The Return of the Dominicans and the Swifts
The Domincans Take Flight
The first Dominicans arrived in Ireland in 1224 when twelve monks, as depicted in this Nathan Wills painting, landed in Dublin. Soon the Order spread troughout Ireland. In the turbulent and troubled times of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries the Dominicans were uprooted, hunted, imprisoned, and killed, however some of the order survived. In these Penal Times young men had to go abroad for their education and training. Irish Dominican houses were established in Louvain, Rome, and in Corpo Santo in Lisbon, Portugal.
Dominicans Return
In 1829, the Catholic Emanicpation Act was passed allowing Irish Catholics to practice their faith more openly. At first religious orders were excluded and orders outside the country could not return. Daniel O’Connell, hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland’s Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. He assured the religious orders that laws excluding them couldn’t be enforced. Consequently new Dominican Orders were established in Sligo, Cork, and Kilkenny. A portion of the illustrious Priory of Corpo Santo in Lisbon was sold and the proceeds were used to purchase what is now the Priory site in Tallaght in 1855. And so the conditions were right for the exiled Domincans to return to their home in Ireland.
Swifts Also Leave
Swifts are truly remarkable birds that never land on the ground. When young Irish swifts emerge from their nests in mid-June they take to the air to feed. In a paralell to the Dominicans of the Penal Times, as conditions in Ireland become less favourable in late August, the young swifts depart for sunnier climes. They travel great distances in search of a safe refuge where they can prepare for their eventual return home. For the next two or three years they will not land again spending all of their time in sub-saharan Africa feeding, drinking, mating, and even sleeping on the wing.
Swifts Come Home
When conditions are right, in late April or early May two or threes after their birth, the swifts return to Ireland to produce the next generation. Much like the Dominicans returning to the Ireland in the mid-1800’s the young swifts must establish new homes for themselves. Unfortunately due to modern building methods Ireland’s swifts cannot nest in sites that have traditionally housed them. Today the Priory has created favourable conditions to welcome back the returning swifts by providing carefully crafted swift nest boxes. The best swift nest box sites require specific conditions: a minimum height of 5 meters above the ground, a clear, unobstructed flight path, and a shaded or north/east-facing aspect. We have also included solar-powered call systems to attract passing swifts that might be in search of a new nesting site.