Commemoration for Irish woman executed for witchcraft seven centuries ago

When considering historical witch trials, images of the 16th or 17th Century in Scotland, central Europe, or colonial America often come to mind. However, this week, a specific town is commemorating the individual widely regarded as the first in Ireland to be put to death for witchcraft seven centuries ago. Kilkenny is scheduled to welcome historians and archaeologists, conduct a service of atonement and an oral history initiative, and ensure that all schools receive an educational resource pack detailing the occurrences of 1324. These efforts aim to acknowledge the “utter miscarriage of justice” and endeavor to “make amends,” according to the dean of the cathedral designated for the atonement service. Petronella de Meath served as a maidservant for a prosperous woman in Kilkenny during a period when it was a nascent, vibrant Norman settlement. She unfortunately became entangled in circumstances when her employer, Alice Kyteler, faced accusations. Following the successive deaths of Kyteler’s four husbands, she was charged with employing witchcraft to poison them, and de Meath was implicated as one of her co-conspirators. It is presumed she confessed subsequent to being subjected to torture. Prior to this period, witchcraft had been classified as a misdemeanour. However, the issuance of a Papal Bull by Pope John XXII, which condemned it as heresy, paved the way for significantly harsher penalties. Despite both women being convicted of witchcraft, Kyteler escaped, and only de Meath suffered burning at the stake on 3 November 1324. Kyteler was an affluent moneylender who had even provided loans to the English king, whereas de Meath lacked comparable influential connections. Scant information exists regarding her life. Historians remain unaware of her age at the time of her death or her physical appearance. “She was a servant girl from Meath which is not far away,” Dean Stephen Farrell of St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, informed BBC News NI. “But 700 years ago she was far from home. She didn’t have powerful relatives protecting her. She was without guilt, but without influence. “How do we make amends? “What happened to her was an utter miscarriage of justice. It is indefensible. It is the abuse of power.” Members of the Kyteler family are interred within the cathedral, alongside Bishop Richard LeDrede, who spearheaded the prosecution against the women accused. However, de Meath possessed no tomb or commemorative marker, which led to the development of the concept for an atonement service. “It’s not righting a wrong,” stated Regina Fitzpatrick, Kilkenny County Council’s heritage officer, who has been coordinating these commemorative events over the last year. “But it’s casting a light on something that was wrong. In terms of women’s history, it’s a really important story.” This historical account might appear to be from a distant past, yet the trial and its conclusion established a precedent that proved pivotal for the witch hunts occurring centuries later, during which approximately 50,000 individuals were executed for witchcraft, with 80% being women. It was the “template for what happened after”, Ms Fitzpatrick noted. Kilkenny is not unique in confronting its historical involvement with witch trials. In 2022, the then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon extended a formal apology to individuals accused of witchcraft in Scotland, and in Connecticut, USA, 12 people received exoneration last year. However, in Kilkenny, the organisers were uncertain about whom it would be suitable to approach for an apology. The Pope? King Charles? Consequently, they opted for a joint civic service. Kilkenny’s mayor is scheduled to deliver a speech, and on the preceding evening, invited attendees will convene for dinner in the cathedral, an event Dean Farrell proposes might serve as a “dignified send-off that one suspects she was denied 700 years ago”. Dean Farrell views the narrative as also functioning as a cautionary tale for contemporary Christians. “How do we not be glib about this?” he queries. “There’s always a danger we look back on this and say, thank God we are not like them. We are wonderfully enlightened and better. “What are our blind spots today? What acts of injustice do we tolerate in our midst? “What will people in 700 years time look back at us and say, goodness, how on Earth was this not in their consciousness?” The account of Alice Kyteler and Petronella de Meath has persisted as a folk tale within and surrounding Kilkenny, yet historically, it was documented exclusively by men—specifically, a monk and the bishop. Ms Fitzpatrick expresses enthusiasm for an additional aspect of the commemorations: the collection of oral histories from women currently residing in Kilkenny, enabling their narratives to be shared by themselves. “What’s been really brilliant about the whole thing has been how much people in Kilkenny care about Petronella and what happened to her,” she commented. “Our library service have worked together in developing a really strong children’s programme for this through history workshops and art workshops and herbalist workshops. “So it’s been a real, I suppose, a meitheal would be the word – lots of organisations coming together across Kilkenny to do Petronella justice and to tell this story in a way that might reframe it for future generations.” Meitheal refers to an Irish term denoting neighbours assisting one another, typically with agricultural duties. Commemorative events for Ireland’s initial witch trial are scheduled to occur in Kilkenny from 28 October to 3 November. 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