The John Moriarty Institute is a registered charity dedicated to preserving and communicating John Moriarty’s vision and legacy in all its forms.
Early days
John Moriarty sought to found a Christian Monastic Hedge School that he called Slí na Fírinne (literal translation from the Irish language: ‘the trail of truth’). His hope was this Hedge School would be ‘a virtue in the world’, modelling a way in which human beings might walk more beautifully on the Earth. To this end, in 2003 he set up a charity, appointing directors and members with a view to establishing a community that would make a real difference. The company secured investment, bought lands and received planning permission to build a monastic settlement in County Kerry. The company also published a number of John’s later books.
Sadly, John Moriarty’s diagnosis with terminal cancer in 2005 stopped the planned development. John died on 1 June 2007. The lands acquired by Slí na Fírinne were subsequently sold and the charity dissolved.
The John Moriarty Institute
(JMI) is established
In 2018 Sacred Heart University / Ollscoil Sacred Heart, along with friends and family of John Moriarty, sought to grow the vision which had begun in Slí na Fírinne. The Sacred Heart Campus in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland, established the John Moriarty Institute to act as trustee of the legacy of John Moriarty and steward of his vision regarding Slí na Fírinne. It was unanimously decided that the JMI would be an independent company and be registered as an Irish charity [RCN: 20206431].
Today the JMI continues to partner with SHU’s Dingle campus in order to reach a wider audience for John Moriarty’s work, both in Ireland and internationally. SHU is the primary liaison and academic pathway for academic institutions wishing to interact or connect with the JMI. Though formally distinct from one another, collaboration between the JMI and SHU is, and will continue to be, ongoing into the future.
The mission of the JMI is to act as trustee of the legacy of John Moriarty and to be steward of his unique vision. We believe John Moriarty’s writings are a virtue to the world and that his teachings are a deep reservoir of wisdom for our time. Our aim is to make these writings and teachings more accessible. The JMI seeks to promote John’s teaching through group discussions, publications, lectures, workshops, a dedicated website and other activities.