Abstract

This article revists the life and academic career of Peter of Ireland (Petrus de Hibernia, ca. 1200-1260) whose Opera Omina were edited by the author (Louvain-Paris, 1993, 1996). A recapitulation is also given of a recent debate as to whether the early sources for the life of Thomas Aquinas were right in stating that Peter of Ireland taught the young Aquinas when the latter was a student at the university of Naples in the years 1239-44. While acknowledging that it is now impossible to be absolutely certain of this, the author argues that the likelihood remains that Aquinas was introduced to philosophy by an Irishman.