Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from ‘The Irish Times’
For Saturday 21 March 2015
New App for St Patrick’s Cathedral
Next Wednesday afternoon at 2pm the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Michael Ring, will be in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin to launch a new digital facility which will make it easier for tourists to engage with the cathedral and its life.
St Patrick’s is not only the National Cathedral for the Church of Ireland but also one of the busiest tourist sites in the country. Its footfall this year is expected to approach 500,000. Many visitors want to engage with the cathedral but have no mechanism to do so.
Over the past number of months staff have worked with a digital media company called AppyBeacons to create an app which utilizes a new technology called ‘I Beacons’. This new facility will allow visitors with smart phones to learn more about the cathedral during their visit. The ‘I Beacons’ prompt smart phones to show particular content at different points throughout the building. The benefit of the system is that it requires no changes to the cathedral’s ancient structure and St Patrick’s will be the first heritage site in Ireland to use the innovative technology.
This afternoon (Saturday) Bishop Ken Clarke will be the special speaker at a Clogher Diocesan Mothers’ Union event in St Margaret’s church, Clabby, while in St Mary’s church, Nenagh, the Limerick, Killaoe & Ardfert GFS Diocesan Service & Prizegiving will be held. In the evening, in St Fachtna’s cathedral, Rosscarbery Professor Micheál O Súilleabháin and the Carolan String Quartet will give a concert in aid of the restoration of Christ Church, Glandore.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the Bishop of Cork will preside at Mothers’ Union Diocesan Festival Service in Chris Church, Fermoy, while the Bishop of Cashel, Ferns & Ossory will institute the Revd Richard Seymour–Whitely as incumbent of the Rathdowney union of parishes in succession to the Ven John Murray who has retired from the stipendiary ministry. In St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, at 4,15pm, Professor Desmond Hunter will give an organ recital in which he will play works by J.S. Bach, César Franck and Flor Peeters. The annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for the Gift of Sport will be held in St Ann’s church, Dawson Street at 7pm. The guest speaker will be Tony Ward, the former Ireland and Lions rugby player and the singing will be led by the Alexandra College Choir. There will be a collection in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation and refreshments will be served afterwards to which all are invited.
On Wednesday evening in St Andrew’s church, Malahide, at 8pm, the Lenten speaker will be the Ven. Gordon Linney, a former archdeacon of Dublin and a regular contributor to The Irish Times ‘Thinking Aloud’ column.
A new building at Ashton Comprehensive School will be dedicated by the Bishop of Cork and officially opened by the Minister of Education and Skills on Friday and later in the day Dr Colton will be in St Luke’s church, Douglas, for a Diocesan Evensong followed by a presentation to Wilfred Baker who retires at the end of the month after over 40 years service as Diocesan Secretary. In St Michael’s church, Ballina, the Bishop of Tuam will institute the Revd Stephen McWhirter as incumbent of the Kimoremoy union of parishes which, as well as Ballina, encompasses the parishes of Castleconnor, Kilglass, Easkey and Straid. Mr McWhirter, who has been curate in St Pauls’ church, Lisburn, succeeds the Revd Christopher Worley who came to Irelands from the USA in 2013.
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’