Today being St Patrick's Day, were it not also Passion Sunday, which takes liturgical preference, it seems appropriate to draw attention to the foundation 230 years ago in 1783 by King George III of the Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick. This followed on from the summoning in 1782 of what became known as Grattan's Parliament, which gave effective self-government for the Kingdom of Ireland. One function of the Order was to be as a patronage resource for the governance of Ireland.
There is an illustrated online account of the Order here. The Queen's website still includes the Order, although there have been no conferments since 1922 other than to her uncles and, lastly, to her father as heir to the throne in 1936 - the relevant piece is here.
There is an illustrated online account of the Order here. The Queen's website still includes the Order, although there have been no conferments since 1922 other than to her uncles and, lastly, to her father as heir to the throne in 1936 - the relevant piece is here.
My previous posts on this subject from previous years can be read at The Order of St Patrick and Banners of the Knights of St Patrick.
The Most Illustrious Order of St. Patrick was the Irish equivalent of the
English Order of the Garter and the Scottish Order of the Thistle. Knights
were required to be "descended of three descents of nobleness" on both paternal
and maternal sides. Its purpose was to give social advancement to senior peers
and so further secure their loyalty. Admission to the Order was seen as
evidence of the high social standing of the recipient and there was considerable
competition for the limited places - originally there were fifteen Knights, but the number was later increased to twenty two.
The installation banquet of the first Knights of the Order of St Patrick in St Patrick's Hall at
Dublin Castle in 1783
A painting by John Keyse Sherwin of 1785
Image: Wikipedia
A painting by John Keyse Sherwin of 1785
Image: Wikipedia
The Star of the Order of St Patrick
Image:Kotomicreations on Flickr
The then rebuilt Great Hall, or Ballroom, of Dublin Castle became known as St. Patrick's Hall when King George III
instituted the Order of St. Patrick in 1783.
The impressive investiture ceremony of Knighthood took place in St. Patrick's
Hall. As soldiers lined the route, the new knights in their mantles and habits, walked in
ceremonial procession to an installation ceremony in St. Patrick's Cathedral. A
celebratory banquet took place later in the Castle.
St. Patrick's Hall in Dublin Castle
Image:dublincastle.ie
The
central panel, of
Valdre's ceiling paintings in St. Patrick's Hall, depicts the foundation
of the Order with King
George III seated on a dais, between the symbolic figures of Great
Britain with the
then British flag and Ireland with her harp, while Justice and Liberty
are in
attendance. The stall plates along the walls chronologically record the
names
and the banners bear the family arms of the Knights of St. Patrick
invested after the end of the religious ceremonies in St Patrick's
Cathedral consequent upon disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in
1869-71. The star of the Order is reproduced above the eastern doorway of the
Hall.
From
1783 until 1871 the Cathedral of St Patrick in Dublin served as the
Chapel of the Most
Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick. With the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in
1871 the installation ceremony moved to St. Patrick's Hall in Dublin
Castle. The heraldic banners of those knights at the
time of the move still hang over the choir stalls to this day.The stall
plates of the Knights can also be seen as well as their helmets and
swords.
Image: Hazboy on Flickr
The banners on the north side of the choir
Image:timsackton on Flickr
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