| Conference programme | ||
St Columbanus of Bobbio (c.543 – 615) is one of the greatest and most influential of Irishmen of the middle ages. His impact on the cultural and spiritual life of the West was immense. His foundations and Rules facilitated the emergence of the monastic culture of early medieval Europe. He left an extensive literary corpus including letters, sermons and regulations governing the Christian life. He was the first to express in writing a sense of Irish identity, and the first Irishman to leave a lasting impression in lands outside Ireland. This conference will examine his impressive legacy and present fresh insights into Columbanus’s understanding of the nature of authority, his attitude to Rome, his sense of identity, and the enduring influence of his writings and mission. The conference is organised by the Department of History, University College Cork, Ireland and will take place in the Pontifical Irish College, Via dei Santi Quattro 1, 00184, Rome, Italy, on 6 and 7 December 2007. Papers will be presented by scholars from the Durham University, University of Konstanz, University College Galway, University College Dublin and University College Cork. The programme will be posted here in the near future. For further information, please contact Dr Damian Bracken, Department of History, University College Cork, Ireland; tel. 00353 – 21 – 490 2950; email d.bracken@ucc.ie. A conference brocure is available on request from the Conference Secretary, Pontifical Irish College, Via dei Santi Quattro 1, 00184, Rome, Italy. The conference will bring together scholars from Ireland, Britain and continental Europe who will examine aspects of Columbanus's training in Ireland, the impact of his mission on European monasticism and the sense of identity he expressed as an Irishman in a European context. Details of the conference papers are available here. Speakers include: Dr Damian Bracken, Department of History, University College Cork, Ireland |
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