Is Brian Boru's crown in the Vatican? If so, a Clare TD wants it returned to Ireland
An early depiction of Brian Boru from the 1723 publication of Dermot O'Connor's translation of The General History of Ireland. Picture: Wikimedia Commons
The Government has been urged to engage with the Vatican to have the mythical crown of Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland, returned to the State.
Clare Fianna Fáil TD Cathal Crowe has called on the Government to work with the Holy See to have the crown returned, despite doubts as to its existence.
The crown, which belonged to Ireland’s most well-known High King, was said to have been given to the Vatican by his son Donnchad, as a gift to the Pope.
Mr Crowe asked if the Tánaiste would work with the Irish Embassy and the Holy See to have the crown returned from the Vatican.
In response, Mr Martin said it is currently unknown whether or not the crown is located in the Vatican, or whether the crown existed in the first place.
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“The current circumstances, or existence, of the crown of Brian Boru are unconfirmed, and a question of some dispute among historical experts,” Mr Martin said.
Mr Martin said the Department of Foreign Affairs would first liaise with the “relevant authorities”, as part of a review into the whereabouts of the crown.
Medieval Irish history professor at Trinity College Dublin, Seán Duffy, has questioned the existence of Brian Boru’s crown, believing it could instead have been a metaphor for the Vatican having permission to decide who ruled over Ireland.
“There was a belief in the Middle Ages that all islands belonged to the papacy. The pope could therefore give an island away,” Prof Duffy says.
He said that ahead of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, King Henry II received permission from Pope Adrian IV to invade the country and become its king.
“As a result, Ireland became an English colony and Henry then wrote off to the pope, requesting that he grant a crown so that his son John, the future King John, could be crowned king of Ireland.
“The belief continued that if the papacy had granted the kingdom of Ireland to England, then the papacy could also withdraw that grant, and metaphorically hand the 'crown' of Ireland to another.
Prof Duffy said that, in his own research, he has not come across any belief that the papacy had a physical crown linked to Brian Boru.
“There was no memory in Rome of Brian Boru's crown ever having been given to the pope and I very much doubt it was. There is in fact no record of any Irish high-king ever possessing a crown,” Prof Duffy said.
“Irish kings were not 'crowned', they were inaugurated and handed at their inauguration a white wand cut from a sacred tree as a symbol of their sovereignty.
“So I would be very surprised if there was any possibility of the Vatican turning up the crown of Brian Boru.”
