The chapter concentrates on the early seventeenth-century Irish Franciscan chalices by analyzing evidence regarding makers, iconography, donors and beneficiaries. It argues that regional styles may be discerned for altar plate associated with Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny and Galway. While no Franciscan chalice from that time survives which might be associated with Dublin, a Dublin style of chalices can be identified on the basis of non-Franciscan silver objects.
The paper strongly suggests that the iconography of the chalices stems from the late medieval models, but the common emphasis on the Cross and the Crucifixion is related to the Franciscan devotion to the Passion. The analysis of the names engraved on the chalices provides information on the benefactors and the close association of the Franciscan Order with the wealthy Irish and Old English families.