Irish Times Notes06 Jun 20

Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’

New Archival Resource

The RCB Library has announced that the project to catalogue the Tuam, Killala & Achonry diocesan records has been completed. This makes available to researchers a considerable body of material relating to the history and development if the Church of Ireland in Cos Galway, Mayo and Sligo – but not the full story. Many of the Church’s records were destroyed in the fire in the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922 and among the casualties were records from Tuam, Killala & Achonry, What survives dates largely from the middle of the 19th century onwards, but with some important earlier survivals that provide a new and valuable body of evidence about how diocesan registries and their registrars conducted their business during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Following the appointment of a Church of Ireland archivist in 1981 and the creation of purpose built storage accommodation at the RCB Library in 1984, the diocese decided to transfer a large tranche of diocesan registry material to the Library, on the recommendation of the Very Revd W.J. Grant, Dean of Tuam and Rector of Cong. Dean Grant was encouraged and assisted by Mrs Brigid Clesham, a professional archivist based in Cong, whose interventions at local level helped to put some shape on a large and by then unwieldly accumulation of records and who made early lists and oversaw the safe transfer of several collections of the diocesan records between 1985 and 2000.

While some elementary work was undertaken on the records which allowed limited access to them in the Library, as each new cache of papers arrived the task of organizing, re–organizing and listing the records became more complicated. What was needed was focused archival attention. Now, thanks to support from central Church funds, the Library has been able to engage the services of archival consultants, Arcline, to systematically arrange the collection and build up a comprehensive picture of the record–keeping in the diocese. Two Arcline archivists, Alicia Cooney followed by Ciara Daly, carried out this work in 2019 and again in early 2020. They were supervised by the Librarian and Archivist, Dr Susan Hood, who also completed the work on the Killala and Achonry part of the collection. The work was further enhanced by a specific project to catalogue the maps and plans undertaken by Bryan Whelan, Assistant Librarian.

Thus over the course of 35 years, and involving several generations of professional archivists and librarians, the work has been completed. The detailed list is available here. When the Library reopens to the public, the collection will become available for researchers, and it is likely to be of considerable interest. In the meantime, the 66–page catalogue should provide much to consider.

Tomorrow (Sunday), Trinity Sunday, a service of Morning Prayer will be broadcast on RTE 1 television and RTE Radio 1 Extra at 11 am, led by the Rev. Abigail Sines, Dean’s Vicar in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, and the Rev. Dr Anne–Marie O’Farrell, the renowned harpist, who is a non–stipendiary priest in Sandford parish.

Although Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, is still closed for public worship, the cathedral’s Patronal Festival will be celebrated tomorrow (Sunday) when the preacher at the 11am streamed Eucharist will be Dee Huddleston, Church and Community Officer for Christian Aid, and the celebrant will be the Archbishop of Dublin. Dr Jackson will also be preaching at pre–recorded services in Arklow, Howth, Zion and St Patrick’s cathedral where he will be in virtual residence as Prebendary of Cualaun.