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2006

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30/12/2006	The Sunday Times (Ireland) (31 December 2006) talked to ringing master, Professor Gary McGuire about preparations for this evening's ringing out of the old and ringing in of the new year.
27/12/2006	A quarter peal will be rung in the morning after the cathedral eucharist on Sunday 31 December. The services for the weekend will be sung by chapel choir of Lincoln College, Oxford, and will include choral evensong on Saturday (17.00) and Sunday (15.30) and the cathedral eucharist on Sunday (11.00). Details of music available on the cathedral diary.
25/12/2006	A very happy Christmas to all. Archbishop Neill's sermon preached in the cathedral at the festal cathedral eucharist this morning, is now online on both diocesan and Church of Ireland websites.
23/12/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 23 December 2006) point out that, by tradition, the bishops will, on Christmas Day, preach in their diocesan cathedrals, and further go on to highlight a number of books which may be of interest as Christmas reading including Toby Barnard & W.G. Neely (ed.), The clergy of the Church of Ireland, 1000-2000 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006), John Bartlett & Stuart Kinsella (ed.), Two thousand years of Christianity and Ireland (Dublin: Columba Press, 2006), based on lunchtime lectures given in the cathedral, and two other books which contain much on the history of the Church of Ireland: Nigel Yates, The religious condition of Ireland 1770-1850 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006) and in Daithí Ó Corráin, Rendering to God and Caesar (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2006), a study of church and state in Ireland, 1949-73. Full details of the Christmas services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are available online.
18/12/2006	Lyric FM will be playing extracts from the cathedral choir CD, Live at Christ Church Vol. 4 on 'Drivetime Classics' this coming Wednesday 20 December 16.30 and 19.00. Those wishing to purchase the CD can do so via the cathedral shop online here.
16/12/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 17, Christmas Eve Sunday 24 (morning), Christmas Eve 24 & Christmas Day 25 and 31 December 2006 are now online. The Church Review notes for the month of January 2007 are now online. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 16 December 2006) highlight the annual 'sit out' of the dean of Belfast collection for charity. Cathedral canon, the Revd Tom Haskins, does the same for Dublin outside St Ann's Dawson Street, this year collecting for the African Famine Relief and the St Vincent de Paul organisation from today (Saturday) from 09.00 to 18.00 until Christmas Eve. St Ann's will also be the venue for the civic carol service tomorrow at 7.00pm, while Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals will hold Services of nine lessons and carols, for which no tickets are required, at 15.30 and 15.15 respectively. On Monday, the Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Carol Service for which tickets are required, will be held in Christ Church at 20.00. The notes also highlight a vacancy for a tenor lay vicar choral in the cathedral choir to begin in January or September 2007, as well as the position of organ scholar vacant from September 2007. Details from dom@cccdub.ie.
14/12/2006	The diocesan gallery for November 2006 is now online and includes photographs of two recent cathedral book launches: Two thousand Years of Christianity and Ireland with editors Stuart Kinsella and Canon John Bartlett pictured with Professor Alan Ford of Nottingham University who launched the book, and The medieval manuscripts of Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, with editors Dr Ray Gillespie and Dr Ray Refaussé with Dr Seán Duffy of Trinity College Dublin who performed the launch. Also pictured is Archbishop Neill preaching at the first Citizenship service to take place in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. Also pictured is a recently appointed cathedral clerical vicar, the Revd Darren McCallig, curate of Monkstown who preached at a Ministry of Healing service in Clontarf.
09/12/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (9 December 2006) report on the final lunchtime recital of the present winter series in the cathedral, to be given by Aisling Kenny (soprano) and Fraser Wilson (organ), and also highlight the fact that there will be a charity lunchtime carol concert in the cathedral on Tuesday in aid of Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross. Also noted is the Wednesday evening concert at 8pm by the cathedral choirs consisting of seasonal favourites, old and new. On Friday, 3Rock will hold their Christmas youth multimedia carol service 'Essential at Christ Church' in the cathedral at 7.30 pm. Admission is free but pre-booking is advised.
08/12/2006	The diocesan website has details of the cathedral vacancies for a tenor lay vicar choral and organ scholar, and also notes the cathedral choirs concert on Wednesday 13 December 2006 at 20.00.
07/12/2006	The music department has a vacancies for a tenor lay vicar choral to commence January or September 2007 (or date by negotiation), and also in addition the cathedral board wishes to advertise the position oforgan scholar, available to being from 1 September 2007. Music Network gives full details of the Amnesty International Carols for Freedom Christmas Concert taking place at the cathedral this Saturday, and featuring amongst others, the cathedral choir. A Ringers' Intelligencer for December 2006 is now available online.
06/12/2006	The list of clerical vicars has been updated under the list of cathedral contacts, and includes all those new clerical vicars appointed this year.
04/12/2006	Romania in Advent is the title of an evening of Byzantine music & Romanian traditional carols this Sunday 10 December 2006 at 20.00 in the cathedral. Music will be sung by the Armonia Choir led by the archdeacon, Iulian Dumitru, while the Byzantine part of the programme will be introduced by Ion Minoiu. Cathedral ringers have noticed that a recent televised advertisement (first shown last year) for Guinness has a haunting soundtrack which includes a great bell sounding. It is, without doubt, according to Leslie Taylor, Secretary to the Society of Change Ringers, the tenor bell of Christ Church, with its unmistakable timbre, and by common agreement, rich and satisfying.
03/12/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 26 November, 3 and 10 December 2006 are now online.
02/12/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (2 December 2006) today notes the lunchtime recital at the cathedral given by Judith Lambert, a soprano lay clerk in the cathedral choir, who will be accompanied on the piano by acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher. The last of these recitals will be given next Saturday 9 December by Aisling Kenny, also a soprano lay clerk in the cathedral choir, accompanied on the organ by the cathedral organ scholar, Fraser Wilson. The notes further report that this year's Advent procession will be filmed and recorded for a DVD, observing that the congregation is asked to be seated by 4.50pm. Advent processions will also be held in Derry and Limerick cathedrals, both at 7.00pm, as well as for the Church of Ireland Theological College which will be held at the Church of Ireland College of Education on Wednesday at 19.00, directed by former Christ Church organist and director of music, Mark Duley. At St Patrick's on Friday after Evensong, a table donated by the Order of St Lazarus will be dedicated in the Lady chapel.
01/12/2006	The cathedral diary for the weeks beginning Sunday 3, 10, 17 & 24 December 2006 have just been put online.

29/11/2006	Speaking last night at the launch of the St Patrick’s cathedral conservation plan, the dean, the Very Revd Robert MacCarthy, warmly welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr Dick Roche TD that his department would provide €500,000 for conservation work carried out at St Patrick's during 2006. As noted on Archiseek, the Minister noted that in 2006 his department had also funded 'a number of important heritage properties held in trust or private ownership including Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin; the Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford; Fota House; Westport House; Headfort House, Kells; and Russborough House'.
27/11/2006	A video of 16-bell ringing taken at the recent Irish Association of Change Ringers festival is currently up on YouTube, entitled Ringing 16 in CCC, Dublin, and shows a wide variety of ringers from different towers throughout Ireland, north and south. Also included on YouTube is a recently assembled video tour of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin with the soundtrack being excerpts from the cathedral choir's performance of Archie J. Potter, Clamos Cervi and Robert Prescott Stewart, If ye love me, both available on Great Cathedral Anthems: Volume 10, which is also, incidentally available for purchase from Priory Records, and soon to be available from the new online cathedral shop.
25/11/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (25 November 2006) today feature a number of items of interest. Both St Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals are launching books during the week. On Monday evening in St Patrick's deanery, the Revd Professor Enda McDonagh, will launch a new book by the bishop of Meath & Kildare, Richard Clarke, A whisper of God: essays on post-Catholic Ireland and the Christian future (Dublin: Columba Press, 2006). While on Thursday evening in the crypt of Christ Church, Dr Seán Duffy, the TCD medievalist, will launch the book: Raymond Gillespie & Raymond Refaussé, The medieval manuscripts of Christ Church cathedral, Dublin (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006). The volume is based on lectures and seminars associated with an exhibition of the cathedral manuscripts in 2004 and carries essays by Padraig O Riain (UCC) and Colm Lennon (Maynooth) on the Martyrology and the Book of Obits, Colman O Clabaigh (Glenstal Abbey) on the Liber Niger, Alan Fletcher (UCD) on the Liber Albus and the Psalter, and Raymond Gillespie (Maynooth) on the deeds. For further details see the Friends of Medieval Dublin website. Also noted is a lunchtime recital today at the cathedral given by Paul McGough (bass) and Vincent Lynch (piano), while in St Columba's cathedral, Derry, there will be a recital by the distinguished organist David Briggs at 8.00pm. Tomorrow (Sunday), the precentor, the Revd Canon Professor Adrian Empey, as principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College, will conduct a service of the word from the college for RTÉ television. In other cathedrals, at St Fin Barre's, the bishop of Cork will preach at the 30th anniversary of the Guide Dogs for the Blind, while in St Patrick's, Dublin, evensong will commemorate those who lost their lives on Irish ships, 1939-45. On Monday evening, the Revd Roy Lawrence will speak on the the ministry of healing in St Anne's, Belfast.
24/11/2006	The cathedral shop is now online, just in time for the Advent rush (and indeed the Christmas sales), and we are most grateful to Daragh Mulvey for his considerable effort in setting up this worthwhile project. The image used here to navigate visitors to the cathedral shop is a coin representing Sitriuc 'Silkbeard', the Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin, who with the less remembered Flannacán Ua Cellaig, king of Brega (the land surrounding Tara), made a pilgrimage to Rome in 1028, an act today interpreted as marking the founding of the cathedral and the appointment of the first bishop of Dublin, Dúnán, possibly a member of the ecclesiastical family of Uí Dúnáin based in Tuilén (Dulane) in Brega. The Church of Ireland Gazette (24 November 2006) today notes how a 'New book on Christianity in Ireland ‘straddles two traditions’', and gives details of the launch of Two thousand years of Christianity and Ireland, which took place in the crypt recently on All Souls day, Thursday 2 November 2006. The book is based on a series of lunchtime lectures given at the cathedral, covering the history of Christianity in Ireland from the arrival of St Patrick to the present day, was edited by Canon John Bartlett and Stuart Kinsella and published by the Columba Press. Pictured here are from left to right, Stuart Kinsella, Professor Alan Ford who launched the volume and Canon John Bartlett.
23/11/2006	Details of the Advent procession, a service of carols and readings by candlelight, which will take place at the cathedral on Sunday 3 December 2006 at 5.00pm are now online. Both cathedral choirs will sing and the service will include music by Bairstow, Hough, Britten and Finzi. This service will be also be recorded for a DVD, so congregation members are asked to be seated by 4.50pm. The Church of Ireland Gazette (17 November 2006) recently focussed on Archbishop Neill's address at the 67th annual citizenship service, which was held this year for the first time in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, in which he warned against politicians exploiting fears and seeking 'cheap political advantage' in the lead up to the next general election by provoking 'fear of the foreigner', xenophobia and racism. Also noted was the recent death of the Revd Robert Whiteside, a former Gazette columnist, honorary secretary of the Board of Directors of the Church of Ireland Press Ltd, and husband of former cathedral board member, Lesley Whiteside.
20/11/2006	A number of forthcoming events involving present and former cathedral musicians may be of interest. Orla Flanagan, former assistant director of the cathedral girls' choir, will give a concert with her choir, the Mornington Singers, in Trinity chapel this Saturday 25 November. Further afield, former organist and director of music, Mark Duley and his choir, Resurgam, will give a concert also on Saturday in Collon parish church as part of the Ardee Baroque Festival, while on Wednesday 29 November in St Patrick's cathedral at 8.00pm, Ian Lahiffe, conductor of both Trinity College Singers and Trinity College Orchestra will direct a performance of Elgar, The Musicmakers and Beethoven, Triple Concerto. A diocesan gallery has been uploaded for the recent thanksgiving service for the ministry of Archbishop Eames held in St Patrick's cathedral, Armagh, including a photograph of Archbishop Eames meeting Dean Harman, one of the honorary secretaries of the General Synod.
18/11/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (18 November 2006) notes the lunchtime recital at Christ Church today by Brian Doherty (baritone) and Tristan Russcher (piano), while on Wednesday for the Feast of St Cecilia, the patron saint of music, the St Patrick's Cathedral Chamber Choir will give a concert in St Patrick's at 8.00pm. Friends of another St Patrick's cathedral, in Armagh, will have their annual Friends evening in the library and the deanery on Friday.
17/11/2006	Full details of the Amnesty International Carols for Freedom concert on Saturday 9 December 2006 at 20.00 are now available online. The performing artists will include John Spillane and Louis De Paor of the Gaelic Hit Factory, Fil Campbell of the RTÉ Songbirds Series, the cathedral choir, directed by Judy Martin, organists: Tristan Russcher, the cathedral's acting assistant organist, and Eoin Tierney, as well as soprano, Sylvia O'Brien (a former member of the cathedral choir) and Liam Lawton. The MC for the evening will be Bethan Kilfoil. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster. Yesterday evening at a service of thanksgiving for the ministry of Archbishop Robin Eames of Armagh, at which Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury was preaching, Dean Harman, as an Honorary Secretary of the General Synod, presented Archbishop Eames with a sculpture of a dove by Liam Butler, representing the reconciliation which has been so much the focus of his life's work. The cathedral choral tradition is the focus of a BBC Radio 4 programme today entitled Choirs on a Prayer, available to listen to online, which examines the dwindling interest in young people becoming choristers in England.
15/11/2006	The Church Review notes for the month of December 2006 are now online. The Irish Times today examines architect, Sam Stephenson's legacy (Archiseek), and reports on his funeral (Archiseek). Details of the current choir personnel for 2006-7 are listed online, and a reminder that the Lux Aeterna concert will take place this evening at 20.00. Advance notice that the cathedral choirs will give an Christmas concert entitled Carols at Christ Church on Wednesday 13 December 2006 at 20.00. Directed by Judy Martin, the accompanists will be the acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher and the organ scholar, Fraser Wilson.
14/11/2006	The sermon given by Canon Nigel Biggar on Remembrance Sunday 12 November 2006 is now online.
11/11/2006	The director of music, Judy Martin, seeks 30 acolytes for this year's Advent procession which will be recorded on a DVD as part of the Live at Christ Church series. Please reply to dom@cccdub.ie by Saturday 18 November 2006. The Church of Ireland notes (11 November 2006) highlights the recital at the cathedral today (Saturday) by Susanna Fairbain (flute) and Paul Thomas (piano). Preachers at cathedrals around Ireland for tomorrow, Remembrance Sunday include the Bishop of Jerusalem at St Anne's, Belfast, and the Very Revd Dr John Dunlop, former Minister of Fitzroy Avenue Presbyterian Church, Belfast at St Patrick's cathedral. Obituary notes on the life of Sam Stephenson occur in the Irish Times and the Irish Independent, reproduced also in Archiseek (IT, IN).
10/11/2006	The Irish Times reports how the architect of the controversial Wood Quay bunkers (Dublin Corporation Offices, Phase I 1976) by the cathedral, Sam Stephenson, has died today aged 72, an article also reproduced on Archiseek describing him as the 'Enfant terrible of Irish architecture'. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 12 and 19 November 2006 are now online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (10 October 2006) today pictures recipients of the Archbishop’s Certificates in Theology and Organ Training awards at evensong at Christ Church, and also includes an interview with the Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary-General of the Anglican Consultative Council, a member of the cathedral chapter.
07/11/2006	Full details of the Lux aeterna concert by the cathedral choir, in aid of Barnados on Thursday 16 November at 8.00pm are now online.
05/11/2006	The cathedral diary for the weeks beginning Sunday 5, 12, 19 & 26 November 2006 are now online.
04/11/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (4 November 2006) highlights an unusual number of cathedral services in the coming week. The annual Huguenot commemoration service will take place at evensong at St Patrick's tomorrow (Sunday), while Archbishop Neill will be the preacher at the annual Dublin Citizenship service held for the first time in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral at 3.30pm. In St Mary's cathedral, Limerick tomorrow, there will be a United Service of the Royal British Legion and the O.N.E. at which Dean Maurice Sirr will preach, while in St Anne's cathedral, Belfast, the Revd David Wilkes, Chaplain General to UK Land Forces, will preach at the Royal Irish Regiment’s annual service of Remembrance. Thursday sees the installation of the prebendary of Tynan at St Patrick’s cathedral, Armagh, while on Friday, there will be a service of healing and thanksgiving for the Church's Ministry of Healing held in St Eunan's cathedral, Raphoe. On Friday evening the cathedral choir of Christ Church, Dublin will give a Remembrancetide concert: 'Lux Aeterna' in aid of the St Canice's organ restoration appeal, while on Saturday, the Church of Ireland Historical Society will meet at Christ Church at 10.30 when Dr Toby Barnard of Hertford College, Oxford, will speak on the book he edited with Canon W.G. Neely The clergy of the Church of Ireland, 1000-2000: messengers, watchmen and stewards (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006) which includes the essays by the precentor and principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College, Professor Adrian Empey, and the honorary keeper of the archives and Church of Ireland Historiographer, Dr Kenneth Milne. Former organist and director of music, Mark Duley is featured today in conversation with Davin O'Dwyer in the Irish Times in the article, My Place, looking at his house in Headford, Co. Galway, and also offering an opportunity to promote the forthcoming Ardee Baroque festival from 24-26 November which will feature the Irish Baroque Orchestra, formerly Christ Church Baroque.
03/11/2006	Advanced notice of a concert to be given by the cathedral choir in St Canice's cathedral, Kilkenny, entitled Lux aeterna comprising of John Rutter, Requiem and Herbert Howells, Requiem, in aid of the St Canice's Organ Restoration Appeal. Tickets €12 and €10. Also notice of two lectures to be given by John L. Allen Junior, Vatican correspondent of the National Catholic Reporter, under the auspices of the School of Religions and Theology, Trinity College, Dublin, entitled 'Benedict XVI: Pope for a New Century' on Wednesday 15 November at 7.30p.m. MacNeil Theatre, Hamilton Building and 'Opus Dei: Beyond the Myths, Behind the Curtain' on Thursday 16 November at 7.30 p.m. Burke Theatre, Arts Building. Cost: €10 (€6 unwaged) per lecture. Trinity College staff and students are free. Further details from Jane Welch. The Church of Ireland Gazette (3 November 2006) notes, in a article by Jon Scarffe, a member of the cathedral congregation, with photo by Lesley Rue, of the cathedral shop, an 'X Factor’ theme' at the annual Dublin and Glendalough diocesan schools' service held recently at the cathedral.

31/10/2006	The diocesan gallery for October and September 2006 are now online, the latter of which includes images of the former curate of the cathedral group of parishes, the Revd Tim Irvine, following his introduction as priest-in-charge of St John the Evangelist Church, Sandymount. Also pictured was the new metropolitan cross dedicated by the Archbishop Neill at the cathedral in memory of Canon Cecil Bradley, former dean's vicar of St Patrick's cathedral, and friends, Kerry Houston and Archdeacon Pierpoint. Chapter member, Archdeacon Swann was pictured with students for the Archbishop of Dublin’s Certificate Course in Church Music at the launch of the course. Dean Harman was also pictured attending a service in Whitechurch to mark 30 years of ministry in the parish by the Revd Canon Horace McKinley.
30/10/2006	Full details of a new Winter lunchtime concert series on Saturdays are now available online. The first recital will be given on 4 November by cathedral choir member, Paul Thomas, baritone and acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher, piano.
29/10/2006	Former chorister, Randall Elliott, has provided a number of names of choristers shown in the collection of photographs of the cathedral choir over the past century. Please email archives@cccdub.ie if you have further details of names of past choristers shown in the photographs. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 29 October and 5 November 2006 are now online.
28/10/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (28 October 2006) note the forthcoming launch by Professor Alan Ford from the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Nottingham University of the new book Two thousand Years of Christianity and Ireland, edited by John Bartlett and Stuart Kinsella (Columba Press, 2006), which will take place in the crypt of the cathedral on Thursday evening following evensong. Based on a series of lunchtime lectures given in 2001 and 2002 as part of the cathedral's continuing outreach programme, the subject matter spans the birth of Christianity to the Irish Church in the 20th and 21st centuries, and along the way examines topics such as the Christianisation of the Dublin Vikings, the mendicant orders in Ireland, and the ascendancy and the penal laws. Contributors include theologians Sean Freyne and Andrew Pierce, historians Marie Therese Flanagan, Colm Lennon and James Kelly, and DCU President, Ferdinand von Prondzynski. Other notes include today's festival of the Irish Association of Changeringers at the cathedral, and the highlighting of the Dublin & Glendalough Church Music website.
27/10/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (27 October 2006) today notes Jon Scarffe's article on the Positive Ageing Week 2006 ecumenical service held at Christ Church presided over by Archbishop Neill who appeald for a 'more positive attitude' towards ageing. Also noted is the move by Mark Bowyer, currently administrator of St Canice's cathedral, Kilkenny (and administrator at Christ Church, 2000-4) to Tewkesbury abbey in Gloucestershire as director of operations, effective from 2 January 2007.
26/10/2006	A former cathedral choir member of almost a decade ago, Jonathan Manners now aged 27, and his 65-year-old father Chris recorded a CD of Christmas carols in All Saints Church, Weston. The CD was planned during the final stages of Jonathan's treatment for testicular cancer from which he is now successfully in remission, and is entitled What Sweeter Music. Recently endorsed by legendary comedian, John Cleese, it will be released in November 2006, priced £10 Sterling, and is available online at www.whatsweetermusic.com. The line-up for the CD includes carols by the organist at St Paul's cathedral, Malcolm Archer, former associate organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Andrew Johnstone, and Howard Goodall, well known for his BBC theme tunes to The Vicar of Dibley, 2.4 Children and Blackadder.
23/10/2006	An expert on Thomas Ivory (cathedral architect 1771-86), David O'Connor, is expected to be appointed as the new Fingal county manager, the first architect in the history of the state to be appointed to such a position. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 15 and 22 October 2006 have been retrospectively included online.
21/10/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (21 October 2006) notes the fifth Dublin Symposium on Jonathan Swift and the annual Swift Commemoration which will take place in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, this weekend. The symposium, which takes place in St Patrick's deanery will include a talk by Toby Barnard of Hertford College, Oxford, on John Lyon, a canon of St Patrick’s and protégé of Swift, who was one of the leading antiquarians of eighteenth century Ireland, and was responsible for preserving much of the Christ Church archives. Also noted is the fact that services at the weekend at Christ Church will be sung by the Lassus Scholars and Piccolo Lassus, and that Guy Bovet, professor at the Musikhochscule in Basel, will give the Hewson Memorial Organ Recital at St Patrick's on Wednesday at 8.00pm. Also, a review of Barra Boydell, A history of music at Christ Church cathedral, Dublin by Gerald Gifford is now available online with other reviews of the cathedral's history project.
20/10/2006	The sermon preached by the archdeacon of Glendalough, the Venerable Edgar Swann last Sunday 15 October 2006 is now online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (20 October 2006) today notes the visit of the choir of St Fin Barre's cathedral, Cork to the two St Patrick's cathedrals (Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic) of Armagh; the presentation of certificates to graduating diocesan organ scholars at St Anne's cathedral, Belfast; the commissioning of parish readers in St Columb's cathedral, Derry and the global fundraising of £50 million Sterling for the preservation of Canterbury cathedral.
19/10/2006	Details of the Irish Association of Change Ringers festival which takes place at the cathedral on Saturday afternoon culminating with a dinner in the crypt, are now available in a Ringers' Intelligencer for October 2006. Fuller details of the festival can be found on the Irish Association website, which notes that ringing commences at St Audoen's church at 10.30-11.30, continues at Christ Church from 11.45-12.45, and resumes after lunch at St Patrick's cathedral from 14.30-16.00. A further new CD by the cathedral choir will be available from 30 October, volume 4 in the Live at Christ Church series. It is entitled Christmas Live at Christ Church: a collection of carols for Advent and Christmas, and features the combined choirs of the cathedral, directed by Judy Martin with Tristan Russcher on the organ.
17/10/2006	In a change to the cathedral diary for this week, evensong will be sung today by the chamber choir of King's College School, Wimbledon. Also for those interested in the art of campanology a film on 'Ringing the Bells at Christ Church' was included just a few months ago on YouTube. Other videos include a film of St Patrick's misattributed as Christ Church, and a five second snippet of the cathedral's Christmas moving crib. The address to the diocesan synods of Dublin and Glendalough by the archbishop of Dublin today, available on Church of Ireland and diocesan websites, notes the appointment of John Ardis as curate to the cathedral group of parishes. Full details of the Hibernian Orchestra concert with tenor, Karl Scully on Saturday 21 October 2006 at 8.00pm are now online. Karl is a former member of the cathedral choir and now a member of the Irish Tenors. Entitled 'A Celebration of Mozart', the Hibernian Orchestra will be conducted by John Finucane, and include Mozart, Overture to Cosi fan Tutte and Overture to Don Giovanni. Tickets are €15 & €12 available at the door.
16/10/2006	Portions of the article recently published in the Irish Times concerning a planned 'cathedral quarter' has also been reproduced on Archeire.
14/10/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (14 October 2006) notes the new Autumn issue of Search: a Church of Ireland journal, which is edited by former cathedral canon, the Revd Dr Virginia Kennerley. It also notes a concert in the University Church, St Stephen’s Green, by early music vocal group, Res Nova, conducted by David Leigh, assistant organist of St Patrick’s. The Church Review notes for the month of November 2006 are now online.
12/10/2006	Pipeworks (formerly the Dublin International Organ and Choral Festival) present the internationally renowned recitalist, Guy Bovet of Basel, Switzerland, who will give the George Hewson Memorial Recital at St Patrick's cathedral on Wednesday 25 October 2006 at 20.00.
11/10/2006	An article in the Irish Times today by Frank McDonald, Environment Editor, notes that Dublin City 'Council plans to create 'cathedral quarter' in heart of medieval Dublin', specifically centred on Christ Church and St Patrick's and surviving remnants of the old city walls. The plan was drawn up by McCullough Mulvin Architects and includes images of the proposals, which are at an stage of development. The plan envisages new routes in the area following the line of the city walls where possible, as well as new public spaces and a city museum on St John's Lane partially obscuring the north front of the cathedral. Niall McCullough stated that the cathedral 'should be seen over roofs', adding that roofs along John's Lane 'were there until 40 or 50 years ago', and Dublin Deputy City Planning Officer, Dick Gleeson stated that Dublin badly needed a city museum that would "fill out" the site of the Civic Offices. Gleeson also conceded that the historic core of Dublin had become 'extremely fragmented' by major road-widening schemes that had turned High Street / Cornmarket and much of Nicholas Street / Patrick Street into dual-carriageways, and McCullough added that the whole area needed the urban design equivalent of 'mouth-to-mouth resuscitation'. Other elements in the plan include a new treatment of the sunken Peace Garden opposite the cathedral installed in 1991. Initial implementation of the plan, which has the support of city archaeologist Ruth Johnson and heritage officer Donncha Ó Dulaing, will focus on the creation of a new public space in front of the longest intact section of the city wall in Great Ship Street.
07/10/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (7 October 2006) today highlight a forthcoming symposium on immigration to be held on 14 October in St Patrick’s deanery in Upper Kevin Street, at which an address will be given by Peter O’Mahony of the Irish Refugee Council. Tomorrow (Sunday) evening, the Dean Harman will preach at 7.00pm at the Harvest Thanksgiving Service in the Chapel of the Mageough Home. The cathedral diary for the weeks beginning Sunday 8, 15, 22 & 29 October 2006 has just been put online.
06/10/2006	Congratulations to Mark Bowyer, former cathedral administrator (2000-4), and currently administrator of St Canice's cathedral in Kilkenny, who will become head of operations at Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire from January 2007. The Church of Ireland Gazette (6 October 2006) notes a successful enrolment of eleven students for the Dublin and Glendalough Archbishop’s Certificate in Church Music for 2006-7, one of the largest numbers in recent years. The course is a three-year modular course organised by the Diocesan Church Music Committee, covering the skills required for an organist and choir trainer. On matters musical, it also reports on a recent choral workshop organised by the Ulster Society of Organists and Choirmasters at Hillsborough parish church, Co. Down, conducted by Sir David Willcocks, former organist at King's College, Cambridge. Also in the North, the Dublin based, Anúna, visits Belfast this year to sing in aid of the St Anne's Cathedral Choral Scholarship Fund. Also, in the Gazette was pictured the former curate of the cathedral group of parishes, the Revd Tim Irvine at his recent introduction as chaplain to St John the Evangelist church, Sandymount.
05/10/2006	A Dublin director, Ciaran Donnelly, is set to film the final two episodes of The Tudors, which has a budget of €29m. Locations used for the filming of the series included Ardmore Studios, Christ Church Cathedral and Drimnagh Castle in Dublin, and the Kilruddery Estate in Wicklow.
02/10/2006	Congratulations to St Columb's cathedral in the diocese of Derry on their new Wells-Kennedy organ (organ builders on the recent Christ Church organ renovations), which will be inaugurated on Sunday 8 October with a recital by virtuoso concert organist, Carlo Curley. Details of the the recital which is the climax of the city's 'Wall2Wall Festival'. See also St Columb's cathedral's new choir website.

30/09/2006	The cathedral diary for the week beginning Sunday 1 October 2006 has just been put online. The Church of Ireland notes (30 September 2006) again notes the St Nicholas's, Galway festival and also notes the annual new Law term service which will be held in St Michan’s Church, Dublin, on Monday morning when the archbishop of Dublin and the dean of Christ Church will officiate. On Friday, the Revd Obinna Ulogwara, curate of Whitechurch, will preach at the diocesan service for primary and junior schools.
29/09/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (29 September 2006) today notes the 40th anniversary of the appointment of Rita Harris as dean’s verger in St Mary’s cathedral, Limerick. She succeeded her uncle, Fred Bond following his death in June 1966, and in doing so became the first female verger in Great Britain or Ireland.
28/09/2006	The Belfast Telegraph (28 September 2006) reports on the new 'Steel spire ready to rise' at St Anne's cathedral in Belfast, a 40-metre stainless steel, Swiss-made spire scheduled to for completion at the end of January. The dean of Belfast, the Very Revd Dr Houston McKelvey said that 'Not only will the new Spire of Hope complete the cathedral, but it will also add a most distinctive piece of iconic public art to the Belfast skyline'.
26/09/2006	The series of live CDs from Christ Church Cathedral continues with the release of Volume 3, now available in the cathedral shop and online. Live at Christ Church Volume 3: Fiesta! Various Virtuosic and Vivacious Voluntaries is a spectacular display of the cathedral organ, with voluntaries recorded live at services and concerts by the Acting Assistant Organist, Tristan Russcher, on recording equipment provided by the Friends of Christ Church Cathedral. The title of the disc reflects the inclusion of two movements of the jazz suite “Fiesta!” by Iain Farrington (the Finale of this suite was included on Live at Christ Church Volume 1). Other items on the disc include Langlais' Fête, the Finale from Louis Vierne's sixth symphony, 3 large-scale Bach works including the Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 532 and the first recording of Francis Pott's Empyrean.
23/09/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 24 September, 1 & 8 October 2006 are now online. The Church of Ireland notes (23 September 2006) feature a number of items of interest. Primarily focussing on a festival weekend at St Nicholas' church, Galway reminiscent of the Ceiliúradh festivals held at Christ Church in recent years, this will include lectures by the cathedral precentor, Professor Adrian Empey, and Dr Margaret Daly-Denton, as well as services sung by an Irish language group led by Maire Ni Duibhir, the chamber choir Resurgam, and the massed voices of St Nicholas' choir, Galway Cathedral choir, Galway Baroque Singers, Cois Claddaigh, and Sunus for a final service of evensong. Organ scholars also feature, and a there will be a recital today (Saturday) in St Macartan's cathedral, Clogher, by Ian Keatley, the Westminster Abbey organ scholar, while on Sunday, Dean Harman will preach in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, at a special evensong for the diocesan organ scholars. St Fin Barre's cathedral will have the former dean of St Paul's cathedral, London, Dr John Moses, preaching at its annual Friends' service while a new history of the cathedral David Lawrence & Ann Wilson, The cathedral of St Fin Barre at Cork: William Burges and Ireland (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006), will be published during the week. Finally, on Friday, the Right Revd Michael Burrows will be enthroned as bishop of Ossory in St Canice's cathedral.
22/09/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (22 September 2006) today notes the dedication of the new metropolitan cross at evensong in Christ Church last Thursday 14 September 2006 in memory of Canon Cecil Bradley. Pictured in the Gazette is the Revd Anne Taylor holding the cross with Archbishop John Neill, Dr Kerry Houston and the Venerable David Pierpoint. Also highlighted was the loss of €50,000 in revenue from visitors, from legal fees and minor repairs caused by the occupation of St Patrick's cathedral by the Afghan hunger strikers last May, which was confirmed by Scott Hayes, administrator of St Patrick's.
21/09/2006	Details of Come & Sing Fauré Requiem, run by the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) in Ireland, which will take place at the cathedral on Saturday 14 October 2006 from 1.30pm to 6.00pm are now available. The event will be conducted by Philip Stoppard, director of music at St Anne's cathedral, Belfast, and played by the new cathedral organ scholar, Fraser Wilson.
20/09/2006	Full details of the forthcoming recital Songs and Cycles on Life and Love on Wednesday 27 September at 7.00pm to be given by Maria de Moel, mezzo-soprano and Tristan Russcher, piano, are now online. Christ Church Matters for October 2006 are also now online.
19/09/2006	The preacher at the Mothers' Union service on Wednesday evening will be the Revd Aisling Shine, and not the Right Revd Richard Henderson, bishop of Tuam as previously noted.
16/09/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (16 September 2006) give notice of this afternoon's lecture by the former bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Richard Holloway at Taney Parish Centre, and also notes the introduction on Tuesday evening at 8.00pm, by the archbishop of Dublin, of the Revd Tim Irvine as chaplain of St John's church, Sandymount, a post he will combine with that of the chaplaincy of Rathdown School. Since his ordination in 2003, Mr Irvine has been curate in the Christ Church Cathedral group of parishes. Also noted is the Mothers' Union service at the cathedral on Wednesday evening, at which the All-Ireland Chaplain of the Mothers' Union, the Rt Revd Richard Henderson, bishop of Tuam, will preach.
15/09/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (15 September 2006) today notes Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, clarifying communications between the archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams and the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA), the Most Revd Frank Griswold over current difficulties in the ECUSA.
14/09/2006	The Church Review notes for the month of October 2006 are now online.
13/09/2006	The life and work of Kilkenny architect, James Hoban, famous for designing America's most famous building, the White House, is to be celebrated by a transatlantic programme of events, as noted today in the Irish Times (13 September 2006), reproduced also on Irish Architecture. Of particular interest, is that Hoban was a student of Thomas Ivory, master of the Dublin Society's School of Drawing in Architecture (c.1760-86), who was also from 1771 until his death in 1786, the cathedral architect.
12/09/2006	A public lecture hosted by the newly established Open Christianity Network, will be given by the Right Revd Richard Holloway, former bishop of Edinburgh next Saturday 16 September at 2.00pm in Taney parish centre, Dundrum entitled 'Shaking the Kaleidoscope: 21st Century Religion'. All are most welcome to attend, and although there is no entrance fee, a collection will be taken for the speaker's travel expenses.
11/09/2006	Details of dates available for visiting choirs interested in singing at Christ Church in 2007 have just been included online. If you are a member of a choir that can sing on any of the available dates marked in green, we would love to hear from you. Please contact the acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher, at visiting.choirs@cccdub.ie. On the topic of visiting choirs, members of the congregation and visitors alike may be interested to know that the choir of St Chad's college, Durham will since the services on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October 2006.
10/09/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 30 July, 6, 13, 20 & 27 August and 3 September 2006 have been retrospectively included online.
09/09/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (9 September 2006) highlights the new metropolitan cross to be dedicated this Thursday (Holy Cross day) at evensong in the cathedral, as a bequest of the late Canon Cecil Bradley, a dean's vicar of St Patrick’s Cathedral from 1967-1996, on the eve of the third anniversary his death. The new silver cross by a German silversmith resident in Kilkenny, Rudolf Heltzell, replaces an older brass cross. The notes also report on other cathedral activities at St Patrick's, Dublin, St Mary's, Limerick and Christ Church, Waterford.
08/09/2006	The dean's vicar, the Revd Mark Gardner, regularly fosters contacts between the Church of Ireland and the Dublin Moravian Fellowship, a connection strengthened by the Fetter Lane Declaration in 1995 between the Moravian Church in Great Britain and Ireland and the Church of England. The Dublin Moravian Fellowship will hold their Autumn Service on Sunday 24 September 2006, at 3.00pm in the Lutheran Church, Adelaide Road, where the preacher will be the Revd Dr Livingstone Thompson, who will also preside at the Holy Communion. The Church of Ireland Gazette (8 September 2006) today notes the appointment of the Revd Tim Irvine, currently curate-assistant of the Christ Church Cathedral group of parishes to be the new priest-in-charge of the trustee church of St John the Evangelist, Sandymount. Other cathedral news includes a report on a recent choir tour by St Columb's cathedral, Derry under its new organist and choirmaster, Ian Mills, to Bristol cathedral, and also the news of the retirement of the Very Revd John Dinnen, dean of Down cathedral.
07/09/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 10 and 17 September 2006 are now online. The diocesan website contains details of forthcoming Irish services at Christ Church for the remainder of the year. Also recently uploaded is the diocesan gallery for August 2006 which includes images from the European Premiere of the 'Birth of Christ' by Andrew T. Miller which took place in Christ Church. Attending it at a reception beforehand in the crypt were pictured (left to right): the Hon. Katrina Asay, mayor of Milton, USA, Dean Harman, the lord mayor of Dublin, Cllr Vincent Jackson and his wife, Veronica. Another photograph following the Patronal Eucharist at St Bartholomew's church included the Revd John Ardis, curate of the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes as well as representatives of the Romanian Orthodox and Methodist churches. Details of vacancies in the cathedral choir for tenors and low basses to commence in September 2006 are now available online.
06/09/2006	Advance notice of two concerts, the first is a lunchtime recital given by acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher, in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral on Wednesday 13 September with works by Langlais, J.S. Bach, Dupré and Farrington, while the second, entitled Songs and Cycles on Life and Love will be a recital given at Christ Church by Maria de Moel (mezzo soprano) and Tristan Russcher (piano), on Wednesday 27 September at 19.30.
04/09/2006	An unusual lunchtime concert will take place today at 1.15pm consisting of an orchestra of accordians from Landesmusikrat, Baden-Württemberg.
02/09/2006	The cathedral choir resumes duty tomorrow, Sunday 3 September, following its summer recess, singing de Monte, Missa Benedicta, as is also noted in today's Church of Ireland notes (2 September 2006). Also referred to are Heritage week activities at nearby St Patrick's cathedral including a visit to the mid-late fourteenth-century Minot tower. Also, the cathedral diary for weeks beginning Sundays 3, 10, 17 and 24 September 2006 has just been updated online. On nearby Essex Street West, Minister John O'Donoghue for Arts, Sports and Tourism recently announced that the old Smock Alley Theatre, in the Old City area of Temple Bar, is to be given a €2 million restoration & refurbishment, described it as 'one of the oldest theatres in the world.' Dermot McLaoughlin, CEO of Temple Bar Cultural Trust, stated that this would bring 'back to life a theatre that is of huge European importance'.
01/09/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (1 September 2006) notes the appointment of Aonghus Dwane, member of the cathedral's culture committee, as the new administrative officer for the Mothers' Union (MU) Ireland, which he takes up immediately and will be based at St Michan’s church. Aonghus was last year the director of the arts centre, Áras Éanna, on Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands, where amongst other projects he ran a successful summer school on the Celtic revival, jointly with the cathedral and Áras Éanna.

26/08/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (26 August 2006) today focus on Heritage Week which begins today, and often examines the medieval cathedrals, and this week candidates included will be St Patrick's cathedral in Dublin, St Canice's, Kilkenny and St Lasarian's cathedral, Old Leighlin.
25/08/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (25 August 2006) today notes in a Focus on Cashel and Ossory by Herbie Sharman, the Diocesan Communications Officer for those dioceses, the enthronement of Bishop Michael Burrows in his diocesan cathedrals, noticing specifically that he was ordained bishop of the united dioceses of Cashel and Ossory, Leighlin, Lismore, Waterford and Ferns 'at precisely 3.40pm on Monday 3rd July 2006, St Thomas’ Day, in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin' by Archbishop Neill. The curate of the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes, the Revd Tim Irvine, has been appointed as priest-in-charge of the Trustee Church of St John's, Sandymount, and as new chaplain to Rathdown school in Dun Laoghaire. At St John's, he succeeds the Revd John McKay, who retired recently, while at Rathdown, he replaces the Revd Gillian Wharton who was recently appointed rector of Booterstown. He was ordained in Christ Church as deacon in 2003 and as priest in 2004.
24/08/2006	Showbiz Ireland reports on the filming of The Tudors, a series made for US television about King Henry VIII, with the headline 'The Tudors Set is Smoking', photographing a number of the actors from the set in the cathedral grounds. The most prominent star is Jonathan Rhys Meyers who, although brought up in Cork is Dublin born. Also, a reminder that Tristan Russcher, the acting assistant organist will give a lunchtime recital on the newly-restored organ at the National Concert Hall this Friday (tomorrow) at 1.05pm as part of the NCH's Summer Sounds at Lunchtime series. Works include Langlais, Fete; Bach, D Major Prelude and Fugue; Fauré, Apres un Reve; Rawsthorne, Hornpipe Humouresque and the Irish premiere of Fiesta!, a jazz suite by Iain Farrington. Tickets are 10 Euro and 8 Euro (concessions).
19/08/2006	Saturday 19 August is a particularly busy day at the cathedral including not only a lunchtime concert by Fernanda & Jean-Pierre Menuge and an evening performance of Andrew Miller, The Birth of Christ, but also choral evensong. This will take place at the normal time of 17.00 and will be sung by the choir of St Peter's Nottingham. The Church of Ireland notes (19 August 2006) today note the appointment of the new organ scholar, Fraser Wilson and emphasis the prominent role of the cathedrals and parish churches in the provision of choral singing and organ tuition within the Church of Ireland. Also noted is that services at the cathedral will tomorrow (Sunday) be sung by the choir of St Peter's Nottingham, while the filming of The Tudors, a dramatic series for television about the reign and marriages of Henry VIII, will necessitate the cathedral's closure on Monday and Tuesday. The series is written by award winning screenwriter, Michael Hirst, and has been in production in Ardmore studios since May. It will star Jonathan Rhys Meyers as a young Henry VIII, Sam Neill as Cardinal Wolsley, Jeremy Northam as Sir Thomas More, and Barry McGovern as Bishop Bonnivet. Further news is that the acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher will give lunchtime recitals on Friday 25 at the National Concert Hall, and on Wednesday 13 September in St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral.
18/08/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette today (Friday 18 August 2006) notes a number of cathedral news items of interest: St Canice's cathedral, in conjunction with the restoration of the 1853 Bevington Organ, is holding a photography competition, while at St Fin Barre's cathedral in Cork, James Taylor, a graduate of music at Huddersfield University and postgraduate of McGill University, Montreal, has been appointed as the new assistant director of music.
17/08/2006	Details of vacancies in the cathedral choir to commence in September 2006 are now available online. These are for soprano, tenor and bass lay clerkships and choral scholarships.
15/08/2006	Ringing master, Gary McGuire, has supplied details of the quarter peal of 1259 Grandsire Caters rung on Sunday 13 August last.
14/08/2006	The sermon preached by former precentor, the Revd Canon Professor John Bartlett last Sunday 13 August is now online.
12/08/2006	The Church Review notes for the month of September 2006 are now online. The Church of Ireland notes (12 August 2006) notes that Bedford School Chapel Choir will sing evensong at the cathedral today, while tomorrow they will sing at St Patrick's cathedral.
11/08/2006	The sermon preached by the dean's vicar, the Revd Mark Gardner last Sunday 6 August is now online. The Church of Ireland Gazette today (Friday 11 August 2006) notes the 13th Charles Wood Summer School which will be held in St Patrick's Church of Ireland cathedral, Armagh, at which the organist of Worcester cathedral, Adrian Lucas, will act as tutor and recitalist. While nearby, in a letter in this month's Belfast Cathedral Digest, the dean of Belfast, the Very Revd Houston McKelvey, has 'expressed a sharply critical view of Democratic Unionist Party leader, the Revd Ian Paisley’s political stance, in the wake of a speech delivered by Dr Paisley on 12th July'.
10/08/2006	Full details of a lunchtime concert to be given on Saturday 19 August 2006 by Fernanda and Jean-Pierre Menuge, visiting with a group of pilgrims from Eu (the burial place of St Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin) are now available online.
06/08/2006	The sermon preached by former precentor, the Revd Canon Professor John Bartlett last Sunday 30 July is now online. It expresses similar sentiments to those preached by the Revd Patrick Comerford today in Whitechurch, who describes the Israeli attack on Lebanon as 'offensive'.
04/08/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (4 August 2006) today notes the recent Celtic Revival Summer School, opened by Senator Martin Mansergh, who stated that 'culture should be a meeting point and a facilitator of contact and co-operation, an exchange and not an obstacle; on the contrary, an assistance to any kind of relationship that the two parts of Ireland may wish to have in the present or develop in the future.' Also pictured in the Gazette were (left to right) Aonghus Dwane, director of the Summer School; Senator Martin Mansergh; and Dean Desmond Harman. The Southern Star report that disagreement over Cobh Cathedral plans continues, and that a decision by An Bord Pleanála to oppose Bishop John Magee may have national repercussions, as Article 44:2:5 of the Constitution recognises the rights of churches to administer their properties.
02/08/2006	The cathedral diary for the weeks beginning Sunday 30 July, & 6, 13, 20 & 27 August 2006 are now online.
01/08/2006	In the Irish Times (1 August 2006) today, the Friends of St Colman's Cathedral (FOSCC) rejected the views expressed by the bishop of Cloyne, Dr John Magee that the sanctuary of Cobh cathedral was not in conformity with present liturgical norms.

31/07/2006	Our thoughts are with Archdeacon David Pierpoint and his family today following the death of his father, Wesley Pierpoint, after a long illness.
29/07/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (29 July 2006) today recommend (and the author of the notes, Dr Raymond Refaussé, as librarian and archivist of the Church of Ireland and a member of the cathedral Culture committee is well placed to comment), a number of publications of interest: Toby Barnard & Canon W.G. Neely (ed.), The clergy of the Church of Ireland, 1000-2000: messengers, watchmen and stewards (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006) which accompanies Raymond Gillespie & W.G. Neeley, The laity of the Church of Ireland, 1000-2000: All sorts and conditions (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2002). Also of interest are Elizabeth Fitzpatrick & Raymond Gillespie (ed.), The parish in medieval and early modern Ireland (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006) and Michael O'Neill, St Patrick's cathedral Dublin (Dublin 2006).
28/07/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (28 July 2006) today includes interesting details of a partnership scheme between the nearby St Patrick's cathedral choir school and Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) to provide vocal and instrumental lecturers to the school. The initiative is 'the brainchild of Peter Barley, organist and master of the choristers, and Dr Kerry Houston, a former administrator of St Patrick's cathedral and currently director of academic studies at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama.'
26/07/2006	John Quinn recently reviewed the cathedral choir's CD, Meditations and Remembrances, for Music Web International's Classical CD Review (July 2006, part 4), in which he stated that 'The performances are splendid. The choir has been excellently trained by Judy Martin and they sing with precision, tonal beauty and complete conviction. The sound quality is first rate, as is the documentation.' Furthermore, he recommends the recording as CD of the month saying that 'This is likely to be one of my Recordings of 2006 and I recommend it with the greatest possible enthusiasm.'
24/07/2006	Many thanks to former cathedral chorister, Keith Armstrong, who sent a photograph of the choir school soccer team in the cathedral grounds. Only two figures are identified as yet, Keith Armstrong's brother in the centre with the ball, and Alan Foster. Also of interest is the blazer crest from the choir school (c.1950) which replaced an earlier enamel badge. Anyone who might know the identify of either the clergyman standing or the footballing choristers, or indeed the date of the photograph, please email details to archives@cccdub.ie.
22/07/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 22 July 2006) today note lunchtime recitals at the cathedral which will be given on Monday by the Ariosa Singers from All Saints Church, Oystermouth, Swansea and on Wednesday by the choir of St Andrew’s, Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
21/07/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (21 July 2006) includes photographs of the two deacons, John Marchant and John Ardis, and four priests, Darren McCallig, Patricia Taylor, Elaine Dunne and Stephen McElhinney ordained at the cathedral by the archbishop recently. Following his consecration at the cathedral earlier this month, the Carlow People report on the great welcome given to the new bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Right Revd Michael Burrows.
19/07/2006	A useful resource for those interested in Dublin churches is the aptly named DublinChurches.com whose aim is 'To make it as easy as possible to locate a church, or any other Christian organisation, within Dublin.' Full details of Christ Church are also listed there online.
18/07/2006	The Church Review notes for the month of August 2006 are now online.
15/07/2006	For those interested in the art of bell ringing or campanology, the following book by Richard Duckworth and Fabian Stedman, Tintinnalogia, or, the Art of Ringing first published in 1671 'Wherein is laid down plain and easie Rules for Ringing all sorts of Plain Changes', and now published by Project Gutenberg, may also be of interest.
10/07/2006	The cathedral diary for the weeks beginning Sunday 9, 16 and 23 July 2006 are now online. Christ Church Matters for July 2006 are now online including details of the new organ scholar for 2006-7, Fraser Wilson, from Sheffield who, as well as playing the organ, is also a counter-tenor and composer. 'We will be sorry to lose him' notes the website of St John the Evangelist, Ranmoor in Sheffield, where he is currently sub-organist. Four Courts Press and the Friends of Medieval Dublin have invited Con Manning, past president of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland to launch Medieval Dublin VII: Proceedings of the Friends of Medieval Dublin Symposium 2005, ed. Seán Duffy in the Royal Irish Academy this Wednesday, 12 July at 6.00pm. The volume contains two papers on the roofs of the two medieval Dublin cathedrals: Máire Geaney surveys the Christ Church nave and south transept, while Charles Lyons presents new evidence that the St Patrick's roof-timbers are medieval in age. The Anglican Communion News Service (7/07/2006) also notes the recent consecration of the new bishop of Cashel and Ossory. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 11, 18 and 25 June and 2 July 2006 have been retrospectively included online.
07/07/2006	Today's Church of Ireland Gazette (7 July 2006) devotes both the front page and an editorial to the recent consecration of Bishop Michael Burrows at Christ Church.
06/07/2006	Gramophone Magazine (August 2006) has reviewed the cathedral choir's CD, Meditations and Remembrances describing the CD's programme as 'perfectly balanced', the performances as 'authoritative, passionate and convincing' and the choir as 'more than a match for their English counterparts. The organ accompaniments were noted as 'unobtrusive', and it furthermore refers to Judy Martin's 'expert direction' in which 'everything flows seamlessly. A beautiful disc in every sense'.
05/07/2006	The Kilkenny Advertiser notes the consecration of the new bishop of Cashel and Ossory. Also, suggested intercessions for Sunday 9, 16 and 23 July 2006 are now online.
04/07/2006	The diocesan website gives the sermon preached by Archdeacon Robin Bantry White at the consecration of Michael Burrows as bishop of Cashel and Ossory yesterday, and a gallery of photographs of the consecration are also available. Furthermore, the June gallery is now online, which includes a number of photographs of interest including the recent launch of the Celtic Revival Summer School at the cathedral, at which were present the biographer of Harry Clarke, Nicola Gordon Bowe; renowned singer, Deirdre Ní Chinnéide, Dean Desmond Harman, Aonghus Dwane, director of Áras Éanna, arts centre on Inis Oírr, and summer school director, and Dr Kenneth Milne, Church of Ireland historiographer and summer school consultant. The summer school begins at Christ Church this Friday evening with a keynote speech by Senator Martin Mansergh. Also featured were the two candidates ordained to the diaconate, John Marchant and John Ardis, along with John's father, the Revd Ted Ardis, rector of Donnybrook and Irishtown. The four candidates ordained to the priesthood, Darren McCallig, Patricia Taylor, Elaine Dunne and Stephen McElhinney were also pictured, with the archbishop outside the cathedral. The recent Christ Church Festival produced a number of fine concerts one of which, given by the cathedral choir, entitled 'I got rhythm', featured a perfomance for two pianos of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, played by Tristan Russcher and Judith Gannon to a standing ovation. Finally, the archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Robin Eames, the bishop of Meath and Kildare, the Most Revd Richard Clarke and Father Bernard Treacy, OP, are pictured at the launch in the cathedral crypt of the Authority of Scripture, the first report of the Bishop’s Advisory Commission on Doctrine. Christine Newman reports 'Bishop of Cashel and Ossory consecrated' today in the Irish Times (4 July 2006) quoting Archdeacon Robin White as saying the Bishop Burrows 'was already up to speed' on the state of the Anglican Communion 'having represented the Church of Ireland on the Anglican Consultative Council'.
03/07/2006	Full track listings of the most recent cathedral choir recording, Live at Christ Church 2: Anthems from America CD & DVD are now available. Details are online of the life of a little known musician and priest, George William Torrance (1835-1907), who was a chorister in the cathedral choir and went on to study music in Leipzig. He later emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where he founded the choir of St Paul's cathedral. In later life he returned to Ireland as bishop's vicar choral in St Canice's cathedral.
02/07/2006	The diocesan website gives details of evensong on Saturday 10 July which, as part of the Celtic Revival Summer School, will include a set of preces and responses in Irish composed by former cathedral choir member, Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill. This will be the first performance of Freagraí le h-aghaidh Urnaí na Nóna (2002), and they will be complemented by the Cainticí Mhuire agus Shimeoin (2000) by the same composer. The anthem will be sung by sean-nós singer, Deirdre Ní Chinneide. Selected portions of Friends of Christ Church News, xxv [recte xxiv], 2 (Summer 2006) are now online, as is a PDF version. This is accompanied by a table of contents and a PDF file of a previous edition, xxiii, 3 (Autumn 2005). Details are also available of a American choral project entitled 'The Birth of Christ' which will be filmed at the cathedral in August. Experienced singers are invited to audition between 8-15 July in Dublin.
01/07/2006	The cathedral diary for the week beginning Sunday 2 July 2006 has just been updated online. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 1 July 2006) focus on the consecration of Michael Burrows as bishop of Cashel and Ossory in the cathedral on Monday, St Thomas' day, and note that his father Canon Walter Burrows, was a canon of Christ Church, while his uncle, Canon Jerram Burrows was, in retirement, a valued clerical vicar at the cathedral.

30/06/2006	Today's Church of Ireland Gazette (30 June 2006) devotes both an article and an editorial to the launch in the cathedral crypt of the report of the Bishops’ Advisory Commission on Doctrine, The Authority of Scripture, last Tuesday 20 June. Dublin Tourism has a number of iWalks available including two on Viking and Medieval Dublin (mp3) and Castles and Cathedrals (mp3). These iWalks are podcast audio guides to Dublin narrated by their author, historian and artist, Pat Liddy.
29/06/2006	Irish Baroque Orchestra, formerly Christ Church Baroque, are 'working on a world-class CD' according to Eileen Battersby in today's Irish Times (29/06/2006) in an article entitled 'Performing that old Bach magic'. Mark Duley, former organist and director of music stated that the orchestra arose from his intention 'to reinstate the great Baroque sacred repertoire to its rightful ecclesiastical context, in other words, returning it from the concert platform to the church'. The diocesan website features a press release on the forthcoming consecration of the Very Revd Michael Burrows as bishop of Cashel and Ossory to take place on Monday 3 July, while McCreary of the Belfast Telegraph (29 June 2006) unhelpfully dwells on the circumstances of the departure of the former bishop, the Right Revd Peter Barrett, in an article headed 'New bishop to take over after scandal'.
27/06/2006	Details of vacancies in the cathedral choir for soprano, tenor and bass lay clerkships and choral scholarships to commence in September 2006, are now available online. Ringing master, Gary McGuire has supplied recent recordings of the bells ringing Cambridge Surprise Major for the Feast of St John the Baptist and Grandsire Caters on Sunday 25 June. Former cathedral choir member, Julie Feeney, embarks on a seven-date Irish tour tomorrow, beginning in Belfast, and playing in the Sugar Club on 6 July. She will be performing from 13 songs, voted Irish Album of the Year in 2005. The diocesan website provides details of the consecration of the Very Revd Michael Burrows as the next bishop of Cashel and Ossory, which will take place on Monday 3 July at 14.30.
26/06/2006	In today's Irish Times (26 June 2006) in the Rite and Reason column, Aonghus Dwane, director of Áras Éanna on Inis Oírr writes on the forthcoming bilingual Celtic Revival 'Summer school which is dedicated to celebrating our two great traditions'. Also noted In Short was the ordination of four deacons to the priesthood yesterday at the cathedral.
24/06/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 24 June 2006) note that the archbishop of Dublin will raise four deacons to the priesthood tomorrow, Sunday 25 June. Also noted is the lunchtime recital today given by students from the Royal School of Church Music 'Voice for Life' programme. The forthcoming Celtic Revival Summer School will take place on Friday 7 July at Christ Church, moving on Sunday 9 July to Inis Oírr, where it will conclude on Wednesday 12 July. This joint venture between the cathedral and Áras Éanna will include lectures, music, drama and visits and will explore the artistic and literary revival in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th century. The full cost of the Summer School is €320 and details may be had from www.araseanna.ie or by telephone at 099 75150 or the cathedral website.
23/06/2006	The diocesan website gives details of the four candidates who will be ordained to the priesthood at the cathedral this Sunday 25 June 2006: Darren McCallig, Patricia Taylor, Elaine Dunne and Stephen McElhinney.
22/06/2006	Following the launch of The Authority of Scripture at the cathedral by Archbishop Robin Eames, Patsy McGarry, writing today in the Irish Times quotes him as saying that 'Scripture had become a "religious football"'.
20/06/2006	The cathedral diary for the weeks beginning Sunday 18 June & 25 June 2006 has just been updated online.
17/06/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 17 June 2006) announce that on Tuesday 20 June, a report of the Church of Ireland Bishop’s Advisory Commission on Doctrine entitled The Authority of Scripture, will be launched in the cathedral. The speaker will be the archbishop of Armagh and there will be a response from Fr Bernard Treacy OP, editor of Doctrine & Life. The report is the most substantial publication so far by Church of Ireland Publishing, managed by the Church of Ireland Literature Committee under the chairmanship of Dr Kenneth Milne, and has benefited enormously from the attention of the Church of Ireland Publications Officer, Dr Susan Hood. The notes also highligh the ordination at the cathedral tomorrow at 15.30, of John Marchant, curate of Powerscourt and John Ardis, curate of the cahtedral group of parishes, by the archbishop of Dublin.
16/06/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (16 June 2006) notes the recent launch of the Celtic Revival summer school on Tuesday 6 June, by renowed traditional singer, Deirdre Ní Chinnéide. She is pictured here with the dean and Aonghus Dwane (executive director of Áras Éanna on the Aran Islands and the Church of Ireland Gazette’s Irish language columnist). Also present was Nicola Gordon Bowe, best known for her biography of the stained glass artist, Harry Clarke. Other cathedral news is the launch of A short history of Tuam: a city of two cathedrals in St Mary’s Cathedral Synod Hall attached to St Mary's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Tuam, and also that the neighbouring St Patrick's cathedral will be the venue on Friday 23 June for a service of celebration for the worldwide Mothers' Union. A further welcome development is the new choir, Concentio, consisting of students of Queen's University, Belfast, conducted by Jonathan Ireland, a choral scholar at Belfast cathedral, and who recently sang evensong at St Thomas's, Belfast.
15/06/2006	The diocesan website notes that as Archbishop Neill is currently on retreat with the candidates for ordination as deacons and priests on Sunday 18 and 25 June, the Dean Harman will attend the state funeral of Charles Haughey on Friday 16 June in Donnycarney. The website also gives details of the two candidates for ordination at the cathedral this Sunday (18 June 2006), John Ardis and John Marchant. Also included on the diocesan website recently is a May gallery which features a number of familiar faces. Former cathedral student reader, the Revd Christopher Woods, now curate of St Mark’s Church, Dundela preached one of the 'Picture sermons' in Trinity College chapel recently. Also pictured, is former cathedral bellringer, the Revd Elaine Dunne, now curate of Castleknock, attending the General Synod. Another photo of interest to campanologists is that of Councillor Tim Joiner, former lord mayor of Westminster (2005-6), making a presentation of the arms of the city of Westminster to the honorary ringing master, Gary McGuire, in the cathedral belfry. While, another synod photograph is of the dean, who is one of the honorary secretaries of the General Synod. All of the Afghan asylum seekers were photographed in the north transept of St Patrick's cathedral, and finally, chapter member, Archdeacon Edgar Swann, rector of Greystones, was photographed with Susan Connolly of that parish, who was recently installed as the new youth officer in Clontarf.
12/06/2006	The Church Review notes for the month of July 2006 are now online.
11/06/2006	This morning (Sunday 11 June 2006 @ 8.30am) on the Lyric FM programme, Gloria, Tim Thurston played a track from the cathedral choir CD, Live at Christ Church I, which featured the Agnus Dei from Frank Martin, Mass for double choir, conducted by Judy Martin.
10/06/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 10 June 2006) covers the one-day colloquium run by Search: a Church of Ireland journal (edited by former cathedral canon, Dr Ginnie Kennerley), to encourage a more carefully considered understanding of Islam and to develop understanding, respect and friendship between Muslims and Christians in Ireland today. This was reported on by Stella Mikhail in the Church of Ireland Gazette (26 May 2006). Also noted are the preachers in the two Dublin cathedrals: Canon John Bartlett, former precentor and former principal of the Theological College, at St Patrick's for the Trinity Sunday Eucharist, and the Venerable Gordon Linney, former archdeacon of Dublin at the Patronal Festival Eucharist at Christ Church. The cathedral choir's CD, Meditations and Remembrances now has a number of reviews online from Choir and Organ and from the London Times on the Signum Records website as well as the CD booklet with details of the composer, director, organist and choir.
09/06/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 9 June 2006) reports on a number of items of interest. St Mary's cathedral in Limerick has opened a new visitor facility to serve over 20,000 visitors a year. Also pictured in the Gazette is cathedral chapter member, Archdeacon Edgar Swann, at the commissioning of Susan Connolly as the new youth officer in the parish of Clontarf. Aonghus Dwane, a member of the cathedral Culture committee contributes another article as Gaeilge, entitled 'Phreispitéirigh Éirinn agus Alba' looking at Presbyterian Ireland and Scotland. Two other articles focus on cathedrals: 'An unexpected interlude' focussing on the recent Afghan occupation of St Patrick's cathedral, and ''Dad's collecting me ...', which gives an insight into the life of the cathedral choir at Belfast cathedral. Also included was notice that the summer issue of Search: A Church of Ireland Journal, edited by former cathedral canon, the Revd Dr Ginnie Kennerley, is to be an expanded version of the proceedings of the recent colloquium on Christian Islamic relationships (reported in the Gazette, 19 May 2006). Also included is an article by Ken Houston on the Church of Ireland email forum, which held a service at St Bartholomew's recently, and at which the dean's vicar, Mark Gardner acted as sub-deacon. The unabridged version of the article is also available online.
08/06/2006	We are most sad to report that this morning, after a long illness, Margaret Matthews died at Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross, Dublin. She was a very familiar and well loved face around the cathedral and its parishes and had recently been working at the welcome desk. She was the mother of the Revd David Matthews and mother-in-law of the Revd Harry Gilmore. The funeral eucharist will take place on Tuesday 13 June at 10.30 in St Audeon's church, where Harry was curate and his best man, Canon John Crawford is vicar. An article today in the Telegraph entitled 'Girl student breaks men-only choir taboo' claims that 20 year old Judy Brown, is the 'first full-time adult female member of any Anglican cathedral choir when she took her place as an alto choral scholar in the stalls of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh'. The newspaper would seem unaware of the Christ Church instance where cathedral choir altos have been female since the 1980s. While examples of female altos in subsidiary cathedral choirs, for example, in Chester (nave choir, 19th century) and Bristol (special choir, 1953-), the presence of female altos as part of main cathedral choir has been rarer. Examples include Belfast (1904-c.1964), Christ Church, Dublin (c.1982-4), Bristol (1996-), and St David's (2005-). Further on this topic can be read in the archives of the Lay Clerks email list from 6 November 2004 and 8 June 2006 onwards. The Dublin & Glendalough Church Music Committee has recently moved websites from www.churchmusic.dublin.anglican.org to www.churchmusicdublin.org. The website also gives details of the forthcoming Summer Sunday evening organ recitals in St Michael's Church, Dún Laoghaire, which will start next Sunday 11 June at 8.30 pm and continue every Sunday through 3 September. Also, noted is the RSCM Ireland 'At Home' in Christ Church day on Saturday 24 June which will include a concert and free lunch courtesy of the RSCM. David McConnell, who is responsible for the www.churchmusicdublin.orgwebsite also gives details of a new website for Rathfarnham parish.
07/06/2006	The cathedral girls' choir CD made in 2000 entitled Ex Ore Innocentium: from the mouths of children (CCCD2) has just been added to the list of the cathedral choir recordings. It was directed by Mark Duley with David Leigh, the assistant organist at St Patrick's cathedral, playing the organ, and there are now a total of eleven recordings of the cathedral choirs, since the first in 1986. Following the formal announcement of the forthcoming Celtic Revival summer school yesterday, Alison Healy, writing in the Irish Times (7 June 2006) today notes highlights the summer school and the link between the cathedral and the Aran Islands.
06/06/2006	For those who use iTunes and an iPod, Meditations and Remembrances is now available for purchase online, filed under 'Classical > Judy Martin'.
05/06/2006	The (London) Times (Saturday 3 June 2006) has just given the cathedral choir's CD, Meditations and Remembrances, a four star review. The reviewer, Rick Jones, described the composer, Francis Pott, as being 'well served by a beautifully tuned choir'. An important article in the Irish Times (5 June 2006) today written by Michael McGlynn, director of Anúna, highlights the lack of support for choral music in Ireland.
04/06/2006	The diocesan website has announced the Christ Church Festival under the heading 'Packed weekend for Cathedral Arts festival in Christ Church'. Today, the setting for the cathedral eucharist is Byrd, Mass for five voices, while the anthem is Bach, Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit auf. This large scale work is complemented at choral evensong by Walton, The Twelve.
03/06/2006	An interesting overview of Irish Church Music written a few months ago by cathedral music development officer, Peter Parshall for the Royal School of Church Music magazine, Church Music Quarterly (March 2006) is now online. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 3 June 2006) today dwell on the forthcoming Christ Church Patronal Festival, which begins on Thursday 8 and ends on Sunday 11 June. It will include lunchtime and evening concerts, services and an opportunity to see the cathedral choir in rehearsal, to learn some of the wonders of the organ, and to visit the belfry and learn of the mysteries of campanology. The Friends are also organising guided tours of the cathedral and a wine tasting evening. Also highlighted in the notes is the forthcoming Celtic Revival Summer School organised jointly by Christ Church and Áras Éanna, which will take place between 7-9 July at the cathedral and on the island of Inis Oírr. Art, music, film and lectures will combine to explore the uniquely inclusive atmosphere of the Celtic revival period in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th century, and speakers will include Dr Nicola Gordon Bowe, Professor Terence Brown and the former archbishop of Dublin, Dr Donald Caird. The closing date for registration is mid-June, so do ensure a place by booking early. The notes also announce the lunchtime recital at the cathedral given by Sue Hemmens, a soprano lay clerk in the cathedral choir with the cathedral's acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher on piano. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 4 June 2006 are now online, as are Christ Church Matters for the month of June 2006. Frank McDonald in today's Irish Times (3 June 2006) under the headline 'Board bars alterations to Cobh cathedral' reports how An Bord Pleanála has refused permission for extensive alterations to the interior of St Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, Co Cork, in a significant decision for the future re-ordering or alteration of historic cathedrals and churches. For further details see the Friends of St Colman's Cathedral website.
02/06/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (2 June 2006) notes the director of music, Judy Martin, as one of five people to whom the honour of Associate of the Royal School of Music was awarded on Saturday 13 May 2006 in Guildford cathedral, and pictures her with the dean, Dr David Donaldson who also received an ARSCM, and Professor John Harper, the director general of the RSCM. The text of the presentations made at the RSCM Celebration day at Guildford is now available on the RSCM website, which notes Judy Martin as a 'first-rate choir director' and 'the first woman to hold the post of Director of Music of a metropolitan cathedral with a full choral foundation in the English speaking part of Europe'. Also included in the Gazette are photographs of those preparing for the ministry in 2006, whether stipendiary, where the cathedral is represented by John Ardis serving in the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes, or non-stipendiary. All were photographed with the Church of Ireland Theological College principal, the precentor, Canon Adrian Empey, and the Revd Tom Gordon, the auxiliary ministry co-ordinator, and a former cathedral clerical vicar. Rather belatedly, a selection of photographs from the cathedral choir's recent tour to the USA is now available online.
01/06/2006	The cathedral diary has been updated for the weeks beginning Sunday 28 May, 4 & 11 June 2006.

30/05/2006	Details of dates for which the cathedral requires visiting choirs for 2006 have just been updated. If you are a member of a choir that can sing on any of the dates marked in green, we would love to hear from you. Please contact visiting.choirs@cccdub.ie.
27/05/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 27 May 2006) today highlights the release of yet another new cathedral choir CD, closely following the launch of Meditations and Remembrances: choral and organ music by Francis Pott, the CD is released by Signum Records. The new CD is the second in the Live at Christ Church series and is entitled Anthems from America, recorded during the choir's recent tour of the USA. Composers featured on the disc include (Frank) Martin, Ní Dhubhghaill, Tavener, Sheppard, Dupré and Finzi. Volume one of Live at Christ Church is still available from the cathedral shop, while volume three, featuring Tristran Russcher at the cathedral organ, will be released in July. Also noted in the Church of Ireland notes is the lunchtime recital at the cathedral today by the Duomo Singers, a mixed voice choir from the UK, who will also sing evensong at 17.00. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 28 May 2006 are also now online.
26/05/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (26 May 2006) features a front page article entitled 'Church defuses asylum protest crisis in St Patrick’s', referring to the occupation of the cathedral by Afghan asylum seekers last week. Also pictured in the Gazette is the precentor, Canon Adrian Empey, who was attending a recent meeting of the National Forum on Europe at Dublin castle. The Gazette also reports that tickets are required for the service of Consecration and Episcopal ordination of the Very Revd Michael Burrows at the cathedral on Monday 3 July at 14.30.
24/05/2006	Full details of the forthcoming Christ Church Festival to be held over the Trinity-tide weekend are now available online. This includes an impressive lineup of concerts, choral services, chamber music, cathedral tours and the premiere of a new choral work on Trinity Sunday, all held in association with the Friends of Christ Church. Participants include the DIT Early Music Ensemble, the cathedral Early Music Consort, the RIAM Accordian Clarinet Quartet, the Mornington Singers and the cathedral choir itself. The festival takes place from Thursday 8 until Sunday 11 June and details of the tickets prices are available online.
23/05/2006	Congratulations to former choir member, Karl Scully who, with Finbar Wright and Anthony Kearns, is now a member of the Irish Tenors, filling the position of Ronan Tynan. Karl will star in a new ten-part series 'The Irish Tenors Show' which will be broadcast on Saturday nights for RTÉ television this summer. The programme will 'feature songs from the trio's enormous crowd pleasing repertoire, but will also welcome a whole host of international stars to join them onstage for a great night of chat and song'. It has been made by Mind the Gap Films who also produced Ronan Tynan's The impossible dream: my life and times in song (2002) and The Irish Tenors live from Ellis Island (2001).
22/05/2006	Reporting on the departure of the Afghan asylum seekers from St Patrick's cathedral on Saturday, the Irish Times (22 May 2006) reported that 'McDowell says immigration policy one of fairest in Europe'.
21/05/2006	The dean's vicar, the Revd Mark Gardner, acted as sub-deacon at a recent service organised by the email group, the Church of Ireland forum, meeting at St Bartholomew's church for the first time in the non-virtual world, galleries of which have been provided online by Ken Houston and David Wynne. The service was written up by Ken Houston and will hopefully be included in a future edition of the Church of Ireland Gazette.
20/05/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 20 May 2006) highlight note the series of Summer Saturday lunchtime recitals which begin today at the cathedral with a performance by NUI Maynooth pianist, Suzanne Mahon. They also note the Sung Eucharist at 6.00pm in the cathedral on Thursday for Ascension when the cathedral choir will sing Missa pro Victoria and Ave Maria by Tomás Luis de Victoria. The Irish Times (20 May 2006) reports on the St Patrick's asylum seekers, noting that one 'Protester [is] a nephew of former Taliban minister'. The Church of Ireland and diocesan websites also released two statements about the asylum seekers, the first on the intense discussions taking place, and the second detailing the resolution of the situation.
19/05/2006	The diocesan website gives details of the summer lunchtime recitals which will take place at the cathedral on Saturday 20 May to Saturday 1 July. The Irish Times (19 May 2006) notes the '41 Afghans to continue hunger strike' in St Patrick's cathedral, despite the statement by Archbishop Eames, Archbishop Neill and Dean MacCarthy yesterday.
18/05/2006	Congratulations to Canon Kenneth Kearon, the current secretary general of the Anglican Communion, who was yesterday awarded with an honorary doctorate at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in America. Also, advance notice that the 4th annual ecumenism lecture organised by the Dublin Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Dublin Diocesan Advisory Committee on Ecumenism will be given on Saturday 3 June at 11.00 at Litton Hall, the Centenary Methodist Church, Leeson Park, by the Revd Professor Elisabeth Parmentier on the topic, 'Reconciliation: the ecumenical challenge for the community of Protestant churches in Europe'.
17/05/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 21 May 2006 are now online, as they are retrospectively for Sunday 7 May 2006. Perhaps surprisingly, a recent press release for the Budweiser Irish Derby at Kildare's Curragh racecourse adds as an attraction the fact that 'Situated just an hour from Dublin, weekend visitors could also wander around the aisles of Christ Church Cathedral, one of the city's oldest landmarks, founded around 1030'. Perhaps the writer was also aware of the fact that from 1681 until 1846, the deans of Christ Church were also bishops of Kildare. Details of a series of Saturday lunchtime recitals for Summer 2006 which begin tomorrow, Saturday 20 May, with a concert by the NUI Maynooth pianist, Suzanne Mahon, are also now available online. The Irish Times (17 May 2006) notes that 'Meeting fails to end Afghan hunger striker', after three of the hunger strikers met with the Department of Justice representatives in the presence of two canons of St Patrick's: Canon Horace McKinley and Canon Des Sinnamon.
16/05/2006	A meeting of the Cathedral Organists Association scheduled to take place today and tomorrow at Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals, will take place solely at Christ Church due to the occupation of St Patrick's by Afghan asylum seekers. The Irish Times (16 May 2006) reports in an article entitled 'Asylum seekers on hunger strike threaten protest 'to the death''. Archbishop Neill visited 'visited the men yesterday and said their actions were not appropriate because the cathedral does not have the facility to cope with the group. However, cathedral authorities said there is no question of asking for the men to be removed'.
15/05/2006	Ringing master, Gary McGuire, has recorded a short sound clip of the quarter peal rung on Sunday 7 May including the calling of a 'bob'. The Irish Walled Town Network, of which Dublin is a member, today announced plans to conserve the walls of Athenry, Co. Galway and Carlingford, Co. Louth. While outside the medieval city walls opposite the cathedral on the north of the Liffey, the Ormond Quay hotel has been given the go-ahead for a major rebuilding. The Church Review notes for the month of June 2006 are now online. The Irish Times (15 May 2006) also reports on 33 Afghans who began a hunger strike in St Patrick's cathedral yesterday.
13/05/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 13 May 2006) highlight the forthcoming summer school entitled 'Ceangal Dhá Chultúr: celtic revival summer school', consisting of six days of lectures, art, music, poetry, drama and field trips from 7 to 12 July held collaboratively between Christ Church and the Áras Eanna arts centre on the Aran Island of Inis Oírr. The notes also describe the forthcoming meeting of the Association of Cathedral Organists will convene in Dublin this week, which will include the launch on Tuesday evening at Christ Church of the new CD by the cathedral choir, by Lyric FM presenter, Tim Thurston. Entitled Meditations and Remembrances: choral and organ music by Francis Pott, the CD is released by Signum Records. It further notes that on Friday, a lunchtime concert will be given at the cathedral by the Genevans Choir of Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The cathedral choir recently featured on BBC Radio 3 in an interview by Aled Jones on The Choir on 7 May 2006 with Morten Lauridsen, which included in the playlist, the choir's recording of Francis Pott, A Meditation (Signum SIGCD 080 tr1). Christ Church Matters for the month of May 2006 is now online (No Matters were published for April 2006).
12/05/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (12 May 2006) notes the recent restoration of the fabric of St Fachtna's cathedral, Ross-carbery, diocese of Ross at a total cost of €685,000. Bishop Richard Henderson, a former dean of Ross, preached at a service of dedication and thanksgiving.
11/05/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 14 May 2006 are now online.
10/05/2006	The cathedral diary has been updated for the weeks beginning Sunday 7, 14 & 21 May 2006.
09/05/2006	The lord mayor of Westminster in London, Councillor Tim Joiner, will join the ringers this Sunday at his own request for the ringing of 16 bells. A fellow campanologist, he receives expert tuition at St Augustine's Kilburn, Westminster, and is interested in spending some of his time in office as mayor promoting the art of bell ringing. Councillor Joiner is a former police officer, has represented Wales internationally as a sprint canoeist (the only lord mayor to win a sporting title while in office), and was on the campaigning platform for the successful London Olympics bid.
08/05/2006	At tomorrow's General Synod, the dean and archbishop will propose, as Bill no. 4, an amendment to the cathedral's constitution which will recognise the current position of dean's vicar and rename the positions of honorary priest vicars to that of honorary clerical vicars, that is allowing the appointment of either deacons or priests. Of particular interest also are the reports and speeches which are available on the synod website, for example the report of the Church of Ireland historiographer, Dr Kenneth Milne, the cathedral's honorary keeper of the archives. The sermon preached by Canon Tom Haskins last Sunday 30 April is now online. The diocesan website today features a new April gallery including a number of photographs of interest. The Revd Sandra Hales, new rector for Celbridge, Straffan and Newcastle-Lyons is pictured in the chapter room. Music also features prominently. Peter Parshall, music development officer at the cathedral is pictured leading the singing at the Easter Vigil service, while the celebrity organist, Gordon Stewart is also pictured, who gave an organ recital at the cathedral as part of the Handel Festival 2006 which also marked the launch of Temple Bar's 15th birthday celebrations. On Easter Sunday itself, there is a photograph of organ scholar, David Baskeyfield, pictured playing timpani for the eucharist, while outside the cathedral the same day, an army colour party is pictured marching past during the 1916 commemoration parade. Cathedral canons also feature, and there is a photograph of cathedral treasurer, Canon Ricky Rountree beside the Paschal Fire at a Sonrise service on Easter Sunday in the ruins of an old church in the Powerscourt estate. A former cathedral canon and current editor of Search, Canon Ginnie Kennerley is also pictured with group who recently spoke on Christianity and Islam in Ireland.
07/05/2006	Details of a quarter peal (1296 changes of Cambridge Surprise Minor) rung yesterday, Sunday 7 May 2006 in 46 mins, are now online.
06/05/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 6 May 2006) highlight the meeting of the General Synod in Armagh this week, which will cover such issues as child protection, marriage regulations and cathedral administration, as well as issues of education, poverty, justice and fair-trade, ecology and the environment, disability and the Windsor report. On Wednesday at the synod, a new book by Toby Barnard and W.G. Neely (ed.), The clergy of the Church of Ireland, 1000-2000: messengers, watchmen and stewards (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006), will be launched including essays by Dr Kenneth Milne, Canon W.J. Marshall, and Professors Adrian Empey, Colm Lennon and Raymond Gillespie. Another cathedral canon professor, Nigel Biggar has contributed to the report of the Church of Ireland Bishops’ Advisory Commission on Doctrine, entitled The Authority of Scripture, which will also be available at the General Synod.
05/05/2006	Full details of the Ceangal dhá chultúr: Celtic revival summer school which be held jointly on 7-12 July 2006 at Christ Church cathedral in Dublin and at the arts centre, Áras Éanna on Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran islands of the Galway coast. The Church of Ireland Gazette (5 May 2006) features a 'Focus on The General Synod' by Dean Desmond Harman, who looks ahead to the meeting of the General Synod in Armagh next week.

30/04/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 30 April 2006 are now online.
29/04/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 29 April 2006) highlight the three-year Archbishop's Certificate Course for Church Musicians organised by the Dublin and Glendalough Diocesan Church Music Committee, which is organized on a modular basis, students committing to it a year at a time. Tuition covers organ playing, training in choral conducting and rehearsal techniques together with tutorials on the structure of the Church’s liturgy and the role of music in it. Closing date for the 2006-07 academic year is 31 May and further details online.
27/04/2006	The cathedral diary has been updated for the weeks beginning Sunday 23 & 30 April 2006. Congratulations the Venerable Patrick Rooke on his installation today as dean of Armagh at St Patrick's cathedral, Armagh.
25/04/2006	St Canice's cathedral in Kilkenny have launched a €650,000 appeal for work on refurbishing the organ, undertaken by Dean Norman Lynas, the cathedral administrator, Mark Bowyer (formerly administrator at Christ Church) with organ builder, Trevor Crowe, who himself has associations with Christ Church, having been former assistant organist under Peter Sweeney.
22/04/2006	'Isn’t it time all church leaders showed true Christian spirit?' writes Ryle Dwyer in the Irish Examiner about the recent concelebration of a Mass in Drogheda on Easter Sunday by Father Iggy O'Donovan and the Revd Michael Graham . The Irishwoman's diary today in the Irish Times gives notice of a charity concert for Chernobyl in St Patrick's cathedral next Saturday 29 April, when the Rachmaninov, Vespers will be performed by Resurgam, directed by former Christ Church organist, Mark Duley, and St Patrick's cathedral choir, directed by Peter Barley. The concert will also feature the premiere of Credo by Brent Parker. The dean's vicar, the Revd Mark Gardner with Father Ivan Tonge, parish priest of St Laurence O’Toole’s parish, North Wall today gave an official Blessing of the Fleet at Spencer Dock today before the starting cannon fired at 14.00 to start the Ireland Challenge 2006 over a course of some 800-650 miles, as also reported in Yachting World and BYM news.
21/04/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 23 April 2006 are now online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (21 April 2006) features a 'Focus on The Porvoo Communion', by the Irish representative, Dean Desmond Harman, who reports on a recent meeting in Wales of leaders of the Porvoo Communion of Churches under the title ''Come, follow me': shared experiences of witness and discipleship'.
20/04/2006	Details of the concert by Glen Hansard at the cathedral on Monday 24 April 2006 at 20.00 are available online at entertainment.ie. The concelebration of the eucharist at Drogheda by Father Iggy O'Donovan and the Revd Michael Graham on Easter Sunday has prompted investigations and comparison, for example in today's Irish Examiner, with President McAleese receiving communion at Christ Church in 1997.
17/04/2006	The Irish Independent reports on the archbishop's sermon in an article headed 'Ireland has become a country fit for heathens, warns archbishop'.
16/04/2006	A very happy Easter to all. The archbishop's sermon preached this morning is online on the diocesan and cathedral websites. It is also noted by Ireland Online n a report entitled 'Put your faith on display, urges archbishop', and in the Irish Examiner. The Church Review notes for the month of May 2006 are also now online,
15/04/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 15 April 2006) highlight the fact that on Easter Day the bishops, by tradition, will preach in their diocesan cathedrals, as will Archbishop Neill at Christ Church tomorrow. Also noted is the combining of the choirs of St Patrick's cathedral and of St Bartholomew's church for a trip to London during Easter week. Two further advance notices are an interdisciplinary symposium on ‘Music and Liturgy of the Medieval Church’ in the Department of Music in NUI Maynooth on Saturday 22 April, and notice of the inaugural McAdoo lecture to be given at St Canice's cathedral, Kilkenny, to be given by the Rt Revd Christopher Hill, Bishop of Guildford, who will speak on ‘Harry McAdoo and the Work of ARCIC’.
14/04/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (14 April 2006) notes the visit of the Ancient Society of College Youths (ASCY) to several church towers in Dublin on St Patrick’s Day, including that of Christ Church, and also features an article on the recent ecumenical choral festival hosted by the Royal School of Church Music at Christ Church in Dublin, and at St Anne's in Belfast. The choirs represented at the Christ Church were the cathedral choirs of Christ Church, St Patrick's and the Palestrina, along with Templebreedy Children’s Choir, Cork; Nenagh Parish Choir, Tipperary and the local parish choirs of Stillorgan and Monkstown. The date for the consecration of the Very Revd Michael Burrows as bishop of Cashel and Ossory, was also announced as Monday 3 July at 2.30 p.m. at Christ Church.
12/04/2006	A reminder that the deadline for the Dublin Festival of Music International Composition Competition for a new composition to be performed by the cathedral choir on Trinity Sunday 2006 is 14 May 2006.
10/04/2006	Following the annual general meeting of the Society of Ringers of Christ Church on 31 March 2006, Gary McGuire was elected as the new ringing master. He succeeds Leslie Taylor who has for many years occupied this position, and will continue his involvement as secretary to the society. Congratulations to Gary on his appointment and to Leslie for all his work.
09/04/2006	The diocesan website today notes that there will be free parking for the Easter Sunday service at Christ Church, and also features a new March gallery. A number of photographs are of interest including that of the choirs singing at the recent Royal School of Church Music festival at the cathedral. Also pictured is 'Organ Tourist' Stuart Wilks from London playing the cathedral organ as part of a charity fundraising trip for charity and, at the 'Church of Ireland rebels' lecture series, Professor Christopher Murray who spoke on Seán O'Casey, pictured with the dean and Aonghus Dwane. Details of a quarter peal (1264 changes of Plain Bob Major) rung today, Sunday 9 April 2006, in 48 mins, rung on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, are now online, as is a recording of this Sunday morning's ringing.
08/04/2006	Full details of Holy Week and Easter are available online, as are details of Gordon Stewart's organ recital on Wednesday 12 April at 18.45 as part of the Handel Festival 2006 and the Temple Bar 15th birthday celebrations, which Temple Bar Properties is marking by changing its name to the Temple Bar Cultural Trust. Also part of the festival will be a walking tour of Handel's Dublin, given by Dr Barra Boydell on Thursday 13 April starting at 14.30 outside the Contemporary Music Centre in Fishamble Street. Details of traffic arrangements for Easter day are also available, due to the 1916 march. The Belfast Telegraph (8 April 2006) interviews the Very Revd Michael Burrows, dean of Cork, on his election as bishop of Cashel & Ossory. The Church of Ireland notes (8 April 2006) today highlight the liturgy of palms and the sung eucharist at the cathedral tomorrow morning, and the Chrism eucharist with renewal of ordination vows on Maundy Thursday. The city continues lunchtime lecture series on Tuesday at the City Hall on the theme 'City Hall and the 1916 Rising', while in Sandford church, former organ scholar, David Bremner conducts the Irish premiere of Karl Stirner's St John’s Passion at 20.00. Two recordings of the bells are also now available from Sunday 19 March 2006.
07/04/2006	Patsy McGarry reports today in the Irish Times (7 April 2006) that Archbishop Neill has raised concerns with the taoiseach that the 1916 parade will affect the cathedral's Easter Vigil and Easter day services. Suggested intercessions for Palm Sunday 9 and Easter Sunday 16 April 2006 are now online. The Waterford News & Star reports on the appointment of Michael Burrows as bishop of Cashel & Ossory.
06/04/2006	The diocesan and Church of Ireland websites note that confirmation by the House of Bishops, that the Very Revd Michael Burrows, current dean of Cork is to be the next bishop of Cashel and Ossory, and notes that his consecration will take place at Christ Church on Monday 3 July at 14.30. The diocesan website also reports that international concert organist, Gordon Stewart will launch the Temple Bar 15th birthday anniversary celebrations with a recital at cathedral on Wednesday 12 April 2006 at 18.45 entitled The Glory of the Baroque. He will also participate in the cathedral's Meditation for Holy Week on the previous Tuesday 11 April at 18.30pm.
04/04/2006	Details of dates for which the cathedral requires visiting choirs for 2006 have just been updated. If you are a member of a choir that can sing on any of the dates marked in green, we would love to hear from you. Please contact visiting.choirs@cccdub.ie. Details of a Dublin Festival of Music International Composition Competition for a composition to be performed on Trinity Sunday 2006 are now available. The deadline for composition entries is 14 May 2006.
03/04/2006	The cathedral diary has been updated for the weeks beginning Sunday 2, 9 & 16 April 2006. A new book on Church of Ireland Records by Dr Raymond Refaussé, a member of the cathedral's culture committee, was launched today in the deanery of St Patrick's cathedral by Dr Raymond Gillespie, one of the foremost historians in Ireland today, who memorably propelled the cathedral history and a number of ancillary volumes to publication in just five years. Coincidentally, Four Courts Press are currently offering a special offer on all seven titles in the History of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin series, the ancillary documents which preceded the cathedral history itself. All seven volumes are available for €120 EUR (retail price €290 EUR) with free post in Ireland. Only 150 sets are available and the offer is on a first come, first served basis. For details contact Four Courts Press, or download the PDF of their special offer. There is also 50% off the individual titles.
02/04/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 2 April 2006 are now online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 31 March 2006) reports on the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Porvoo Agreement which was celebrated in Cardiff from 16-21 March, at which the Irish representative, Dean Harman also attended. It also reports on the latest CDs produced by David Leigh, assistant organist at St Patrick's cathedral, which were launched by former Christ Church organist, Peter Sweeney, and on the honorary ARSCM awarded to Belfast organist, Dr Donald Davison. Speaking in St Columb's cathedral, Derry, Mr Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent of the Irish Times, describing 'that great swathe of common ground which exists between the Christian and secularist traditions', urged the churches to 'welcome the secularist as an ally'.
01/04/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 1 April 2006) highlights today's Saturday lunchtime concert at the cathedral while will be piano duets by Judith Gannon and Tristan Russcher, while on Tuesday, associate organist, Andrew Johnstone will give a recital at Sandford parish church at 8pm as part of their Lenten series.

31/03/2006	The Very Revd Michael Burrows, dean of Cork will be the next bishop of Cashel and Ossory, as reported on the websites of the Church of Ireland and the dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough. Ireland Online reported on the episcopal election, as did Patsy McGarry of the Irish Times, as which took place today at Christ Church.
29/03/2006	The Kilkenny Advertiser muses on who will be the new bishop of Cashel and Ossory to succeed Bishop Peter Barret, which will be decided at an Episcopal Electoral College on Friday 31 March 2006 at Christ Church.
26/03/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 24 March 2006) features two articles of interest this week. The first features 'organ tourist', Stuart Wilks, pictured here betweeen Tristan Russcher (left) and Peter Parshall (right), who visited Christ Church in a unique music fundraiser for charity, to travel over 2,500 miles over nine days by motorbike and car ferry to play 22 organs in five countries: the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, finishing in London. See Stuart Wilks' website and also the online article '22 Organs and a motorbike'! The Gazette also focuses on the Church of Ireland Theological College, 'a living, worshipping, training community', picturing the college principal, the precentor, Canon Adrian Empey leading a tutorial.
25/03/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 25 March 2006) highlight the publication of new edition of Church of Ireland Records (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2006), by Dr Raymond Refaussé, librarian and archivist of the RCB Library, which will be launched by Professor Ray Gillespie at a reception on Thursday in the deanery of St Patrick's cathedral. It also notes the Royal School of Church Music Festival Day at the cathedral today with workshops with Judy Martin, Blanaid Murphy and Peter Barley from 11.00am today until a festival service at 6.00pm. Also at Christ Church, are featured the last in the lunchtime lecture series on 'Church of Ireland Rebels', which will be given by Dr Martin Maguire of Dundalk Institute of Technology, on Harry Nicholls, a member of the Engineering Department of Dublin Corporation. Also of note is the Episcopal Electoral College which will meet at Christ Church on Friday to elect a new bishop of Cashel and Ossory, and a Lenten recital which will be given by former cathedral organist, Mark Duley, at Sandford parish church on Tuesday evening.
24/03/2006	The diocesan website contains details of tomorrow's Royal School of Church Music Ireland festival at Christ Church, which is being held as a cross-border festival simultaneously in Belfast. Also, the now Dublinia-based Friends of Medieval Dublin, who met at the cathedral over the last three years, will hold their 30th anniversary celebration in conjunction with the launch of Viking Age Dublin, by city archaeologist, Ruth Johnson, in the nearby civic offices on Monday 10 April. Following a month of experimentation with the prayers of intercession, the suggested intercessions are once again (Sunday 26 March 2006) online. Also details of the Dublin Symphony Orchestra's forthcoming Spring Concert at Christ Church on Saturday 1 April 2006 at 8.00pm are now available.
22/03/2006	Congratulations to the Ancient Society of College Youths of London, who rang a full peal (5123 changes) of Bristol S Sixteen on all sixteen of the cathedral's bells on 17 March 2006 from 2.00pm onwards to celebrate St Patrick's day.
19/03/2006	New opening hours of the cathedral for the summer months of June to August have just been arranged. They will now extend from 09.00-18.00.
18/03/2006	On next Saturday 25 March at 3.00pm, the Icelandic choir of London and soloists will give a concert across the road from the cathedral in St Werburgh's church, part of the Christ Church Cathedral Cathedral Group of Parishes. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 18 March 2006) feature today's lunchtime recital in the cathedral by David Bremner, organist of Sandford and Milltown parishes. David will also perform on Tuesday evening with Elizabeth Hilliard (soprano) in a Lenten concert at Sandford parish church. Also noted is Tuesday's lunchtime lecture in the 'Church of Ireland Rebels: 1916 & the War of Independence' series, which will be give by Dr Hilary Pyle who will speak on Francesca Trench.
17/03/2006	A very happy St Patrick's day to all. Enjoy the parade and the rest of the St Patrick's Festival 2006.
15/03/2006	Aonghus Dwane, the artistic director of Áras Éanna, the arts centre on Inis Oírr, the co-venue for a joint summer school with the cathedral this July, who is also a member of the cathedral's Culture committee, will be interviewed on 'Nationwide' on RTÉ 1 this coming Monday evening. Some further details of forthcoming ringing have been added to the bells page, including a full peal to be rung from 2.00pm after the St Patrick's day parade on 17 March. The Church Review notes for the month of April 2006 are also now online, as is an updated choir photo from Washington National Cathedral.
14/03/2006	The Institute for International Integration Studies, as part of their seminar series on 'Globalisation: Ethics, Politics, Networks' are promoting a lecture to be given by Dr Katy Radford of the Irish School of Ecumenics, entitled 'Health, Faith, and Diversity: the body and the hospital as contested sites of meaning in a changing Ireland' which will take place on Wednesday 5 April 2006, at 12.00-14.00 in the IIIS Seminar Room, C6.002, Sixth Floor, Arts Block, Trinity College Dublin. Further information from Karen Fricker: frickerk@tcd.ie or +353 608 3200.
13/03/2006	Congratulations to Leslie Taylor and his team of bell ringers who won the Lindoff Cup last Saturday (11 March). See the Ringers' Intelligencer for March 2006 for details of the forthcoming 'All-Ireland', Murphy Cup, at which the cathedral bellringers will compete against the winners from Ulster (Cunningham Cup) and Munster (Cherry Cup). Also Christ Church Matters for the month of March 2006 are now online.
11/03/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 11 March 2006) highlights the new edition of Search: a Church of Ireland Journal, edited by Canon Ginnie Kennerley. It also notes the enviable study trip to Venice which the precentor and principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College, the Revd Professor Adrian Empey, and Trinity chaplain, the Revd Dr Alan McCormack will be embarking on. Also noted is the lunchtime recital to be given at the cathedral by students from the Cathedral Girls’ Choir, and Tuesday's lunchtime lecture on the theme of 'Church of Ireland Rebels', to be given by Senator Martin Mansergh on Erskine Childers.
10/03/2006	Today's Irish Times (Friday 10 March 2006) proclaims '€19m in heritage conservation grants announced' in which two cathedrals are fortunate enough to be included: The Cathedral Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Waterford and Christ Church itself in Dublin, which will receive an extremely welcome, €353,000.
04/03/2006	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 4 March 2006) list a number of forthcoming events at the cathedral. These include the first in a new series of lunchtime recitals at the cathedral, which begins today at 1.15 pm when Schola Gregoriana from Maynooth will perform Gregorian and old Roman chant. Also, between Monday and Wednesday, the Association of Assistant Cathedral Organists will visit Dublin and will attend services in both St Patrick’s and Christ Church cathedrals, at which masterclasses and seminars will be given by leading local musicians including David Adams, John Dexter and Andrew Johnstone. Finally, the notes highlight the forthcoming lunchtime lecture series beginning on Tuesday on the theme Church of Ireland Rebels: 1916 & the War of Independence which, in association with Dublin City Council, will feature Church of Ireland personalities actively involved in the formation of the Irish state. Professor Christopher Murray from UCD will give the first lecture on Tuesday 7 March on Sean O’Casey.
03/03/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 3 March 2006) notes the forthcoming Christ Church lectures series on Church of Ireland rebels: 1916 and the War of Independence, which will examine the lives of four members of the Church of Ireland who participated in the national movement during the revolutionary period 1916-1923, as part of the 90th anniversary commemorations of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. It also notes that Archbishop Neill has convened an Episcopal Electoral College to meet on Friday 31 March at the cathedral to elect a new bishop of Cashel and Ossory. Finally, the the revival of a choral tradition dating back to 1464 at St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Youghal is of interest, where a College of Choral Clerks has been re-established by the director, Ian Sexton, a former Christ Church organ scholar (1996-7).
02/03/2006	The Irish Independent reports on Cobh cathedral with the headline: Cathedral's historic interior 'at risk' from proposed works, the article for which is also accessible via the Archeire: Irish Architecture website.
01/03/2006	The cathedral diary has been updated for the weeks beginning Sunday 5, 12, 19 & 26 March 2006.

28/02/2006	The Hibernian Orchestra will give a concert this Saturday 4 March 2006 at 8pm. The programme will include works by Ravel, Chausson, Sarasate and Sibelius. Conducted by John Finucane, the concert will also feature the National Concert Hall Rising Star 2006, Liz Cooney. Also, advance notice that Josh Ritter will give a concert at Christ Church on Friday 10 March at 8.00pm. Tickets for the concert are however already sold out. A recent list of '10 must-dos when in Dublin' for a journal as far afield as DailyIndia.com lists Christ Church second on its list, although admittedly Steven Cronin's description of 'Dublin’s oldest building' as 'a monument to serve a powerful army' is perhaps a little wide of the mark.
27/02/2006	Today's Irish Times (27/02/2006) reports on the ongoing controversy over the reordering of Cobh cathedral. The article is reproduced and illustrated on the Irish architecture website, Archeire.
26/02/2006	The cathedral diary has been updated for the week beginning Sunday 26 February 2006.
25/02/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 25 February 2006) highlight the a new non-denominational and ecumenical history: The religious condition of Ireland, 1770-1850 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), written by Dr Nigel Yates, Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the University of Wales at Lampeter. It also notes services this Ash Wednesday, including that at the cathedral, when at 6pm, there will be a Sung Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes and the singing of the famous setting of the words of Psalm 51, Misereri mei, Deus by Gregorio Allegri.
24/02/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 26 January 2006 are now online. The list of canonical residence for 2006 is also now online, outlining preachers for the coming year. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 24 February 2006) notes the appointment of the Venerable Patrick Rooke as dean of Armagh, as well as an article in Irish by Aonghus Dwane giving details of an exhibition of icons entitled “Ag seoladh go Byzantium” [Sailing to Byzantium] on Saturday 11 March at Áras Eanna on Inis Óir by Mihai Cucu and Zsuzsanna Mara, who have formerly also given an exhibition of icons at the cathedral.
22/02/2006	Many thanks to Lesley Rue, editor of the Friends of Christ Church Cathedral Newsletter for a preview of the forthcoming Spring 2006 edition in the form of Carol Revington's description of the Friends' recent tour to York and Ripon. A list of forthcoming extra-curricular ringing is now available on the bells page.
21/02/2006	The Church of Ireland website includes two new press releases of interest. It contains details of the Venerable Patrick Rooke, the new dean of Armagh and also notes that Archbishop Neill has convened an episcopal electoral college at Christ Church to appoint a new bishop of Cashel and Ossory. The diocesan website also notes the episcopal electoral college, but in a press release entitled Christ Church Cathedral lecture series to recall Church of Ireland rebels, furthermore highlights the new lunchtime lecture series which will take place at Christ Church in March 2006, entitled Church of Ireland rebels: 1916 and the War of Independence. The diocesan website also highlights a Sandford Lenten recital series, organised by David Bremner, organist and director of music at Sandford and St Philip's Milltown, and a former cathedral organ scholar, which will include a series of six Tuesday evening concerts displaying the talents of organists: David Adams, David Leigh, David Bremner, Mark Duley and Andrew Johnstone, in conjunction with sopranos, Tara Eraught and Elizabeth Hilliard. The final concert, will be the Irish premiére of the St John Passion by Vienna-based, Karl Stirner. The return of the cathedral choir this week from their trip in the USA, is balanced by the report of a forthcoming choral trip to London by the combined choirs of St Patrick's cathedral and St Bartholowmew's church.
20/02/2006	The Christ Church Matters for the month of February 2006 have just been uploaded.
19/02/2006	Congratulations to the Venerable Patrick Rooke, archdeacon of Dalriada, who has been appointed dean of Armagh and librarian of Armagh Public Library. The deans of the two metropolitan cathedrals of Christ Church, Dublin and St Patrick's, Armagh alternate between hosting the meetings of the Church of Ireland Historical Society.
18/02/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 18 February 2006) note that the Cathedral Girls' Choir will sing the Sung Eucharist in the cathedral tomorrow in the absence of the Cathedral Choir who are continuing their tour of the USA. However, they will return to duty next Thursday when they will sing evensong in the cathedral at 6 pm.
17/02/2006	The January gallery on the diocesan website includes photographs of the cathedral choir pictured shortly before their trip to the USA, of Canon Tom Haskins presenting the diocesan secretary, Keith Dungan, with a cheque for over €20,000 for the Church of Ireland Bishop’s Appeal from part of the proceeds of his 'Black Santa' sit out outside St Ann's, Dawson Street, and of lay readers Ken Rue (Whitechurch), Martha Waller (St George's & St Thomas'), Caroline Tindal (Newcastle & Newtownmountkennedy with Calary), Stella Obe (Castleknock & Mulhuddart with Clonsilla) and John Scarfe (Santry, Glasnevin & Finglas), before their commissioning at evensong on Sunday 15 January at Christ Church. The diocesan website also includes details of the Spring lunchtime recital series which will take place on Saturdays in March & April. Congratulations to Christ Church Cathedral ... Waterford that is, on being awarded £150,000 by Waterford City Council. Arising from a windfall property deal of €45 million for the council, Garter Lane Theatre, whose artistic director is a former cathedral choir member, Caroline Senior, will receive €500,000. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 17 February 2006) also reports on the new lay readers commissioned at the cathedral.
15/02/2006	Details of the forthcoming March 2006 lunchtime lecture series entitled Church of Ireland rebels: 1916 and the War of Independence are now online. The opening lecture on the subject of Sean O'Casey will be given by Professor Christopher Murray. Also, the Church Review notes for the month of March 2006 are now online.
11/02/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 11 February 2006) note that the Lassus Scholars will sing in the cathedral on Sunday morning. The setting is Mozart, Mass in C (Krönungsmesse), and the preacher, Canon David Moynan.
10/02/2006	Lesley Rue has kindly a photograph of the cathedral choir (right) at Dublin airport before their departure, to which the names of the choir have been added in the choir photographs page. A full collection of links relating to their current tour to America has also been assembled. Pictured in the photograph are numerous members of the cathedral choir, as well as the dean, the Very Revd Des Harman and his wife Sue Harman, the administrator, Michael Denton and the honorary keeper of the archives, Dr Kenneth Milne. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 12 and Sunday 19 January 2006 are also now online.
09/02/2006	Bearing in mind the five hour time difference, visitors may be interested in viewing the cathedral choir lunchtime concert at Trinity, Wall Street, which is being webcast at 13.00 (18.00 Irish time) as part of their concerts at one series.
07/02/2006	Best wishes and good luck to our cathedral choir who embark on their USA tour. They are joined by the dean, the Very Revd Des Harman and his wife Sue, the administrator, Michael Denton, and the honorary keeper of the archives, Dr Kenneth Milne. The revised 1999 version of the constitution of the Friends of Christ Church has also just been uploaded.
06/02/2006	Fascinating plans for a cable car along the Liffey have recently been proposed. The Irish Times ran two stories on Saturday 4 February 2006 one by Frank McDonald entitled 'Daring plan inspired by London Eye' (reproduced on Archeire) outlining how it would run 'over the river between Heuston Station and North Wall Quay, just west of Spencer Dock ... as a tourist attraction rather than a transport service', and more importantly from the cathedral's point of view, that 'steel towers - at the end of Marlborough Street and in front of the Civic Offices at Wood Quay - would be 85m high'. The other article by Frank McDonald and Ruadhan Mac Eoin entitled 'Plan for cable car attraction on Liffey' (also reproduced on Archeire) also notes that the cable cars would be at a height of '80 metres (264ft)'. Given that one of these would tower over Dublin's historic centre, including the cathedral, as ever Archeire has it's finger on the pulse, entitling a Poll: 'Liffey Cable Cars - Pointless Gimmick or ...'.
04/02/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 4 February 2006) focus on the cathedral choir tour to the USA, which begins on Thursday 9 February 2006 with a lunchtime concert Holy Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York. Over the next eight days, evensong and a number of concerts will be performed in New York, Baltimore, Washington along with a reception at the Irish Embassy. The 24 members of the choir, with the director of music, Judy Martin, and acting assistant organist, Tristan Russcher, will be joined on tour by the dean. Also reported is the retirement of the Very Revd Robert Townley as dean of Kildare, and the appointment of the present rector of Newbridge, the Revd Dr John Marsden by the bishop of Meath and Kildare. This also confirms the union of the parish groups of Kildare and Newbridge.
03/02/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 3 February 2006) reports on the brief ceremony held at the cathedral recently to express appreciation for the work of several charities and voluntary groups, at which the dean distributed money contributed during 2005 at the Charity Carol Service, with the donations from the Peace Candles and from part of the regular collections. It also features an article on Archdeacon Swann's Christian Unity sermon at an ecumenical service in the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Bray at which he urged that 'Eucharistic sharing should be at the forefront of the search for true unity and not the final result of unity. We can continue to argue out the final points of Eucharistic doctrine forever, or we can step bravely, in faith, together, into real action.' The cathedral diary has been updated for weeks beginning Sunday 5, 12 & 19 February 2006.

31/01/2006	Many thanks to David Godfrey, former dean of Kilmore, for identifying a number of old faces in the photograph of the cathedral choir of c.1947-55. Dean Godfrey is a former canon of Christ Church and also a former lay vicar choral, who sang on cantoris in the cathedral choir in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
28/01/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 28 January 2006) note that Tuesday is the deadline for receipt of applications for the organ scholarship at Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals for the year 2006-7. Two articles from previous editions of the Friends News have just been uploaded: an account of the Exeter trip in October 2002 by Basil Grace and John Kilgore, and an article written in August 2002 entitled 'New Irish canticles performed by cathedral choir' by Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill. The Church Review notes for the month of February 2006 are now online, as are Christ Church Matters for the month of January 2006 which have just been uploaded. Congratulations also to associate organist, Andrew Johnstone, currently on an academic sabbatical, who has just published an article entitled ''High' clefs in composition and performance' in Early Music, xxxiv, 1 (February 2006), 29-54.
27/01/2006	A reminder that the choir's pre-tour concert Anthems for America takes place this evening at 20.00. Do come and listen! Professor John Caldwell of the Faculty of Music at Oxford has written a most congratulatory review of Barra Boydell, A history of music at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin which is now available with other reviews of publications about the cathedral. Suggested intercessions for Sunday 29 January and Sunday 4 February 2006 are now online.
25/01/2006	The diocesan website today features four items of interest: coverage of the dean and Margaret Boden, General Secretary of Christian Aid Ireland launching the tsunami exhibition which will take place in the cathedral until 3 February 2006. Also included is the advertisement for the joint organ scholarship with St Patrick's cathedral for 2006-7 (deadline 31 January), and lastly the sad news of the resignation of Peter Barrett as bishop of Cashel and Ossory three years after his consecration, with an accompanying pastoral statement from Archbishop Neill.
24/01/2006	The diocesan website features an article (19 January) entitled Dogs, drugs and development - charities assisted by Christ Church cathedral, which describes the cathedral's distribution of money collected in 2005. This was undertaken by the dean at a ceremony last Tuesday 17 January, and the photograph (right) shows him presenting a cheque for €3,000 from the Christmas Charity Carol Service to representatives of Peata, a charity devoted to promoting awareness of the therapeutic benefits of pets. Details of the organ scholarship for 2006-2007 are now online. For those interested in applying, the deadline is 31 January 2006. Catching up with former organ scholars, William Carslake (1993-4) is now the musical director of Henly Choral Society in Oxfordshire.
22/01/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 20 January 2006) reports on Canon Tom Haskin's time as Dublin's Black Santa outside St Ann's Dawson Street. Also shown outside St Ann's is a photograph of a recent conferring of students from the Church of Ireland Theological College with the precentor, Canon Adrian Empey. The Contemporary Music Centre has recently (17 January 2006) released a press release about the cathedral choir performing Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill's Cainticí Mhuire & Shimeon on their US tour.
21/01/2006	Details of the cathedral choir's forthcoming pre-tour concert entitled Anthems for America which will take place on Friday 27 January at 20.00 in the cathedral are now available. Tickets €15 / €10 available from the Music Office (01 671 2426) or at the door, followed by a tour fund–raising raffle in the crypt. Details are also available for the Candlemas procession which takes the form of a candlelight procession and sung eucharist with readings and carols, which will take place the following Sunday 29 January 2006 at 17.00. Today's Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 21 January 2006) notes that on Wednesday at 12.45pm the archbishop of Dublin will celebrate the eucharist to mark the 20th anniversary of his consecration. Also on Friday night at 20.00, the cathedral choir will perform 'Anthems for America', a pre-tour concert featuring repertoire for its forthcoming American tour next month. Among the items will be Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill’s settings in Irish of the canticles for evensong which the choir will sing in St Thomas’ Church, New York, and in Washington National Cathedral.
20/01/2006	Details of the cathedral choir's itinerary for their USA tour are now online. This includes an exciting line-up of concerts and services in Holy Trinity, Wall Street and St Thomas's 5th Avenue in New York, and Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC. While on tour they will also be performing the Cainticí Mhuire & Shimeon, composed by former choir member, Caitríona Ní Dhubhghaill, which are thought to be the only setting of the Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in Irish. Also, Ireland Online reports that the Christian Aid tsunami exhibition was launched this morning at the cathedral by the dean and the charity's director, Margaret Boden. Entitled Every time I see the sea… Life after the Tsunami, it shows how people are rebuilding their lives after the Asian tsunami, and how money donated by Irish people has been spent to help. See cathedral webpage for details online.
19/01/2006	Last night, Archdeacon Swann preached at an ecumenical service for Christian Unity in the Church of the Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Bray, Co Wicklow at the invitation of Dr Diarmuid Martin, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, in which he called for the sharing of the eucharist to be the focus of the search for unity between denominations. For any visiting choirs wishing to seek a residency at Christ Church for a week or just a few days, a full list of available (and already booked) dates are now available under our information for visiting choirs. With many thanks for Tristan Russcher, our acting assistant organist for providing this in tabular format. Also of interest will be the Spring recital series on Saturdays in March and April 2006, organised by Tristan which picks up where November's recital series left off.
18/01/2006	The Irish School of Ecumenics encourages those interested to attend a lecture by Georges De Schrijver, S.J., former Head of the Center for Liberation Theologies in Leuven who will speak on 'Intellectual resources for interreligious dialogue in a globalised world' on this Friday 20 January at 12.00-14.00 in the Institute for International Integration Studies, Level 6, Arts Building, Trinity College, Dublin. Congratulations to a former member of the cathedral choir, Karl Scully who, with John Scott and PJ Hurley, performs as one of The Three Tenors, for a concert this Saturday 28 January in Hawk’s Well Theatre in Sligo.
17/01/2006	Details of historic visit of Muslim and Christian leaders to Ireland now available on the diocesan and Church of Ireland websites, including the Right Rev Dr Mouneer Hanna Anis, Anglican bishop in Egypt who will preach on Sunday morning that the cathedral.
16/01/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 22 January 2006 are now online.
14/01/2006	The Church of Ireland Notes (Saturday 14 January 2006) highlights the visit of a number of Muslim and Christian leaders from Egypt next week to promote Islamic-Christian dialogue, at the invitation of the Church Mission Society Ireland. One of the visitors, the Episcopal (Anglican) Bishop in Egypt, the Right Rev Dr Mouneer Hanna Anis, identifies that one of the four key goals of the Episcopal Church of Egypt is 'to be a bridging church with other denominations and faiths', and he will preach in Christ Church on Sunday morning, 22 January. Also features in the week of prayer for Christian Unity is the annual interdenominational service of prayer and music in Irish, run by Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise and Pobal an Aifrinn, which will take place at the cathedral on Friday evening at 8pm. On the theme of 'Where two or three are gathered in my name', the preacher will be An tAthair Pádraig O Maille.
13/01/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 13 January 2006) reports Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin choir to tour in USA next month. 'Taking in three cities - New York, Baltimore and Washington DC - the tour is the culmination of over a year’s preparation and fundraising.'
12/01/2006	For those planning a trip west on St Patrick's weekend, Áras Éanna, the arts centre on Inis Oírr in the Aran Islands (run by Aonghus Dwane, a member of the cathedral's culture committee, who organised the recent Art & Music in the life of the Christian church course), has announced details of a choral festival of religious music featuring choirs and groups from Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, north and south, which may be of interest.
11/01/2006	Áine Mulvey, a soprano lay clerk in the cathedral choir, recently broadcast the following evocative and beautifully written article on Sunday Miscellany (18 December 2005) on RTÉ Radio 1, entitled 'A Catholic in the Cathedral'. Beginning 11.25 minutes in for those listening to it via Realplayer, it is followed by the choir's performance of Steal away from Michael Tippett's oratorio, A Child of our time. Given the forthcoming Tsunami exhibition at the end of January, it is appropriate to publish a letter received by Terence Read who was in Thailand during the tsunami, from friends in Phuket who urged people to return to Thailand on holidays as one form of help. Why not book a summer holiday now?
10/01/2006	The Irish Independent features notice of the Christian Aid organised exhibition on the experiences of tsunami survivors, which takes place in the north aisle of the cathedral from 20 January until 3 February. Readers of the Church Review (January 2006, p. 21) will be greatly relieved to note that rumours of Dean Harman's demise ('Deceased Desmond Harmon [sic] with Andrew McNeile prior to the Essential service', see picture on right), have been greatly exaggerated. Dean Harman assures us he is not ailing in any way. Perhaps a stray spell-checker might be the culprit? Many thanks to former chorister, Rodney Macken, who identified two choristers in the gallery of the cathedral choir in the past: Leslie Roche 'Snuffles' (c.1978) and Frank Watson (c.1966).
09/01/2006	An additional notice that this Sunday 15 January at evensong, the commissioning of five new readers for the diocese will take place: Martha Waller (St George & St Thomas), Stella Obeh (Castleknock & Mulhuddart with Clonsilla), Caroline Tindal (Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy & Calary), Jon Scarffe (Santry, Glasnevin & Finglas) & Ken Rue (Whitechurch).
08/01/2006	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 8 and 15 January 2006 are now online.
07/01/2006	Many thanks to Kieran Tully who pointed out that a web statistics program formerly known as MyNedStats and recently renamed WebStats4U, had been putting pop-up ads on the main cathedral webpage. The link has now been removed, with apologies to those annoyed by it. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 7 January 2006) report that Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise, the Irish Guild of the Church, who hold a service of Holy Communion on the fourth Sunday of each month at 5 pm at the cathedral, are currently seeking clergy to conduct services in Irish. Further details on the diocesan website. It also notes the meeting today of the group preparing the new history of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. Papers will be given by Professors Howard Clark & Raymond Gillespie, and Drs Toby Barnard, Michael O'Neill, Kerry Houston & Canon John Crawford. The history will be published by Four Courts Press in the summer of 2007.
06/01/2006	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 6 January 2006) features coverage of the launch of the recent choir CD, Live at Christ Church, in the crypt by Archbishop John Neill, following a fundraising concert for the choir's planned trip to the east coast of the United States of America in February 2006. Also featured were a number of photographs of the year in retrospective including that of Canon Kenneth Kearon's commissioning as secretary general of the Anglican Communion. Pictured with him were the precentor, the dean, the archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Samuel Poyntz (retired Bishop of Connor and Canon Kearon’s father-in-law); and Dr Kenneth Milne (Church of Ireland Historiographer & Hon. Keeper of the Archives). Congratulations to Canon Tom Haskins whose week outside St Ann's, Dawson Street as 'Black Santa' generated €30,000 for victims of the Pakistan earthquake, as noted on the diocesan website.
05/01/2006	An article (ACNS 4090) on the Anglican Communion News Service by Canon James Rosenthal, director of communications at the Anglican Communion Office, entitled Anglicans flock to Church for Christmas and syndicated widely, describes how Archbishop John Neill preached on the topic of immigration to a packed cathedral at Christ Church, a point which received it much media coverage. Advance notice of the ecumenical service in Irish to be held at the cathedral on Friday 20 January 2006 at 8 pm during the Octave for Christian Unity at which the preacher will be An tAthair Pádraig Ó Máille, as advertised on the diocesan website.
04/01/2006	The diocesan website features in its December gallery pictures of the Canon Tom Haskins on his 'Black Santa' appeal outside St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, as well as Greg Fromholz and images of the 3Rock youth Essential at Christ Church carol service, held recently at the cathedral. The cathedral choir are also shown in Trim cathedral, where they sang at an ecumenical carol service. Other pictures included Canon Neill McEndoo, chaplain to the Church of Ireland College of Education, after their annual carol service, and Judy Martin presenting the archbishop with a copy of the new choir CD, Live at Christ Church, volume 1.
03/01/2006	Details of a quarter peal (1259 changes) of Grandsire Caters rung on new year's day as an engagement compliment to Claire L Thompson and Mark A Bell are now online. Also a Ringers' Intelligencer for January 2006 is now online. The website TMCNet features the syndicated article headed 'Tsunami trauma captured in art Aid exhibition', which notes that a Christian Aid exhibition entitled Every time I see the sea… Life after the Tsunami, consisting of stories of tsunami survivors, will be shown at the cathedral from 20 January until 3 February 2006 in the cathedral's north aisle.
01/01/2006	Happy new year! Details of the quarter peal of Grandsire Triples rung on New Year's Eve last night in memory of Dean John Paterson, who died last September, are now available online. Congratulations to all the bell ringers for ringing out the old, and ringing in the new year last night with all 19 bells in the tower, and also for their ringing a quarter peal of Grandsire Caters, to welcome in the new year this afternoon.