Charges Are Made Against Thomas Foster, Archdeacon of Glendalough

Serious charges are brought against Thomas Foster, Archdeacon of Glendalough, in the late medieval period. Allegations include that he has illegally sold lands belonging to the dignity, maintained concubines, fathered children, and is “ignorant of letters”, unable to read or write. Furthermore, it is claimed that he does not speak the language of the country—a particularly grave accusation in an era when clergy were expected to minister to the Irish-speaking population. The case reflects ongoing tensions within the Church over clerical standards, absenteeism, and cultural disconnects in English-dominated ecclesiastical structures in Ireland.