St John in Ireland
From the Norman conquests of 1166 to the modern St John Ambulance, a story spanning nearly 900 years.
Norman Origins
The Order's presence in Ireland followed the Anglo-Norman conquests from 1166. The Earl of Pembroke (known as 'Strongbow'), one of the Norman Leaders in Wales and a notable benefactor of the Order in England, granted the Manor of Kilmainham, on the western outskirts of Dublin, to the Order in 1174.
The commanderies were strung out across the land from Ulster in the North East to Munster in the South East, though not in Connaught (where native Irish held sway). The founders were mostly leaders from the Anglo-Norman nobility.
Key Dates in Irish History
The Irish Priory
By 1202, the Order's properties had become so substantial that the Irish Priory was granted its autonomy (eventually becoming a Grand Priory), although remaining part of the English Tongue. Maurice de Prendergast was appointed its first Prior.
The Hospitallers had a duty of care for 'our lords the poor' and it is believed they did this in the form of free lodgings, clothes and food. Being a military order, the Knights had a fighting role in support of the Order overseas.
Ancient Commanderies of Ireland (1174-1559)
The commanderies were set up to administer the properties. Manors and chapels were built for the Hospitallers.
The Dissolution
The Commandery of Ards was forced to close in 1559 following the dissolution of the monasteries in England. The Prior of Ireland surrendered his Grand Priory and properties to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Sussex.
The Modern Revival
Following the formation of the Venerable Order in England in 1858, the St John Ambulance Association started first aid classes in Belfast in 1885. The first division of the St John Ambulance Brigade — the Belfast Fire Brigade Ambulance Division — was formed in 1892.
Growth During World Wars
During both World Wars, there was excellent co-ordination between SJA and the British Red Cross Society under a Joint Committee.
The Chancery of St John in Ireland
The Concordat establishing the Chancery of St John in Ireland was signed in 2024 at the new Chancery Home of Lumsden House in Dublin.