Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
A Day Out in St Doulagh’s
There has been much talk recently in the councils of the church about historic church buildings. New planning and heritage legislation and increasing insurance obligations have presented fresh challenges which are only partially met by improvements in funding from government agencies. Moreover the obligation to preserve the best of the past needs constantly to be measured against the requirements of a modern worshipping community.
The Historic Churches Advisory Committee, chaired by the Bishop of Connor, presented its report to the General Synod last week. The report is a valuable source for guidance on legislation, grant aid and general maintenance and ought to be required reading for all who have a responsibility for church buildings at central, diocesan and parish level.
In an earlier report, in 1976, the eminent architectural historian, Dr Maurice Craig, listed those historic churches which he believed to be of merit. He listed the buildings in five categories - medieval, composite, 17th-early 19th century, Victorian and later, and those which had an important position in a town. The section on medieval churches, if the cathedrals are excluded, is short emphasising the paucity of surviving medieval churches.
One medieval parish church which is included in Dr Craig’s list is St Doulagh’s, Balgriffin, which is part of the Malahide union of parishes where the rector is Dr Norman Gamble. St Doulagh’s, whether despite or because of its venerability, has a vibrant and growing congregation and is open for worship each Sunday. Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon there will be an Open Air Service with the 1st Co. B.B. Brass Band, the Portmarnock Folk Group and special speaker, Mrs Linda Basdeo. There will be tours of the church after the service and the collection will be for the Church Restoration Fund.
Today (Saturday) the Cork, Cloyne and Ross GFS Diocesan Festival Service will be held in Dunmanway while tomorrow (Sunday) the Cashel and Ossory GFS Service will take place in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny, and the Tuam, Killala and Achonry GFS Service will be held in Ballymote.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the annual Rogation Sunday service in the St Patrick’s Cathedral group of parishes will be held in St Audeon’s Church, Dublin, where the preacher will be the Archdeacon of Portsmouth, the Ven. Christopher Lewis. In St Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe, there will be a Diocesan Hymn Festival at 3.30 pm while in All Saint’s Church, Carnew, the Ferns Diocesan Choral Festival will take place.
The AGM of Crosslinks will be held on Monday at 8.00 pm in Overseas House, Dublin, where the speaker will be the Irish Mission Team Leader, the Revd Melanie Lacey. In Castlewellan the Bishop of Down and Dromore will introduce the Revd Dr Gordon Graham as non-stipendiary Bishop’s Curate of the grouped parishes of Castlewellan and Kilcoo.
On Tuesday the Archbishop of Dublin will speak at the East and West Glendalough Clerical Society and on Wednesday he will be the guest speaker at the AGM of the Adelaide Society.
The Revd Dr Ian Ellis will represent the Church of Ireland at the German Ecumenical Kirchentag which begins in Berlin on Wednesday. Christians from all over Germany, together with visitors from abroad, will gather for five days of worship, bible study, lectures and seminars. In St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the Wednesday evening organ recital will be given by Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Director of Music in Gloucester Cathedral, while on Friday evening the St Patrick’s organists, Peter Barley and David Leigh, will give a concert in the cathedral in aid of the choir’s forthcoming visit to Belfast.