Kieran Hoare. From O’Sasnane to Sexton: the making of an early modern urban patriciate family by History Hub

'From O’Sasnane to Sexton: the making of an early modern urban patriciate family' by Kieran Hoare (NUI Galway).

The role of Gaelic families as merchants in the port-towns of early modern Ireland remains an under-studied area. One of the most spectacular examples is that of the Sexton family of Limerick. This paper will examine the origins of the family in Thomond before moving onto the career of Edmond Sexton, Henrician courtier, enthusiastic Protestant and acquirer of monastic lands. By the mid-1550s the family was incorporated into the urban patriciate of Limerick. This paper will show how the family took full advantage of the opportunities available in early Tudor Limerick to become one of its leading patrician families.

The 6th Annual Tudor & Stuart Ireland Interdisciplinary Conference took place at NUI Galway in August, 2016. The conference was generously supported by: an NUI Galway President's Award for Research Excellence (awarded to Prof. Steven Ellis); the Moore Institute, NUI Galway; the Discipline of History, NUI Galway and the Society for Renaissance Studies.

As in previous years the majority of papers were recorded for podcasting by https://soundcloud.com/real-smart-media in association with www.historyhub.ie. There are now more than 140 podcasts from previous Tudor and Stuart Ireland conferences freely available. To access this archive go to www.historyhub.ie/podcasts or visit tudorstuartireland.com