Irish Times Notes07 Jan 17

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

Conservation in the RCB LIbrary

At the start of 2017 the RCB Library – which serves both as the Church of Ireland’s records repository and its theological reference library – is promoting the conservation of the records in its care.  January’s ‘Archive of the Month’, (available at www.ireland.anglican.org/library/archive) compiled by the Assistant Librarian, Bryan Whelan, tells of the story of one conservation project recently completed for the Library by Declan Browne of Liturgical Book Restorers. Declan is a well–known public face as he has appeared in the television broadcast of the Angelus from his studio in Athlone.

The Library relies on central funding from the Church together with donations from dioceses, parishes and other supporters to resource its needs. Much of this funding is used to buy books and periodicals to support the needs of students in ministerial training. This leaves relatively little to devote to the highly–specialized, time–consuming and expensive process of conservation. Yet the Library is responsible for the care and custody and making available to an ever–increasing and inquisitive public a wide variety of unique collections: thousands of parish records, including registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials; diocesan and cathedral archives; the manuscripts of individuals and organizations associated with the Church of Ireland; architectural drawings. Such items, comprised of various media including parchment, paper, leather, glue, and cloth, and are vulnerable to changes in the environment, particularly light, temperature, and humidity and have often suffered from wear and tear before transfer to the Library. 

The January on–line presentation takes viewers through the process of repairing and conserving one particular volume – a vestry minute book covering the period 1710 to 1806 – showing the painstaking steps undertaken by a specialist team. Conservation of this featured item cost the Library €1,600. With public support, the Library will be able to undertake other projects and thus ensure future public access to these materials. Donations are invited via a secure online payment link: https://store.ireland.anglican.org/donations/donate?appeal=general&subappeal=RCB+Library+Conservation+Fund   

Tomorrow (Sunday) morning at the 10am Eucharist for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (the First Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany) in St Laserian’s cathedral, Old Leighlin, a specially commissioned tapestry will be dedicated in memory of Sam Rigley. The tapestry, on the theme of the Tree of Life, is the work of the well–known Wexford–based artist Terry Dunne and embodies strong baptismal themes of creation, water and growth. The large work is designed as a fall for the baptistry area and is the gift of the Rigley family in memory a of greatly–loved husband, father and friend. The tapestry is the second of two specially commissioned pieces, and follows the dedication of a new processional cross designed and crafted by Bishop Richard Henderson.

At 11.45am RTE Radio 1 Extra will broadcast a Service of Carols and Readings for the Epiphany from the Church of the Holy Saviour, Narraghmore, Co. Kildare, conducted by the Very Rev. Dr. Philip Knowles, Priest in Charge, with Karen Plewman at the organ. In the evening at 3.15pm the Cathedral Consort will lead an Epiphany Procession by Candlelight in St Patrick’s cathedral, Dublin.

In St Anne’s cathedral, Belfast, at 3.30pm three new canons will be installed. The Revd Mark Niblock is Dean’s Vicar in St Anne’s, the Revd David Hunphries is Rector of Kilbride, and the Revd Gareth Harron is Rector of Holywood.

The Dean of Belfast’s Christmas Sit–Out has raised £215,000 and contributions are still coming in. This has exceeded Dean John Mann’s target pf £200,000.