Edmondson had been a soldier in the Parliamentary Army in England but left it and moved to Ireland with his young wife Margaret and became a shopkeeper. On a later visit to England he heard a Quaker preaching, felt in unity with what was said, and became one himself. Back in Ireland again he was a powerful advocate of Friends' method of worship and way of life. In due course he moved to Rosenallis near Mountmellick. He was a good organiser, and over the next few decades he played a major role in the growth of the Society of Friends in Ireland.

In 1667 William Penn, at the age of 22, was in Cork in connection with estates belonging to his father, Admiral William Penn, and joined Friends. Some years later a huge tract of land in America was transferred to the Admiral's estate to repay a large loan made to the King years before. The story has been told many times of how Penn, from 1683 onwards, transformed this land into Pennsylvania, with an enlightened government (that lasted until 1756) based on his beliefs as a Quaker.

William Penn signing the Peace Treaty with Native Americans

His good relationships with the native Americans are legendary and as Voltaire wrote of their treaty with Penn "no oaths were sworn on either side, and the treaty was never broken". Penn's Essay towards the present and future peace of Europe in 1693 foreshadowed the present European Union in many respects.

Elizabeth Fry's vision, courage, compassion and practical support for women committed to prison (and Newgate in particular where the conditions were appalling and which she first visited in 1813) led to many major improvements in the penal system. Her actions in the prisons, and also in lobbying for reform, are still reflected in the Quaker concern for prison work and belief that rehabilitation is more effective in the long run than punishment. She also worked tirelessly to alleviate the poor conditions women had to suffer on convict ships taking them to Australia and other colonies, and influenced legislation which ultimately led to the cessation of the transportation of convicts.

Jonathan Pim became joint secretary of the Friends Famine Relief Committee in 1846, and was a member of the Irish Parliament from 1868 to 1874.

The Quaker Walpole family owned and planted the well known Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford, Co Wicklow.

A great grandson of Abraham Shackleton, headmaster of Ballitore School (see the "Schools" panel) was the Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton - though Sir Ernest was not a Friend himself.

Denis Haliday

Present generation Irish Friends of distinction include Jocelyn Bell Burnell the woman astronomer who was instrumental in discovering pulsars, and Denis Halliday the former assistant Secretary General of the United Nations who resigned over the sanctions against Iraq and who has been so outspoken about their effects.