welcome development and O’Sullivan has found a very worthy and sympathetic editor in Hugh Fenning. What is particularly refreshing for twenty-first century readers is O’Sullivan’s beautiful writing style, many features of which are less frequently encountered today', Salvador Ryan, Irish Theological Quarterly (May 2010).

‘Hugh Fenning has done a great service to scholars by editing and footnoting these studies. They are certainly a worthy starting-point for the much needed comprehensive study of medieval Irish Dominicans', Joseph Cramer, The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (July 2010).

'This fine collection of essays on the Dominicans in medieval Ireland … there is a simplicity and a lyricism and an old-fashioned storytelling quality to these papers that is unusual in work of such scholarship, but which makes for very easy reading … There are essentially two halves to the collection, one quite useful, the other very useful, if not important', Seán Duffy, Studia Hibernica (2009–10).