The Memorial Lecture in honour of Jennifer O’Reilly was established in 2017 by the School of History. Each year a distinguished scholar is invited to speak on either the writings of Bede or medieval iconography, two subjects that Dr O’Reilly explored in her research and teaching. The lecture normally takes place in the last week of April.

The 2025 Memorial Lecture will be announced shortly.

For enquiries, please contact Ms Colette Pettit.

• 2024: 'Bede, the Scribe of Scripture: His impact upon Northumbrian publishing’ – Professor Emerita Michelle P. Brown, University of London.

• 2023: Pater Ecgberct of Rath Melsigi: the hero of Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica? – Professor Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, University of Galway.

• 2022: Bede and the Spiritual Senses – Professor Arthur Holder, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California.

• 2021: Dynamic Theologies: The Ruthwell Cross from an Irish perspective – Professor Éamonn Ó Carragáin, University College Cork.

• 2020: The Early Medieval Eye and Insular Art: The Codex Amiatinus, the Book of Kells, and the scholarship of Jennifer O’Reilly – Dr Carol A. Farr, University of London.

• 2019: At the Ends of the Earth: Conversion and its consequences in some Insular Sources – Professor Máire Herbert, University College Cork.

• 2018: Venerating the Cross around the year 800 in Anglo-Saxon England – Professor Jane Hawkes, University of York.

• 2017: On Bede and Cassiodorus – Dr Alan Thacker, the Institute of Historical Research.

Printed and Kindle editions of the Memorial Lectures are available on Amazon

The recorded Memorial Lectures are available to watch on YouTube