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Who is St. Laurence O'Toole? |
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The son of Murtagh, an Irish Chieftan, Laurence (known in Irish history as Lorcan Ua Tuathail)
became archbishop of Dublin and led the resistance of his people from English and Norman Invaders.
His childhood was overshadowed by the feud between his father and their overlord, Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster.
When he was ten years old, he was sent as a hostage to a remote mountain area for two years. The abbot of Gledalough helped to
secure his freedom and encouraged him to become a member of the famous Augustinian monastary. At the age of 25, Laurence became
the abbot and when the archbishop of Dublin died in 1161, Laurence was appointed to replace him.
When he went to live in Dublin, he continued the life of a monk, fasting, praying and caring for the poor and homeless
of the city. He tried to encourage a peaceful settlement with the Anglo-Norman invaders who swept across Ireland but despite all his
efforts, Dublin was sacked in 1170. Laurence went among the survivors comforting, helping them and burying the dead. In 1175, he
traveled to Windsor, near London, to negotiate the treaty between King Henry II and Rory O'Connor, the Irish High King.
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