Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
Ecclesiastical Libraries Conference in Roscrea
This weekend the theme of the 32nd Roscrea Spring Conference at Mount St Joseph Cistercian Abbey, Roscrea, is “Monastic, Cathedral and Ecclesiastic Libraries” and among the contributions are some with a particular Church of Ireland appeal.
Last night (Friday) Dr Muriel McCarthy spoke about Archbishop Marsh and his library and this morning there will be papers relating to three Church of Ireland diocesan libraries. Julian Walton will speak on “Waterford and Cork. Case Studies of the Irish Cathedral Library” and George Cunningham, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Bolton Library in Cashel, will talk about the history, development and management of this remarkable collection.
When the late Maura Tallon published her Church of Ireland Diocesan Libraries she identified fifteen collections of which only ten have survived in any meaningful way. The libraries in Clogher, Belfast, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Kilmore, and Ross have been largely dispersed. In some instances their passing was understandable for they were unremarkable collections which no longer had a useful purpose. In other cases their dissolution was less easy to understand and seemed to owe more to questionable local priorities than to any sense of the potential of such collections for theological development and engagement with the wider world.
Yet the remarkable developments in Marsh’s Library in Dublin and Archbishop Robinson’s Library in Armagh have proved that there is vitality in historic libraries: that they are not static collections of old books but have the potential to teach us much about the Church of Ireland and to draw into our ambit many who might otherwise have little or no contact with the institutional church. The links between the Bolton Library and the University of Limerick have suggested one model whereby an under-resourced local collection may be re-invigorated and similar initiatives may be the key to unlocking the potential of the collections in Kilkenny, Waterford, Derry and Tuam.
This evening (Saturday), at 7.30 pm, in St Bartholomew’s Church, Clyde Road, Dublin, the Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir, directed by Dubliner Stephen Shellard, will sing Duruflé’s Requiem and works by Parry and Britten.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning RTE will televise Holy Communion with the Meath and Kildare Diocesan Adult Education Group. The celebrant will be the Diocesan Adult Education Officer, the Revd Olive Donohue, and the preacher will be the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Dr Richard Clarke. In Lund Cathedral the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Revd Peter Barrett, and the Dean of Ossory, the Very Revd Norman Lynas, will take part in an anniversary celebration service attended by the Queen of Sweden.
The Primate will preach at the 50th anniversary service of the Friends of St Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher. The Bishop of Clogher, Dr Michael Jackson, will preside, And two of his predecessors, Bishop Brian Hannon and Bishop Robert Heavener will be present.
On Monday the Archbishop of Armagh will introduce the Revd Kenneth Hall as Curate-in-Charge of Coalisland while in Kinsale the Bishop of Cork will preside at the Mothers’ Union Festival Service in St Multose’s Church. In Trinity College Chapel there will be a Solemn Evensong to mark the 400th anniversary of the entombment of Queen Elizabeth I, the founder of the College. The annual Deans and Provosts Conference begins in Carlisle Cathedral where the Dean of Christ Church, Dublin, the Very Revd John Paterson, will take part.
On Saturday 3 May the Church of Ireland Historical Society will meet in Armagh. Details may be had from Canon W.G. Neely, The Rectory, Crossmore Road, Keady, Co. Armagh BT60 3JY.