Friends,
In early may I visited Dublin, Ireland. FYI: In St. Patrickīs Cathedral,
Dublin you can see the rest of "the door of reconciliation".
In 1492, public attention in Dublin was focused on the rivalry of two
powerful Anglo-Norman families, the Butlers and Fitzgeralds. In order to
counter the political dominance of Gerald Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, King
Henry VII gave his support to Fitzgeraldīs rival, Thomas Butler, Earl of
Ormond. Matters came to a head when Butlerīs nephew, Black James, arrived
in Dublin with an army. Supporters of the rival factions fought a battle
inside the cathedral. During the battle, Black James was forced to retreat
into the chapter house. Despite Fitzgeraldīs feelings towards the Butler
family, the Earl of Kildare could not be seen to stand aside while a royal
servant was murdered in a cathedral. Suspecting treachery, Black James could
only be induced to leave the chapter house when Fitzgerald cut a hole in the
door and thrust his arm through to offer his hand in peace.
It has been claimed that the idiom "to chance your arm" derives from this
episode in the cathedral.
A note in the Cathedral said, that there is a lesson for all of us engaged
in feuds, whether brother to brother, nation to nation. If one of us would
dare to "chance his arm", perhaps that would be the first crucial step to
reconciliation we all seek.
When I stood there and read the story of this door, I come to think of this
whole idea of reconciliation once again.
Just a comment on the situation in The Gambia inspired from a tour to
Dublin, Ireland.
Asbjørn Nordam
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