Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland notes from the Irish Times
New Religious Broadcasting Initiative
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning East Coast Radio 102.9 will begin a new series of short reflections, or Thought for the Day, during the classical music programme, East Coast Classic, which is presented by Hilda Hennessy from 9.00 am to 10.00 am.
Each of the four main churches will take turns in providing speakers but the series will be inaugurated with a Church of Ireland voice - that of the Very Revd Matthew Byrne who was Dean of Kildare from 1989 until his retirement from the stipendiary ministry in 1993. Dean Byrne had extensive experience in broadcasting in England before his return to the Church of Ireland in 1980 as Priest in Charge of Chapelizod and subsequently Chaplain of the King’s Hospital. From 1983 until 1992 he also worked as a producer of religious programmes in RTÉ and appeared regularly on television where his deceptively relaxed style made for compulsive viewing.
Now living in Greystones he contributes occasionally to RTÉ’s Sunday Miscellany and is putting the finishing touches to his latest book. His two previous publications, Dublin and Her People, which appeared in 1987, and Heaven Looked Upward, published in 1996, were both best sellers.
Later this month the BBC’s Sunday Half Hour programme, which is a radio version of the BBC TV Songs of Praise, will feature hymns which were recorded in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, during the recent Ceiliúradh liturgical conference. Indeed, such was the quality of the singing that sufficient material for two programmes was recorded. The first will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 at 8.30 pm on 24 August and the second on 16 November.
Today (Saturday) the Tuam, Killala and Achonry Diocesan Youth Camp begins in Lissadell and continues until Monday.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the Bishop of Tuam, Dr Richard Henderson, will visit Cong and Tuam and in the evening will preside at the Friends’ Service in Errislannon which is part of the Omey group of parishes, based on Clifden, where the rector is the Archdeacon of Tuam, the Ven. Anthony Previté. In Dublin the services in St Patrick’s Cathedral will be sung by the choir of St Paul’s Church, Swansea, while in Christ Church Cathedral the visiting choir will be the Walbrook Singers form London. In the evening, in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Cashel, there will be a choral worship service with the Amish-Mennonite choir, New Life Chorale.
On Bank Holiday Monday in Co. Wicklow the Donoghmore and Donard Parish Fete and Sports will be held, beginning at 2.00 pm. In St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, Evensong will be sung by the Harant Singers who are based in St Mary’s Church, Paddington Green, London, and they will also sing Evensong on Tuesday.
In Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Wednesday there will be a lunchtime recital by the Skellftea Chamber Choir from Sweden and in the evening, at 8.30 pm, the Clonmel Gospel Choir and the Nightingale Chorale from Australia will give a concert in Old St Mary’s Church, Clonmel, in aid of the restoration fund. The restoration fund of St Carthage's Cathedral, Lismore, will be the beneficiary of a concert on Friday evening in the cathedral where, as part of the International Choir Festival, Waterford Sings, there will be performances from choirs from Norway, Finland, Australia and Sweden.
On Thursday evening in St Barrahane’s Church, Castletownshend, Co. Cork, the fourth recital in the 23rd Festival of Classical music will be held. The performers will be Andreja Malir (harp) and John Finucane (clarinet) who are both principal artists with the National Symphony Orchestra.