Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
Protestants and the Irish Language
Today (Saturday) week, 18 January, at 8.55 pm a one hour documentary on protestants and the Irish language will be shown on TG4 with English subtitles. The programme, entitled “No Rootless Colonists - Na Gael-Phrotastunaigh”, is the work of the well known film maker, Louis Marcus, and has been made for TG4 in association with the Irish Film Board and Foras na Gaeilge.
The programme seeks to confound a popular notion that the Irish language belongs only to catholics and reveals that protestants have been central to the story for over 400 years. It tells how a community, which began as colonists and planters, put down deep roots to produce champions of the Irish language - some loyal to England, some nationalist, some even republican. While dealing with the protestant spectrum of belief the programme includes much of particular Church of Ireland interest.
Sean O Cearnaigh, treasurer of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and Uilliam O Domhnaill, Bishop of Tuam, were part of the Gaelic intelligentsia who espoused the reformation and translated biblical and religious texts, while the 17th century Bishop of Kilmore, William Bedell, supervised the translation of the Old Testament into Irish. The Irish Anglicans who founded the Royal Irish Academy in the 18th century took a keen interest in Gaelic literature and one of the Academy’s presidents, Sir Samuel Ferguson, became the leading Irish poet in English in the 19th century. Another member of the Church of Ireland, Douglas Hyde, later the first president of Ireland, inspired the foundation of the Gaelic League, of which one of the most enthusiastic members was Canon James Hannay, Rector of Westport and the novelist George Bermingham.
Since 1914 a principal focus for the use of Irish in the Church of Ireland has been Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild of the Church) whose membership included such fervent republicans as Ernest Blythe and Sean O’Casey. The Guild continues to organise services in Irish and details of its activities may be had from the secretary, Leaslaoi O.Briain, 7 Glencairn, Bothar an Chuain, Deilginis, Baile Atha Cliath.
The historical consultant for the programme was the Church of Ireland Historiographer, Dr Kenneth Milne, while among the expert interviewees, Dr Nicholas Williams from UCD and Risteard Giltrap, former principal of Colaiste Moibhi, speak from an Anglican perspective.
In Dublin tomorrow (Sunday) morning the Archbishop of Dublin will visit the churches of the St Patrick’s Cathedral group of parishes, St Audeon’s and St Catherine and St James’, while in the Chapel of Trinity College the first in a Hilary term series of sermons on “What Makes Me Tick” will be preached by the Church of Ireland Chaplain, Dr Alan McCormack. In St Patrick’s Cathedral at 3.15 pm there will be an Epiphanytide Carol Service at which the lessons will be read by members of the cathedral staff and later in St Paul’s Church, Glenageary, at 7.00 pm, Evening Prayer will include special music for Epiphanytide with the Rosney Consort.
In St Peter’s Church, Bandon, tomorrow (Sunday) the Bishop of Cork will institute the Revd Nigel Dunne to the incumbency of the Bandon union of parishes in succession to the Very Revd Michael Burrows who is now the Dean of Cork. On Friday Bishop Colton will be in Skibbereen where he will dedicate restoration work and a new peal of bells in Abbeystrewry Church where the rector is the Revd Trevor Lester. Among those taking part in this service will be the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd John Neill, who was Rector of Abbeystrewry from 1974 to 1978.