Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Geashill Parish History
In recent years, there has been a marked increase in interest in parish history. This, in part, is due to the collecting policy of the RCB Library which has resulted in many parish record collections being transferred from local custody, catalogued and made freely available to researchers. It is also a product of more primary sources material being made available on websites so that much research can be successfully undertaken at home.
The RCB Library’s Archive of the Month for March features a history of Geashill parish church, Co. Offaly. The parish is an ancient one, with clerical succession lists recording rectors as far back as 1218, and a union with the Augustinian monastery of Killeigh being mentioned in 1515. The old medieval church was still in use by 1804, but the newer church – still standing today – was built in 1814 with funds from the Board of First Fruits.
The Library’s collections include a wealth of material for Geashill – parish records dating from 1713, records from the Diocese of Kildare, many photographs of the church and an abundance of architectural drawings which help to give an understanding of the importance of architecture in telling the story of a building and a parish.
This Archive of the Month article is written by Sylvia Turner, a semi–retired university tutor in education who lives in Winchester. She has a long–held interest in Irish history and her research relates mainly to Kerry, the home of her grandfather’s ancestors, and Offaly, her mother’s home county. Sylvia’s story is a personal history of the church, weaving her own family history with that of the church, and explores the intimate link between the church and the town itself.
Sylvia states: “Geashill Church is an example of how a church can give an insight into its history through its memorials and the inscriptions on gravestones. However, when supplemented with documentation, more detail emerges relating to church history and previous generations of worshippers whose lives were often marred by poverty and disease. These people are frequently hidden from view, lying in unmarked graves here or overseas where they endeavoured to make better lives for themselves.”
Church of Ireland Publishing has announced the publication of the twelfth book in its Braemor Studies series. St Patrick’s Pilgrimage: Journey to Place – Journey to God explores the relationship between people and pilgrimage in Ireland in the 21st century, incorporating reflections and interviews with pilgrims, as well as a detailed look at the scholarship and history of pilgrimage in the Christian Church. The author is the Revd Karen Salmon, Curate of Willowfield in Belfast. The book is available here and priced €6/£5.
Tomorrow, Palm Sunday, at 12 noon Church of Ireland Choirs Online, directed by Kevin O’Sullivan will present The Crucifixion by John Stainer, featuring tenor, Jack Kinkead, and bass Brian Hennessey with organist, David O’Shea. This work was filmed and recorded virtually, and in Sandford Parish Church.
The Crucifixion may be viewed on Kilternan Parish’s YouTube channel or the Church Music Dublin Facebook page. Excerpts from The Crucifixion are available to play or download from the Church Music Dublin website here.
The first of five dramas entitled ‘Unmuted: what they said about Jesus’ enacted and recorded by Cork Diocesan Youth Council in association with ‘Play it by Ear’ will be broadcast, tomorrow (Sunday) on the Cork Diocesan Youth Council Facebook Page and also on the Diocesan YouTube Channel.
Published in the Saturday edition of The Irish Times