A rare set of 27 lantern slides depicting various churches principally in the diocese of Leighlin, but additionally from the dioceses of Glendalough and Kildare, and one of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, has recently been transferred from St Canice’s Cathedral to the RCB Library by the Dean of Ossory, the Very Revd David MacDonnell.
The relationship between the Church and Handel’s masterpiece was marked by a special celebration on the 200th anniversary of its first performance, on 13th April 1942.
Under the terms of the Irish Church Act, of 26th July 1869, which passed into law in 1871, the union between Church and State in Ireland that had existed since the Reformation was dissolved, and the Church of Ireland ceased to be established in law, leaving it ‘free to shape her future course, independent of state control’.
The RCB Library was honoured to welcome Bishop Rowan Williams during his visit to Dublin last week, when he was introduced to particular items in the collection.
In February 2019, the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Dublin met at St Michan’s Church, Dublin, to issue an appeal for the return of the head of an 800–year old mummy which was stolen during a raid at the church’s crypt.
22nd January 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of a unique church in the history of the Church of Ireland, that of St Barnabas in the docklands area of Dublin.
A special Archive of the Month focusing on the personal story of the last member of the clergy to be ordained before Disestablishment – the Revd William Somerville–Large (1847–1939) – has been commissioned by the RCB Library as a final contribution to the 150th anniversary for 2019.
In 2019, the RCB Library has received numerous invaluable items to augment the already substantial collection held for St John the Evangelist, Sandymount. Of particular interest was one document, with an attached map, outlining the designation of parochial district boundaries, dated 6th November 1867.
For October’s Archive of the Month, the focus turns to the parish of Mullingar in County Westmeath, where collaboration with the parish has enabled the Library to digitise a volume in the parish record collection entitled a ‘Scrapbook of William Reynell relating to the history of the Parish of Mullingar, 13th – 19th cent.’
