Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Second Pococke Tour Volume Published
Dr Rachel Finnegan, who is a lecturer in Waterford Institute of Technology, has published the second volume of the Grand Tour correspondence of Bishop Richard Pococke, details of which may be had at www.pocockepress.com.
Dr. Richard Pococke (later Bishop of Ossory & Meath) and his cousin Jeremiah Milles (later Dean of Exeter) began their clerical careers in the diocese of Waterford & Lismore under the patronage of their uncle, Bishop Thomas Milles. Both were educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and completed their education in 1733 by undertaking a traditional Grand Tour of France & Italy. Their journeys were described by Dr Finnegan in the first volume of their correspondence which was published last year.
Volume 2 reproduces the complete collection of Pococke’s letters to his mother from the second tour (1736–37), together with selected letters from Milles and Pococke to the bishop. This journey differed significantly from their earlier tour of France and Italy and from the standard Grand Tour of the period, with the cousins visiting France, the Low Countries, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary & the Balkans. The travellers spent much of their time at the royal and imperial courts of Europe, and Pococke’s correspondence to his mother gives colourful descriptions of their encounters with King George II of England, the King & Queen of Poland, the King of Prussia, and his famous regiment of Tall Soldiers. There are also amusing accounts of the Holy Roman Emperor and his extended family of Archduchesses, with minute details of their dress, hair styles and dining habits.
Today (Saturday) both Archbishops of Dublin will officially launch the Dublin “Camino” Pilgrim Walk which involves visiting and praying in seven city centre churches, including St Ann’s, Dawson Street. It will begin following an ecumenical liturgy in St. Ann’s church this morning (Saturday) at 11am, where Dr Jackson will preside, joined by Archbishop Martin, Bishop Ray Field and members of the Dublin Diocesan Eucharistic Congress Preparatory committee. The Pilgrim Walk has been organized as part of celebrations for the upcoming International Eucharistic Congress.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will televise a Service of the Word with the Cashel & Ossory Youth Ministry Team led by Scott Evans and Elemental Youth Ministeries while on RTE Radio 1 there will be a Service of Morning Prayer from St Mark’s church, Ballymacash, Lisburn, led by Canon George Irwin and the Revd Ken Gamble. In the morning the Archbishop of Dublin will preach at the Patronal Festival Service in Christ Church cathedral while in the afternoon the Choir of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, will sing Evensong in Castle Archdale parish church, Co. Fermanagh. In St Canice’s cathedral, Kilkenny, the first of series of Chapter Room Concerts by harpsichordist Malcolm Proud, featuring the six Partitas by Bach, will begin at 5pm.
On Friday at 5pm the Trinity College Chapel Choir will sing Evensong in Maynooth as part of an international symposium on eucharistic ecclesiology, in which one of the daily themes is ‘Learning from Ecumenism’. Later, at 8pm in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the Revd Dr Adrian Empey will give a public lecture on ‘Random Reflections: the Shaping of the Church of Ireland, 1536–1660’.
Next Saturday, 9 June, there will be a Hymnathon in Sandford parish church to raise funds for essential work to the rectory in Sandford Close which is a listed building. There will be a performance by the Ranelagh Singers and local choirs will assist in singing a wide variety of hymns.
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’