Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
MacFirbis Centre Opened at Kilglass
On Monday the new MacFirbis Centre in Kilglass, Co. Sligo, which has been named in memory of the bard who had a school in the area, will be officially opened by the Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry, Dr Richard Henderson. The aim of this project is to develop a commercial sound recording and rehearsal facility and to provide basic training in sound engineering and music technology.
The building has been constructed with the aid of a FAS scheme which was supervised by Norman Reid, the rector's churchwarden in Kilglass, and the project has been supported by the International Fund for Ireland. The Centre is owned by the Church of Ireland parish of Kilglass and stands on a site which was purchased by the parish in 1990 opposite the parish church. It is run by a cross community committee and provides a centre for community activity in an area in which no other community facility previously existed.
Such projects display a commendable vision and commitment which emphasise a vibrancy in the Church of Ireland in rural areas which receives much less attention than is its due.
The official opening has been scheduled to follow the Humbert Summer School which ends on Sunday when the former Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Donald Caird, will give the annual Bishop Stock sermon. The sermon is named in memory of Joseph Stock, Bishop of Killala from 1708 to 1810, who achieved fame by the publication of his Narrative of What Passed at Killala during the French Invasions of 1798. The theme of this year's event is "Twentieth Century Ireland. The Balance Sheet".
Today (Saturday) the Cantabile Singers from Surrey will sing Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, where they will sing the services tomorrow (Sunday).
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will televise a studio service with members of the Mothers' Union from various parts of the country. The service will be conducted by the Revd Doris Clements, an auxiliary priest in the Killala group of parishes, and the address will be given by the All Ireland President of the Mothers' Union, Mrs Thelma Mehaffey. The parish of St Bartholomew, Dublin, where the rector is the Revd John McKay, will celebrate its Patronal festival and the preacher at the Solemn Eucharist will be the Revd Ruth Adams, curate of Omagh, who was a student reader in St Bartholomew's. In Clonmacnoise there will be a celebration of the Eucharist in Templeconnor Church at 4.00 p.m.
Further afield the Choir of St Andrew's Church, Malahide, under the direction of Rodney Baldwin, will sing the services in St Asaph's Cathedral, Wales, while in St Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church, San Francisco, the Chaplain of Trinity College, Dublin, Dr Alan McCormack, will preside and preach.
In Dublin, on Wednesday evening there will be an organ recital in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, given by Alex Mason, Sub-Organist of the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court, London. On Friday there will be a lunchtime recital by the Choir of Coventry Cathedral in St Ann's Church, Dawson Street and Evensong in Christ Church Cathedral will be sung by the choir, Pegasus, from London.
On Friday at Corrymeela Knocklayd, a house in Armoy, Co. Antrim, which is run by the Corrymeela Community, the second "Walk Together. Pray Together" event begins. This will be a weekend offering an informal experience of getting to know people from differing religious traditions while walking through the Ballycastle/Armoy area. There will be short prayers in the morning and evening using Corrymeela liturgies. Details may be had by telephoning Corrymeela Knocklayd at (08) 012657-51521.