Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from 'The Irish Times'
Saturday 12 June 2010
Genealogical Website Launch
Next Wednesday evening in St Werburgh’s church, Dublin, the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Ms Mary Hanafin TD, and the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Neill, will be the principal speakers at the launch of the second phase of the genealogy website www.irishgenealogy.ie.
The first phase of this project, which involved making available, on a free website, church records which had been collected by the library services in Kerry and Dublin city, was launched last November. The second part of the project has involved the digitization of Church of Ireland registers of baptisms, marriages and burials from parishes in the city of Dublin and the dioceses of Ardfert and Leighlin which had been transferred to the Representative Church Body Library. Contractors were engaged by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport to carry out the work and they were assisted by the National Archives and the staff of the RCB Library.
Records, up to 1900, from almost 500 parishes and chaplaincies have been digitized, transcribed and indexed. Their ready availability will be a boon to genealogists, family and local historians and that increasingly wide body of researchers who need speedy access to biographical data. Moreover, the availability of this material electronically ought to lessen the incidences on which the original registers need to be consulted thus reducing wear and tear on often fragile records and equally fragile archives staff. Copies of the scans from the project will be presented to the RCB Library and will be a valuable conservation back up.
Today (Saturday) the Dean of St Patrick’s will be the cathedral from 10.30 to 11.30 and from 2 to 3pm for his annual Gift Day. This year the proceeds will be devoted to the essential work of removing render on the north side of the nave and in the north transept.
Diocesan Synonds
The Cork, Cloyne & Ross Diocesan Synod will be held today (Saturday) in Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork, while in St Michaels’ Church and Centre, Killorglin, Co. Kerry, the Limerick, Killaloe & Ardfert Synod will take place. The Down & Dromore Synod will be held on Thursday in the Jethro Centre, Lurgan.
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise will have a celebration of the Eucharist in Irish in the Chapel if the Church of Ireland College of Education, Rathmines, at 8.30am.
The Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, London, the Rt Revd Graham Knowles, will be the preacher in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, at the Friends Festival Evensong which will be followed by a Garden Party in the Deanery. Meanwhile at 3pm the annual ecumenical service, with the theme, ‘A new heart’ will take place at St Columcille’s Holy Well on the Ballycullen Road, Dublin 16.
In St Brendan’s Church, Birr, at 4pm there will be a service to mark the 150th anniversary of Oxmantown National School.
The 30th anniversary of the Cathedral Choir will be celebrated in St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare with a special ‘Songs of Praise’ service at 7.30pm.
From next Monday the new address of the Dublin office of CMS Ireland will be Church of Ireland House, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
On Tuesday evening in St Mark’s Church, Dundela, Belfast, there will be a concert by the Gillette Chamber Singers from Wyoming while on Wednesday the lunchtime recital in St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick will be given by organist, Trevor Selby.
The Bishop of Tuam will be in Oughterard on Friday for the re-dedication of Kilcummin parish church which is celebrating its bicentenary.