MIC hosts symposium marking 175 years since historic Synod of Thurles

Mary Immaculate College is holding a symposium today to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Synod of Thurles, a landmark gathering that helped define modern Irish Catholicism.

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The event, organised by the Department of History and the Irish Institute for Catholic Studies with support from the MIC Thurles School of Education, is taking place at St Patrick’s Campus in Thurles.

The symposium, titled Synod of Thurles, 1850: 175th Anniversary Symposium, brings together leading scholars to revisit the national synod convened in August 1850.

The meeting occurred in the aftermath of the Great Famine and is widely viewed as a pivotal moment in what later became known as the devotional revolution.

Its decisions reshaped religious practice, reinforced clerical authority and set out structures and customs that would continue to influence Irish society long into the twentieth century.

Among the keynote speakers are Niamh NicGhabhann Coleman, Associate Professor at the University of Limerick, as well as Sarah Roddy and Professor Salvador Ryan, both of Maynooth University.

Their contributions examine the social, religious and historical significance of the synod and consider how its impact has endured.

Dr Liam Chambers, Head of the Department of History at MIC, said the anniversary provides a valuable chance to look again at a moment that deserves greater attention.

“The Synod of Thurles one of the crucial events of modern Irish history took place in 1850 in what is now the Thurles campus of MIC. Despite its significance, the synod has not always received the attention it deserves.

This symposium provides an opportunity to reconsider the synod, as well as the changes in Irish Catholicism in the mid-nineteenth century, which had such an enduring influence not only on religious practice but also on the development of modern Ireland.

We are delighted to welcome a wonderful group of distinguished speakers to examine the synod in historical context, and to reflect on its complex and contested legacy.”

Attendees will also be offered a guided historical tour of MIC Thurles, including access to the historic Croke Library, the location where the synod originally met.

The event is free to attend, although advance booking is required. Full programme details and registration information are available on the Synod of Thurles webpage.

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