Biography: Richard FitzRalph (1300? - 1360)
Image via The FitzRalph Society)
Born in Dundalk around 1300 to an Anglo-Norman family, Richard FitzRalph was educated in Oxford and became chancellor of the University in 1332. His tenure was turbulent and lasted only two years, directly leading to his first visit to Avignon. His contribution to debates there on the beatific vision made him a prominent figure in the papal court. A successful ecclesiastical career both in England and in Ireland followed.
He became archbishop of Armagh in 1347. He was known for great preaching ability and care of his flock. His sermons that survive show keen awareness of social tensions and economic problems. His major focus was on two issues: the war (overt and covert) between the English and Irish elements, and the general prevalence of theft and dishonesty. He denounced the tendency to view theft against "the other side" as a minor issue and defended the cause of the weak.
He also became involved in the matter he is best known for: opposition to the mendicant orders on the question of evangelical poverty and his defence of the rights of the secular clergy against the friars. This question drew him back to the curia, where he died still debating this question at Avignon in 1360. His bones are said to have been brought to Dundalk by Stephen de Valle, Bishop of Meath, in 1370.
He is said to have translated the Bible into Irish, and by some writers has been ranked amongst the earliest British reformers.
More about his life at 14th Century Oxford Theology Online, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Library Ireland.
