Press Releases09 Oct 09

'Inside the Place of Worship' Seminar - RCB Library Resources

‘Inside the Place of Worship’ Seminar

Dr Freddie O'Dwyer (DEHLG) and Dr Susan Hood (RCB Library)

The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DEHLG) held a highly informative one-day seminar entitled ‘Inside the Place of Worship: Art and Intervention’ at the Coach House, Dublin Castle on Tuesday 6th October. The programme included presentations by architects, archivists, conservators and artists relating to research, repair and management of both change and artistic interventions in places of public worship that are of architectural heritage special interest. In the case of the Church of Ireland, there is considerable noteworthy stock across Ireland, including St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick, on which there was a presentation given by the architect Paul Arnold, whose firm has been occupied with its recent re-ordering. David Young of Hamilton Young Architects also provided an examination of some of the burdens but also the bonuses of maintaining protected churches with reference to Church of Ireland buildings, and gave case-study examples of where creative solutions to problems have been found.

Engaging with the subject of archival sources available for researchers of Church of Ireland churches, Dr Susan Hood, Assistant Librarian and Archivist of the Representative Church Body (RCB) Library, gave an illuminating paper entitled, ‘Telling the “Inside” Story’. In it, she provided an overview of the development of Church of Ireland church interiors over time, emphasising that the physical fabric of church buildings have evolved incrementally as they perform their function of being living, breathing places for worship, and stressing their historical variety. Dr Hood lamented the loss of virtually all the records of the Board of First Fruits in the fire at the Public Record Office in 1922, and also that the papers of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in the National Archives of Ireland remain unavailable to the public as they have been un-catalogued since passed over in 1999; however, she highlighted the resources available at the RCB Library, which is the Church of Ireland’s repository for its archives and manuscripts. She also alluded to sources which may be held locally in parishes or, in Northern Ireland, at the Public Record Office for Northern Ireland. For the downloadable transcript of Dr Hood’s paper and useful additional information, visit http://ireland.anglican.org/index.php?do=about&id=94.

The seminar also included presentations from the Diocesan Archivist of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin, Ms Noelle Dowling, and the Senior Architect of the DEHLG, Dr Freddie O’Dwyer, among other distinguished professionals. The event was attended by a wide range of interested parties, including members of the clergy and religious organisations.
ENDS