Prior Roger Outlaw of Kilmainham

This is an examination of the Hospitaller manor at Kilmainham in Dublin as it existed under Roger Outlaw. Prior of the Knights Hospitallers and chancellor of Ireland for almost 20 years, Outlaw held an unusually stable position in the precarious world of the Irish administration. A major factor in his political survival was his use of the corrody or pension system which resulted in a highly structured and hierarchical society at the Kilmainham house. The world of the Kilmainham manor is shown to be both economically prosperous and socially dynamic, with Outlaw at the centre of power and influence. As many corrodians were government officials, Outlaw created a network of support within the administration which left his position virtually impregnable, even against such enemies as the powerful Bishop of Ossory. Outlaw’s role in the Kyteler witchcraft case and his achievements as prior and bureaucrat are looked at in the context of other Hospitaller priors and the pattern of post-holding in the 14th century. Against a background of war, famine, feuding and treachery, a picture emerges of the way in which a socio-economic construct such as the corrody could be used to support an exceptionally successful career, and create a unique community.