Archive of the Month
The Story Behind the Church of Ireland Cross.
By Dr Susan Hood
The Library was asked recently to provide some background about its “logo” or identity symbol which set us on a research track that has proved interesting and useful to share with a wider audience. It surprised us to find, that the cross which is today emblematic with the Church of Ireland appears on multiple Church resources – from publications and leaflets to websites and letter headings emanating from the Representative Church Body in Church of Ireland House – has in fact only been in use since 1984.
In the early 1980s, when a new prayer book was being deliberated by the Liturgical Advisory Committee (LAC) of the General Synod, various symbols were considered by committee members. Designs were suggested for a Celtic–type of cross as a motif, instead of the plain Latin cross which had appeared on the Revised Edition of the Book of Common Prayer for the Church of England of 1926. The LAC also looked at various Irish crosses such as Tuam and Iona, while others featuring four equal arms particularly appealed – including Cong, Malta, Jerusalem, Canterbury.
The Cong cross was a particular influence, and Canon Gilbert Mayes who was a leading light in the LAC and his wife Pat (who had artistic ability) submitted a simplified version of the illustration of the first Irish 3d and 10d postage stamps by removing the surrounding halo and shamrocks for the Committee’s consideration.It so transpired that there was in fact a Church of Ireland link with the original design of that stamp. Its designer was the well–known Dublin artist Lily Williams, a member of the Church of Ireland and the sister of Canon Marrable Williams (rector of St Luke’s Belfast, 1915–1952). Her elaborate design of those first Irish 3d and 10d stamps issued in 1923 had been based on the Cross of Cong.
When the prayer book was in preparation, Colin Reed on behalf of the publisher – Collins Liturgical Publications – presented a small version of the symbol, together with its use as a “bookplate” cover page with the symbol and the words Alternative Prayer Book of 1984. From this simple prototype symbol all uses of the logo would follow.
In subsequent years, when new publications were considered by the central Church, its prospective use would be referred for consideration of the Honorary Secretaries on behalf of the Standing Committee of the General Synod. Indeed three significant mentions of the Logo in the Journal of the General Synod in early years after 1984 provide further background about its evolving use. These are found in in the years 1989 (p. 80); 1991 (p.84) and 1994 (p. 82). You can now use the digital version of the Journals of the General Synod to find these and further updates here.
When the more recent Book of Common Prayer of 2004 was issued, the publisher of that edition – The Columba Press through its designer Bill Bolger – worked on the symbol to be both a stand–alone item and embossed into the leather–cloth cover. The symbol also appears on the Church Hymnal and has subsequently been incorporated with the words Church of Ireland Publishing on all Church publications under the Church of Ireland Publishing imprint (a separate logo).
The Cross also appears on the Church of Ireland Directory, where the main cover illustrations are the arms associated with individual dioceses. These works of art, which are accompanied by detailed emblazons or heraldic descriptions of their symbolic components in each diocesan section of the Directory, are much older and several have been in use since medieval times.
Improved artwork and official registration of these arms by the Office of the Chief Herald which is the official heraldic authority for Ireland has enhanced their appearance and presentation in recent years and the arms of each diocese enhance the Church’s premier annual publication, the 2026 edition of which will be available to purchase very soon.
Research compiled by the late Canon Robert Edgar Turner (1920–2016) who was a longtime member of the Liturgical Advisory Committee of General Synod, which remains on file in the RCB Library is acknowledged as the source for this story.