Sixteen Palestinian teenagers from Zebabdeh in the northern West Bank will visit St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin tomorrow where they will hear the origin of the phrase "to chance your arm".
They will be shown the cathedral's "door of reconciliation", formally its chapter house door, made famous because of its role in helping bring about reconciliation between the Earl of Ormonde and the Earl of Kildare in 1492.
Black James, nephew of the Earl of Ormond, fleeing from Gearóid Óg Fitzgerald, Earl of Kildare, had taken sanctuary in the chapter house. The Earl of Kildare pleaded with Black James through the chapter house's oak door to meet him to negotiate a peace.
Black James rebuffed all requests. Fitzgerald ordered his soldiers to cut a hole in the centre of the door and thrust his hand and arm through the hole to shake hands with Black James.
It was a courageous act as any of Black James's men could have hacked the Earl's arm off. However, James shook his hand and ended the dispute. The event was credited with the origin of the expression "to chance one's arm".
The Palestinians are visiting Ireland this week as part of a Youth Connections for Peace project. They are an ecumenical group of Palestianian Christians led by the Rev Fadi Diab, an Anglican Palestinian priest from Zebabdeh.
Since their arrival in Ireland last Sunday they attended the hurling match between Limerick and Clare at Croke Park and have met with Irish students of similar age from Ballinteer Community School in Dublin.
They will also be meeting with relatives of those killed and injured by the Omagh bomb.
The project is led by Lucinda Packham of the school completion programme at Ballinteer Community School. She recently visited Zebabdeh.
The visit of the Palestinians to Ireland has been made possible by funding from Leargás with additional support from aid agencies, the Irish Churches and the Glencree Centre for Reconciliation.
