The Irish Priory of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem was established in Kilmainham, an ancient village originally just outside the walls of Dublin, in 1174. The noble knight Maurice de Prendergast was its first Prior. From then on and until 1534, when it was suppressed by the King of England, Henry VIII, the Order spread throughout Ireland, popularising the motto ‘tuitio fidei et obsequium pauperum’. The current Irish Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, established in 1934, has taken over the Order’s path and, through its knights and dames, as well as numerous volunteers, is active in the Nation of Ireland, continuing to practise and spread the Order’s founding values.

The background of the sheet depicts a drawing by Irish artist Stephen Conlin in 2022, commissioned by Dublin City Council, showing the reconstruction of the Priory of the Order of the Knights of St. John in Kilmainham at its height in the mid 14th century. The sheet also bears, at the top, on three lines, the inscription ‘SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA’, ‘850° ANNIVERSARIO DEL PRIMO PRIORATO DI IRLANDA’, ‘KILMAINHAM 1174 – 2024’, with the coat of arms of the Order’s activities to the left of the text. While at the bottom, the legend reads ‘Ricostruzione del Priorato dell’Ordine di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme a Kilmainham nel XIV secolo, disegno di Stephen Conlin, 2022, commissionata dal Dublin City Council’.

Three coats of arms, in homage to Ireland’s historic heraldic tradition, are inserted on three corners of the sheet, each constituting an additional stamp.

In the top right-hand corner, the €1.25 stamp depicts the coat of arms of the Irish Association of the Order of Malta, established in 1934.

In the bottom right-hand corner, the €1.30 stamp depicts the coat of arms of the city of Dublin, near which was the ancient city of Kilmainham, which over time became part of the city. The coat of arms was officially established in 1607, but its origins are traced back to the ancient 13th century Dublin city seal, from which the Three Castles of Dublin, depicted in it, were taken.

In the bottom left-hand corner, the €2.45 stamp depicts the coat of arms of the Lordship of Ireland, which was established after the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland completed in 1171 and lasted until 1542, when it was renamed the Kingdom of Ireland.

In the centre, the €3.20 stamp features a depiction of the Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Kilmainham, part of a design by artist Stephen Conlin, which is depicted on the sheet.

Each stamp also bears the inscriptions ‘SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA’ and ‘POSTE MAGISTRALI’, the coat of arms of the Order’s activities, as well as the face value.

Images: by the Irish Association of the Order of Malta. In particular, for the image depicted on the sheet: © Stephen Conlin, commissioned by Dublin City Council.