church review

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2 ChurCh review

CHURCH REVIEW 

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CHURCH OF IRE LAND UNITE D DIOCE S ES 

OF DUB LIN AND GLE NDALOU GH 

The Most Reverend Michael Jackson, 

Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Glendalough, 

Primate of Ireland and Metropolitan. 

Archbishop’s Letter 

AUGUST 2012 

Sometimes we find that people do the most amazing of things in the most confined 

of spaces. A fading generation of children will perhaps still think of Harry Potter and the 

world which he created in the cupboard under the stairs, in that most boring of 

addresses: 4 Privet Drive. He did so for his own survival and sanity. For many children, 

J K Rowling spoke of a place where they could be themselves without the constant 

misunderstanding and intimidation of adults. 

Queuing recently for something to eat which I am glad to say is now an option if you 

are on the move in the early morning – that is porridge – my eye was attracted to the 

very narrow and confined counter on which all the business was transacted. It would 

have been no more than three feet by two feet, made of thick glass, spotlessly clean – 

and scratched. It had that affectionate well-used look and feel about it. After every 

transaction, whether it was the handing over of food to the hungry traveller or the 

returning of small change or a credit card to its rightful owner, the counter was always 

cleaned before the next person was served. Then the exchange started all over again. 

As I was waiting to order my porridge, I found myself daydreaming about the large 

number of people who had been satisfied and filled by means of this small counter. It 

was a place of service and of helpfulness. It was a place where the person 

behind the counter had the satisfaction of serving the needs of 

others; where the person in front of the counter had the 

satisfaction of getting what she or he needed to be able to 

continue the journey with more energy and less discomfort. The 

counter was a place of transaction where money changed 

hands and where wholesome things happened. And I thought 

to myself that we have – through banking crises and corruption 

and not a little self-righteousness – developed such strange 

and angry attitudes to money itself. After all, it is a commodity 

which every one of us needs to do most of our transactions 

in this part of the world. 

The scratched counter enables such ordinary 

transactions to take place. It asks questions but 

passes no judgements. It seeks to please 

without making favourites. Like so much else 

that is basic to common courtesies, it is 

taken for granted. A counter is a place 

where things change hands. The 

relationship may be fleeting or, in the 

contemporary idiom: To go, but it 

centres on something tangible, real 

people and a real need. Maybe, in our 

careless, angry generation, we can yet 

learn from everything and everyone 

we take for granted some of the things 

that still matter – in the most unlikely 

of places and in the most unlikely of 

circumstances, if we have eyes to see 

and ears to hear. 

† Michael 

COVER STORY: 

Pupils of Athy Model School prepare 

to release their balloons – each 

representing a dream for the school – 

at the official opening and blessing of 

their new school building. 

ChURCh RevIeW 3

A TOUR OF ANCIENT CHURCH SITES ON 

THE BANKS OF THE SHANNON 

Patrick Comerford 

It was one of those summer days filled 

with sunshine – and there have been 

some of them this summer. I was staying 

in Athlone, and found the town was a 

good base for visiting some of the most 

Ireland’s earliest monastic sites on the 

both banks of the River Shannon. 

In the course of that one summer’s day, I 

visited Saint Brendan’s Cathedral in Clonfert, 

the ruins of Portumna Priory and 

Clonmacnoise, where I was brought on a 

journey through Irish church history from the 

time of Saint Patrick through the arrival of the 

Anglo-Normans, the mediaeval changes and the 

Reformation to the Church of Ireland of today. 

A small and remote cathedral 

Saint Brendan’s Cathedral in Clonfert, south 

Co Galway, is one of four cathedrals still open 

in the United Dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe. 

Sunday services are only four or five times a 

year and the cathedral is so small and so 

remote, it is hard to imagine that this sleepy 

village was once a cathedral city. 

Saint Brendan the Navigator, who is buried 

here, founded a monastery in Clonfert in 563. 

The monastery predates stories of the saint’s 

voyages, and Clonfert became one of the 

foremost monastic schools in Ireland and the 

inspiration for many great missionary ventures 

across Europe. 

The monastery was burned in 1016, 1164, 

and again in 1179, but in its heyday Clonfert 

may have had 3,000 monks. The centuries-old 

Yew Walk, with its cross-shaped paths, looks 

like church transept with a green ceiling. Local 

lore says the monks walked under the trees in 

silence, reading their daily office. However, the 

Diocese of Clonfert was not organised until 

1111 and the diocesan boundaries were not 

fixed until 1152. 

The first stone cathedral here was built 

around 1167 by Bishop Petrus Ua Mórda, and 

the earliest part of the cathedral dates from 

this period. The West Doorway is the crowning 

glory of the cathedral and the greatest 

masterpiece of Hiberno-Romanesque work, 

and the cathedral is listed in the 2000 World 

Monuments Watch. 

The doorway has eight orders of jambs, 

surmounted by seven orders of arches and 

crowned by a triangular pediment bordered by 

carved ropes. The triangular pointed hoods and 

decorations form a unique mediaeval gallery 

with a truly fabulous variety of motifs, including 

Left: Saint Brendan’s Cathedral, Clonfert ... so small and so remote it is hard to 

imagine this was the centre of a cathedral city. Centre: The West Doorway of Clonfert 

Cathedral is the greatest Hiberno-Romanesque masterpiece. Right: A mermaid, with a 

comb and mirror in the 15th century chancel arch. 

From left: Saint Peter and Saint Paul ... Victorian glass in the early 13th century east 

windows; Portumna is on the northern shores of Lough Derg, where the Shannon 

divides Co Galway from Co Tipperary. 

human faces, bizarre beasts, formalised flowers 

and interlacing geometrical shapes, representing 

the way all creation points to the Trinity. 

Inside, the early 13th century east windows 

in the chancel are among the best late 

Romanesque windows, filled with Victorian 

glass of a paired Saint Peter and Saint Paul, each 

decorated with strange swastika-shaped halos. 

The chancel arch, inserted in the 15th 

century, displays angels, a rosette and a 

mermaid holding a mirror and a comb. The 

supporting arches of the west tower are 

decorated with 15th century heads. The vestry 

at the north side of the cathedral also dates 

from the 15th century. 

The cathedral also has a 15th century carved 

font and gravestones of great antiquity, one 

with a Celtic cross and a Latin inscription in 

Celtic lettering. At one time, there were two 

transepts, but the Gothic north transept has 

been demolished and the Romanesque south 

transept is now in ruins. 

Impoverished diocese 

Clonfert was such a remote, small and 

impoverished diocese that many mediaeval 

bishops refused to live there, and there were 

lengthy periods when it was without a bishop. 

Robert, a Benedictine monk who became 

Bishop of Clonfert in 1296, was also a suffragan 

bishop in the Diocese of Canterbury. Robert 

Petit, a Franciscan friar who became bishop in 

1320, was a suffragan bishop in Worcester and 

Exeter. Another Franciscan, Seán Ó hEidhin, was 

From left: The ruined priory in Portumna once served as the Church of Ireland parish church; The ruined cloisters in Portumna 

Priory; The lawns to the south of Portumna Castle sweep down to the shores of Lough Derg; Clonmacnoise, on the banks of the 

Shannon, stands at the crossroads of Ireland; The rich heritage of Clonmacnoise includes the Cathedral, several churches, high 

crosses and towers, and numerous carved mediaeval graves. 

4 ChURCh RevIeW

Photographs by Patrick Comerford 

From left: The Cathedral is the largest church in Clonmacnoise; The Gothic-style north doorway or ‘Whispering Arch’ was 

inserted by in the cathedral by Odo, Dean of Clonmacnoise, in the 1450s; Temple Finghín, a 12th century Romanesque church ... 

the earliest example of a church and round tower in a single structure; Temple Dowling and the South Cross ... of the three 

great high crosses at Clonmacnoise; Temple Connor, or Saint Kieran’s Church, dating from the early 13th century, has been the 

Church of Ireland parish church since the 18th century. 

made Bishop of Clonfert twice, in 1438 and 

again in 1441, but was challenged by three rival 

claimants and probably never took office. 

Instead, he was a suffragan bishop in Worcester, 

London and Exeter, and when he died was a 

vicar in Essex. 

The monastery survived until the 16th 

century. During the reign of Elizabeth I, there 

were proposals for a university in Clonfert, but 

the university went to Dublin instead. 

Clonfert Palace was built in 1640 by Bishop 

Robert Dawson, and was home to the bishops 

until Christopher Butson died in 1836. When 

Clonfert and Kilmacduagh were united with 

Killaloe and Kilfernora, the palace was sold to the 

Trench family. The last tenant was the British fascist 

leader Sir Oswald Mosley. The palace was 

destroyed by fire in 1954, and the ruins are now 

covered in ivy, with trees growing in and around it. 

Clonfert is part of a wider parish spread 

through three counties – Galway, Tipperary and 

Offaly – and three provinces – Connacht, 

Munster and Leinster. The Revd Alan Nevin is 

Rector and the other churches are in 

Eyrecourt, Portumna and Banagher. 

A ruined priory 

Heading south, I stayed in the parish as I 

passed through Eyrecourt to Portumna on the 

northern shores of Lough Derg, where the 

Shannon divides Co Galway from Co Tipperary. 

The lawns to the south of Portumna Castle 

sweep down to the lake shores, with the ruins 

of Portumna Priory a few paces to the east. 

The priory was built around 1254 by 

Cistercian monks from Dunbrody Abbey, Co 

Wexford, but became a Dominican priory 

around 1426 at the insistence of Pope Martin V. 

The priory was dissolved at the Reformation 

and passed to the Earls of Clanricarde, who 

built Portumna Castle. The priory was revived 

in 1640, and Patrick Sarsfield was married there 

in 1689. But the friars left again in 1712 and the 

priory church served the Church of Ireland 

parish until a new church was built at the castle 

gates in 1832. 

The ruined priory is now a national 

monument. The church has fine windows in the 

east wall and south transept, an unusual west 

doorway surmounted by a window, and 

partially restored cloisters. 

River-side monastery 

From Portumna, I crossed the Shannon and 

followed the road north through Banagher, 

along the east banks of the Shannon, to 

Clonmacnoise in Co Offaly. This ancient 

monastic site stands at the crossroads of 

Ireland where the main east-west road along 

the Esker Ridge crossed the river as it flowed 

from north to south through the Midlands. 

Clonmacnoise was founded in 548 by Saint 

Ciarán and seven companions. He died of the 

yellow plague within a year later but 

Clonmacnoise grew and expanded, despite 

constant raids and attacks. The early wooden 

buildings gave way to stone structures and the 

population grew to 2,000 by the 11th century, 

making the monastery a major centre of 

learning and creativity. 

Clonmacnoise had links with both the Kings 

of Connacht and the Kings of Tara, and many of 

them are buried here. In the 12th century, 

Clonmacnoise became the seat of a diocese, 

but it was always overshadowed by the 

neighbouring, richer and more powerful 

Diocese of Meath 

In the late 12th century, as Athlone became 

the main trading town in the midlands and the 

pivotal crossing-point on the Shannon, the 

monastery fell into decline. The people living in 

the monastic city drifted north to Athlone and 

– apart from the ruined castle – none of the 

domestic buildings now survive. 

The arrival of continental religious orders, 

including the Augustinians, Benedictines, 

Cistercians and Franciscans, hastened the 

decline of the monastery. It was finally laid in 

ruins by the English garrison in Athlone in 1522. 

High crosses and round towers 

The site has a rich heritage that includes 

the Cathedral, the Church of Ireland parish 

church, several other churches, high crosses, 

round towers, and numerous carved mediaeval 

grave slabs. 

The Cathedral, the largest church, was built 

in 909 by Flann Sinna, King of Tara, and Abbot 

Colmán. The last High King, Rory O’Connor, 

was buried near the altar in 1198. The west 

doorway dates from 1200 and the Gothic-style 

north doorway or “Whispering Arch” was 

inserted by in the 1450s by Odo, Dean of 

Clonmacnoise. The carved images over the 

north door represent Saint Dominic, Saint 

Patrick and Saint Francis. 

Temple Melaghlin (1200) is also known as the 

King’s Church, and generations of Melaghlin 

Kings of Meath are buried here. 

Temple Dowling is a tiny tenth century 

church but is named after Edward Dowling, 

who renovated and extended it in 1689, placing 

a stone carving of his coat of arms above the 

door. Temple Hurpan, a 17th century annex, was 

once used for burials. 

Temple Finghín is a 12th century Romanesque 

church with a round tower belfry, McCarthy’s 

Tower, where the nave and chancel meet – 

perhaps the earliest example of a church and 

round tower in a single structure. When the 

church was vandalised in 1864, the Royal Society 

of Antiquaries of Ireland initiated a landmark 

prosecution and later repaired the cap of the 

tower. 

Temple Connor, or Saint Kieran’s Church, 

dating from the early 13th century, has been the 

Church of Ireland parish church since the 18th 

century. Clonmacnoise is part of the Athlone 

union of parishes in the Diocese of Meath, and 

during the summer a service is held here at 4 

p.m. each Sunday and on Saint Ciarán’s Day (9 

September) and an annual open-air service 

takes place on the third Sunday in July. 

Temple Ciarán, the smallest church, is 

traditionally the burial place of Saint Ciarán. 

But, while excavations unearthed the 

Clonmacnoise Crosier, no saintly remains were 

found. To the west, low-lying stones are all that 

remain of Temple Kelly. 

The Round Tower was built as a free-standing 

belfry by Turlough O’Connor, King of Connacht, 

and Abbot Gilla Chroist O Malone in 1124. It 

was hit by lightning 11 years later, and has been 

rebuilt in stages in the centuries that followed. 

The three main High Crosses on the site 

have been moved to the visitors’ centre and 

replicas now stand at their original locations. 

The Cross of the Scriptures is one of 

Ireland’s finest surviving high crosses, and has 

panels with Biblical scenes, including the 

Crucifixion, Christ in the Tomb, and the Last 

Judgment. The shaft and base are all that survive 

of the North Cross, the oldest of the High 

Crosses. Its decorations, which have been 

compared with the Book of Kells, include 

people, animals and geometrical interlacing. The 

South Cross has a rough carving of the 

Crucifixion on its west face. 

Clomacnoise has been a national monument 

since 1877, and the Church of Ireland handed it 

to the Government in 1955. For centuries, the 

title of Dean of Clonmacnoise has been held by 

the Rectors of Trim. But Clonmacnoise, with its 

churches, towers, high crosses, and castle ruins, 

all on the banks of the River Shannon, remains 

one of the most important and picturesque 

ecclesiastical sites in Ireland. 

Canon Patrick Comerford is Lecturer in 

Anglicanism and Liturgy, the Church of 

Ireland Theological Institute, and a canon 

of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. 

http://revpatrickcomerford.blogspot.com 

ChURCh RevIeW 5

Fresh Start for Athy Model School as New 

Building is Opened 

The children, staff, management and 

parents of Athy Model School looked 

forward to a bright new future for their 

school at the official opening and blessing 

of the new building. The beautiful new 

building was dedicated by Archbishop 

Michael Jackson following a service in the 

school hall conducted by Revd Cliff 

Jeffers. Every class played a part in the 

service and the festivities concluded with 

each pupil releasing a balloon 

representing their hopes and dreams for 

the future of their school. The old school 

building burned down in March 2010. 

The chairman of the board of management, 

Ron Condell, opened proceedings and said it 

was hard to believe they had finally reached 

that day after 30 or 40 years of preparation. He 

thanked the Department of Education and Skills 

and all concerned in getting the new building 

ready for the school. He recalled March 2011 

when they were told they have their new 

school by the end of August and said a huge 

amount of work went into getting the building 

ready on time. He thanked Bill Kavanagh for his 

efforts to that end. He also paid tribute to the 

parents’ association for their help with the 

move and the principal and teaching staff for 

their hard work and dedication. 

Mr Condell said that the fire brought out 

Athy’s strong sense of community spirit. 

“Within eight hours of the fire, the principal 

and I were called to meet the principal of the 

community college who offered us 

accommodation in the college,” he said 

thanking the VEC, Séan Ashe and Richard Daly 

for their help. “After the fire the amount of 

cooperation, sympathy and help that we 

received from the townspeople and the wider 

community was unbelievable,” he added. 

Principal, Yvonne Griffin, gave a history of 

Athy Model School which opened on August 20 

1852 with 15 children enrolled. Today there are 

four class teachers. “The fire in March 2010 was 

a low point in our history,” she commented. 

“But many good points came out of it. The 

community support was amazing… The old 

Model building will always have a special place 

in our hearts but this is a new start for us and 

I thank the Department of Education for this 

building. It is a state of the art facility that brings 

a whole new dimension to learning that our 

6 ChURCh RevIeW 

Left: The chairman of the board of management of Athy Model School, Ron Condell, 

addresses the packed hall at the official opening and blessing of the new building. 

Right: As Archbishop Michael Jackson cuts the ribbon at the official opening of the 

new building of Athy Model School, the pupils prepare to let go their balloons. 

Left: Third to sixth classes at Athy Model School perform at the official opening of 

their new school building. Right: Pupils of Athy Model School present their principal, 

Yvonne Griffin, with flowers at the official opening of their new school building. 

children deserve.” Ms Griffin thanked the board 

of management, the parents, the school 

inspector and the teachers and staff. She also 

thanked Revd Cliff Jeffers and the pupils who 

she said it was a “privilege to teach”. The new 

building is located on a campus with three 

other schools and their all weather pitch is the 

envy of many, Ms Griffin stated. 

Speaking on behalf of the parents’ 

association, Vivian Cummins, praised the school 

and the quality of the building and campus. “We 

are in a time of uncertainty and a school can 

provide an anchor and concrete presence that 

strengthens a whole community,” he said. He 

paid tribute to the quality of the teaching staff 

and highlighted the school’s strong 

GIRLS FRIENDLY SOCIETY 

On Saturday the 19th of May 2012 Mrs Sylvia Quinn was 

commissioned as the Central President of the Girls Friendly Society in 

Ireland. The service was conducted by the GFS All Ireland Chaplain, the 

Rev Janice Aiton, Rector of Dunboyne. This took place in the Chapel of 

the Church of Ireland College of Education in Rathmines following the 

GFS Central Council meeting. Mrs Quinn succeeds Mrs Florence Higgins 

who has been the GFS Central President for the past six years. Mrs 

Quinn is the former GFS Diocesan President of Kilmore, Elphin and 

Ardagh and is currently a leader in her local GFS branch in Longford. The 

service was followed by a reception which included family and friends. 

performance in a recent whole school 

evaluation. He added that the parents’ role in 

education was vital in explaining the 

importance of education to their children. 

Sixth class pupil, Ciara Rowen, spoke of her 

love for her school and said what she liked best 

about the school was the fact that “we are all 

happy here”. She said they were lucky to have the 

new school although anyone who remembered 

the old school would miss its character. 

Archbishop Michael Jackson said it was clear 

that the school was a happy place where 

everyone could join together and rejoice in 

each other’s success. “We know that this 

doesn’t come out of nowhere. The commitment 

of the people who work here enables the 

school to be a happy place,” he stated. He said 

that the shared campus drew together a wide 

range of people and that there was strength in 

sharing together. 

“When your school disappeared in flames 

you may have wondered what the future held. 

Yet as Mr Condell said, within hours people 

rallied round to see what they could do to help. 

I’m sure you already have a school motto but 

‘What can I do to help’ could be your second 

school motto,” he suggested. “I thank each one 

of you for your willingness to find the time to 

be here today and for the sense of solidarity as 

the education process in Athy takes another 

leap into the future.”

Fun For All at West Glendalough 

Children’s Choral Festival 

ST MARY’S CHURCH in Blessington was 

packed to capacity with excited children for the 

West Glendalough Choral Festival. Torrential 

rain had stopped play on the first attempt to 

hold the event, which combines a service and 

sports day. However, the sun shone on the 

rescheduled day leaving the way clear for fun 

for the pupils of Athy Model School, Timolin 

National School, Jonathan Swift National 

School, Donoughmore National School and 

Blessington No. 1 School. 

The West Glendalough Choral festival has 

been running for many years. It started off as a 

Choral Festival specifically for the children with 

sports afterwards. It has since become a large 

event with between 400 and 500 people 

participating annually. The schools in Blessington, 

Donoughmore, Dunlavin, Timolin, and Athy all 

attend and take part in the service with a 

different school hosting the event each year. 

The service began with a welcome from the 

rector of St Mary’s, Revd Leonard Ruddock. He 

told the gathered children that the festival was 

an occasion for them to enjoy themselves and 

thanked all who had helped the reorganisation 

of the festival following the deluge. 

The service featured a special guest this year. 

Olympic torch bearer, Derek Williams, who 

divides his time between Blessington and his 

native Wales, attended the service with the torch 

he carried the Olympic flame with in Cardiff. He 

was chosen to be one of the torch bearers in 

Cardiff because of his involvement in athletics in 

Wales. His arrival in the church, which he attends 

while in Blessington, was heralded by a 

trumpeter from Blessington No. 1 School. Before 

reading the Olympic prayer he told the children 

in the congregation that he was honoured to 

have been invited to attend the service. 

The address was delivered by Maeve Seery, 

Development and Education coordinator with 

GOAL. She had just returned from Calcutta 

where she visited a project which is close to 

the hearts of the children of Blessington No. 1 

School. Mr Ruddock explained that through a 

parent of the school, they had been fundraising 

for a school in Calcutta and GOAL was 

carrying out the work on the ground. 

Ms Seery said that Calcutta was a very 

special place for GOAL is it was the location 

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NETWORK 

LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE 

The Children’s Ministry Network launched its new website. The website is full of information 

about the Children’s Ministry Network, its activities and forthcoming events. The Children’s 

Ministry Network (CMN) began in June 2011. The network is comprised of a representative 

from each diocese nominated by the Bishop and also a member of the House of Bishops, the 

Board of Education Secretaries, the Church of Ireland Youth Department Ministry Co–ordinator 

and up to three co–opted members including a representative from the Sunday School Society. 

The network aims to support grassroots leaders, diocesan representatives and clergy who 

are engaged in children’s ministry. It also highlights the important role of clergy in promoting 

and supporting children’s ministry within their parishes. The network also aims to provide 

opportunities for parish and diocesan based training designed and delivered appropriately to 

meet local requirements. The network aims to provide up–to–date information on a range of 

curriculum and other resources for use in children’s ministry in parishes. The new website has 

details of training events throughout the dioceses and provides recommendations and reviews 

of suitable resources. 

There is a representative from each diocese on the network. The diocesan representative 

promotes children’s ministry and training events within the dioceses. The Dublin & Glendalough 

representative is Revd Anne Taylor. She can be contacted by emailing dublin@cmn.ireland.anglican.org 

http://www.cmn.ireland.anglican.org/wp-login.php 

The website can be found at: www.cmn.ireland.anglican.org 

N E W S 

Left: Pupils from Timolin National School make their presence known at the West 

Glendalough Children’s Choral Festival which took place this year in St Mary’s 

Church in Blessington. Right: GOAL development and education coordinator, 

Meave Seery, tells the young congregation gathered for the West Glendalough 

Children’s Choral Festival of the work of the charity in Calcutta which is supported 

by Blessington No 1 School. 

The choir of Blessington No 1 School in action at the West Glendalough Children’s 

Choral Festival. 

for their first ever project 35 years ago. She said 

that while the city was about the same size as 

Dublin, it had a population of over 15 million, 

many of whom lived in extreme poverty. She 

showed pictures of Dappa Dump which is 

home to 6,000 people who spend their days 

going through the rubbish collecting glass and 

steel for recycling. She said GOAL was trying to 

make life better for these people and one of the 

projects they were undertaking was renovating 

the school which provides an educational 

lifeline to enable the children to escape the 

poverty trap. She said Blessington No. 1 School 

had paid for the renovations and extension of 

the school and thanked everyone there for 

their help. “Hundreds of children will get a 

chance to go to this school for many years to 

come because of what you have done,” she 

stated. The collection at the service was 

donated to Dappa School. 

Closing the service, Archdeacon of 

Glendalough, Revd Ricky Rountree, commended 

the children for beginning the day in prayer and 

for not taking their schools for granted. 

Following the service, a very competitive 

afternoon of sports took place with Athy Model 

School emerging the overall winners. 

ChURCh RevIeW 7

From the desk(s) of 3Rock Youth… 

as reported by Susie Keane 

International Eucharistic Congress 2012 

"I missed being in the IEC youth space so much 

this evening with the Youth Space IEC 2012 crew! 

Will never forget it and I am so glad that I got in 

just in time to be a volunteer at the congress! Met 

so many lovely people, seen old friends and made 

new ones, and and worked so hard I learnt a lot 

about my faith and felt so moved and inspired and 

want to trust in God and his plan more now.” – O 

Greg was offiially seconded to the IEC to 

participate in Co-Directing the youth arena 

with Anna Keegan of Catholic Youth Care. 

Thousands came togther from numerous 

traditions to worship and learn and dream of 

the today’s future for our churches. 3Rock 

Youth, with Susie Keane, Joanna Heaney, Aisling 

Glover, Elizabeth Grainger, Ethan Kumar as well 

Stephen Byford (Howth Youth Worker) 

oversaw community games, stage and 

programme management, MCing, as well as 

being 3 out of the 4 on the arena’s core team. 

Sam Stott (Rathmichael Youth Worker also DJ’d 

for us!).Greg also led the 11 volunteer prayer 

times (with over 80 volunteers at each), hosted 

a panel discussion on “Vocation”, took 

numerous interviews on ecumenism on radio, 

TV and in the main arena as well as speaking at 

the closing of the youth arena on Matthew 5 

14-16: "Here's another way to put it: You're here to 

be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. 

God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public 

…now shine!!!.” 

On the Saturday two weeks prior to the IEC 

the 3Rock Team also came to support the 

beginning of the 7 Churches Pilgrimage at St 

Ann’s as well as returning to St Ann’s to stamp 

pilgrimage passports through out the week. On 

the Monday of IEC 3Rock joined a service and 

lunch with Magis Ireland. Thank you to Rev. 

David Gilespie for the invites. 

Both the Youth Space and the ecumenical 

nature of the IEC was highlighted on the 

“Would You Believe” RTE programme hosted 

by Mick Peelo, in which Greg was a guest. This 

was to serve as a post-analysis of International 

Eucharistic Congress. Other guests included 

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier, Cardinal Cormac 

Murphy O’Connor and Bishop John McAreavey. 

Sam Stott (Rathmichael Youth Worker) 

also DJ’ing the IEC through the 

Eucaristic Bell. 

Greg Speaking at the 

IEC 1012 Youth Space. 

Projects galore at Urban Soul 2012. Urban Soul Projects 2012. 

URBAN SOUL: Indiscriminate Acts of 

Kindness 

“Thank you very much Urban Soul for organising 

a terrific week of serving, fellowship, worship, 

friendship, fun, banter, the list goes on…I cannot 

wait for next year! God bless you! Praise God!” – 

Participant 

“Had such a great time guys, thanks everyone 

for making it such a lovely week!” – Participant 

“Thanks for the most amazing 3 days! :)” – 

Participant 

Urban Soul’s 5th year took place earlier in 

the calendar in order to facilitate the packed 

summer schedules of most young people and 

families and it worked perfectly. June 26-28, was 

definitely a summer project to remember and 

at only €29 very accessible! 100 teenagers and 

university students dedicated 3 days to serving 

Dublin's inner-city; running primary schools 

programmes, painting & dancing at Elderly Care 

facilities, "beautifying" gardens across the city 

for the elderly and single parent families and 

giving our free tea and coffee for passers by at 

a street café. The new highlight was serving the 

5 charity shops in logging their warehouses full 

of clothing; working alongside SVP, Debra 

Ireland, WAWA Womans Aid, Enable Ireland and 

The Peter McVerry Trust. 

In the mornings we all gathered for worship, 

Stories from the Street & bible studies led by 

Rev. Rob Jones, RCCG’s Thywill Bankole and 

Newbridge’s Margaret Moore with music by 

Without Walls. On the Thursday evening an 

additional 50+ guests joined us, for free, as our 

speaker Danielle Strickland from the Salvation 

Army, Ferg Breen & Band and Stories from the 

Speaking, Dancing & Singing at Urban 

Soul 2012. 

Street encouraged us toward a transformational 

life of faith. 

The Mothers Union once again came and 

served those who were serving by feeding and 

encouraging the teenagers through out the day; 

a hugely selfless task that gives Urban Soul the 

strength to give beyond itself. Thank you. 

Urban Soul is a highly collaborative effort 

partnering with the Church of Ireland, CMS, RCCG, 

Alpha Ireland & Trinity Church Network. 

Thank you again for your continued prayers 

and support as we endeavor to see Jesus active 

in the lives of this generation. 

Greg Fromholz, Director, 3Rock Youth 

Check out www.3rock.net for further details 

on your United Diocesan youth work. 

8 ChURCh RevIeW

AROUND THE PARISHES... 

BOOTERSTOWN, CARYSFORT 

AND MOUNT MERRION 

The Rev. Gillian Wharton. Tel: 01-2887118. Mobile: 087-2300767 

Email: booterstown@dublin.anglican.org 

The Rev. Suzanne Harris. Tel: 087-9354869 

Email: curate.booterstown@dublin.anglican.org 

Diocesan Lay Reader: Ms Uta Raab 

Parish Office: St. Thomas’ Rectory, Foster Avenue, Mount Merrion, Co. Dublin. 

Tel: 2835873. Mon-Fri 9.00-12.00 

Email: mountmerrion@dublin.anglican.org 

Review Distribution: St. Philip & St. James: Yvonne Laycock 

St. Thomas: Denis Beare 

Parish Website: www.booterstown.dublin.anglican.org 

Services for August 

Every Sunday in August 

8.30 Holy Communion One in St Philip and St James’ Church. 

10.30 United Service in St Thomas’ Church. 

Every Wednesday throughout the year 

10.30 Holy Communion – St Thomas’ Church. 

PJT Youth Club 

The youth club finished its season with a trip on a Vikingsplash followed 

by a visit to McDonalds’ on Grafton Street on Friday 15th June 2012. We 

enthusiastically played our part, in our Viking hats and duly roared at all 

sorts of Celts from the DUKW; Lost Celts, Cappucino Celts, etc.! It was 

good fun, and we learned a little of the history of Dublin and then suitably 

attired in lifejackets, we toured the Grand Canal basin. 

We hope to resume in September, but we do need some more 

leaders and particularly female leaders. 

Left: Ella and Declan Marry doing a scary Viking impression on the PJT Youth Club 

trip around Dublin on a Vikingsplash Tour. Right: Members of PJT Youth Club from 

Booterstown and Carysfort with Mount Merrion getting ready to roar at the Celts on 

their Vikingsplash Tour of Dublin. 

Booterstown National School 

Open Day was held on Friday 15th June 2012. Parents came to our 

concert in St Philip and St James’ Church, and then visited the School 

to view our work. The following day was the school sports in St 

Andrew’s College (by kind permission) and despite a few heavy 

showers, all the races were run, prized presented and the ice cream van 

paid a visit. Thank you to the PTA who organised the School Sports 

and who have been doing an amazing job looking after the School 

Garden. The Rector has been spotted raiding the lettuce bed, the 

broad beans and the raspberry canes! 

At the end of June, we said good-bye to 6th Class. They have been a 

great asset to the school and we shall miss them. We also said goodbye 

to Luke Huet from Junior Infants as he and his family move to 

England and in particular, we thank his Dad Nick for serving as the 

Fathers’ Nominee on the Board of Management. 

We are delighted that Ms Stephnie Boyd who has been teaching in 

Booterstown National School for four years, covering maternity leaves 

and career breaks, has appointed to a permanent post in Sandford 

National School, but we are sorry too, as this means she will not be 

back with us in September – we wish her well and thank her for all that 

she has contributed to the School. 

We look forward to welcoming Mrs Shameela Lyons back to the 

Infant Classroom in September, after her two-year Career Break. 

Autumn Fair 

We still have to pay for our roof!!! Our fundraising continues in the 

autumn with an Autumn Fair at St. Philip and St. James’ on Saturday 13th 

October 2012. We need your support! We need to people to run 

stalls, to help at stalls, to make, bake, cook, gather, collect and buy!!! We 

are also holding a Monster Raffle, so there are lots of ways to get stuck 

in and help! 

The Rev. Sarah Marry 

Sarah’s Ordination to the priesthood is on Saturday 8th September 

2012 at 11.00, but please note that the venue has been changed – it will 

now take place in St Luke’s Church, Douglas, Cork. 

The Rev. Nicola Halford 

Our former youth worker and former Student Reader, Nicola, will be 

ordained to the priesthood on Friday 31st August 2012 in St Iberius’ 

Church Wexford. We wish her well in her curacy in Wexford. 

Staines Air Disaster 

On 18th June 1972, an aeroplane crashed in Staines, three minutes 

after taking off from Heathrow Airport. All 118 people on board were 

killed, including 12 Irish men. Now, 40 years later, three benches have 

been refurbished and an oak tree planted in Herbert Park in memory 

of those men. In the absence of Canon Ted Ardis who is on sabbatical, 

the Rector was asked to take part in a Mass in the Sacred Heart 

Church in Donnybrook and to bless the benches and the tree. 

Holy Baptism 

Elizabeth Michelle Robinson, the daughter of Michelle (née Twomey) 

and Alan Robinson was baptised on Sunday 17th June 2012, in St Philip 

and St James’ Church. Her big sisters Victoria and Alice poured the 

water into the font. Elizabeth’s godparents are David and Miriam 

McLoughlin. We wish Elizabeth every blessing as she travels through life 

as a child of God. 

Holy Matrimony 

Sarah Joanne Jermyn and Ross Charles O’Colmáin were married in 

St Patrick’s Church, Slane, County Meath, on Saturday 14th July 2012, 

followed by a reception at Tankardstown House. We wish them every 

happiness and blessing in their married life together. They moved to 

Canada a number of months ago, and came home to be married. 

Re-Affirmation of Marriage Vows 

On Saturday 30th June 2012, Charlotte (née Thomas) and Robert 

Kemmis re-affirmed their marriage vows in St Philip and St James’ 

Church, in celebration of their tenth wedding anniversary. We wish 

them continued happiness and blessing in their marriage. 

Congratulations 

To Archdeacon Robert Warren on his appointment as Incumbent of 

Taney – we look forward to welcoming him as our neighbour; to Canon 

Mark Gardner on his appointment as Incumbent of St Catherine’s and St 

James’ and St Audoen’s; to the Rev. Ian Gallagher on his appointment as 

Rural Dean of the newly proposed Monkstown North Rural Deanery; and 

to the Rev. Roy Byrne on his appointment as a Canon of Christ Church 

Cathedral. On 21st June 1987, the first woman was ordained in the 

Church of Ireland when Katharine Poulton was ordained to the diaconate. 

We congratulate her on the 25th anniversary of her Ordination. 

Katharine is now The Very Rev. Katharine Poulton, Dean of Ossory. 

BRAY 

The Revd. Baden Stanley. Mobile: (087) 948 4407 

Youth Pastor: Kirsty Lynch 

Parish Office: (01) 286 2968. Email: christchurchbray@gmail.com 

Review Distributor: Mr. Mulligan. Tel: 2863511 

8.30 am: Holy Communion 

11.00 am: 1st and 3rd Sunday – Holy Communion; 

2nd Sunday – Morning Prayer; 4th Sunday – Family Service; 

5th Sunday – Healing Service 

From the Rectory 

The Voyage 

Life is a journey in so many ways; from childhood to adolescence to 

adulthood. We are changing constantly. There are many parts to our 

24 CHURCH REVIEW

journey – or voyage – with times of calm and ease, and times of turmoil 

and torment. The vessels we journey in undergo changes as well and 

our ability to chart a safe or secure course can be waylaid by an 

unforeseen swell or squall that threatens to overwhelm us. And yet 

ships are not made to stay in the harbour; rather they are designed to 

traverse dangerous seas. We can rest and recuperate in the harbour 

but sooner or later we must return to what we were designed for. 

So what is it that we, the people of the parish of Bray, were designed 

for? In recent months we have been preparing for next year’s 150th 

celebrations. In developing the commemorative calendar we have been 

re-visiting our history; those things in our past that point to our 

characteristics and values. I remember the late Bishop Jimmy Moore, 

who was our guest preacher at our 140th celebrations in 2003, 

commenting on how Bray Parish was always a place of ‘community’ and 

how delighted he was to see that unique sense of community still 

shining through. Another hallmark of our parish has been our 

pioneering spirit. It turns out that we were one of the first parishes to 

be involved or associated with a number of pioneering events, for 

example in the 1870’s we were among the first to set up a Girls 

Friendly Society. In the 1950’s we were among the first to run the Wells 

Stewardship Scheme. In the 1970’s we ran one of the first Flower 

Festivals and more recently the Narnia Festival and the subsequent 

Remembrance Festivals have moved us into a third characteristic, 

namely story-telling. 

This art of story-telling will be at the heart of our three exhibitions next 

year. Remembrance, 10th-17th November 2013; Christ Church Bray 

150th , 14th July – 1st August 2013; Narnia 2 : The Voyage of the Dawn 

Treader, 13th February (Ash Wednesday) – 31st March (Easter Sunday). 

This combination of community, pioneering spirit and story-telling 

allows us to express our faith and our identity creatively. The act and 

process of transforming Christ Church into the wonderful land of 

Narnia or the haunting fields of Narnia enable us to deepen our sense 

of community and common purpose. The pioneering spirit requires a 

certain amount of madness and a large dose of faith. One of our 

important mantras is ‘It’s not about success or failure, it’s about 

obedience’. We are called, actually commanded, by Jesus to go into all 

the world – to make the Gospel of Jesus relevant and real to this 

generation. The art of story-telling is a wonderful way to capture the 

imagination, to engage the cynical or exhausted heart and to transform 

lives through wonder and hope. 

There are times (more than I am comfortable admitting) that I wonder 

what it would be like not to take on these extra festivals and exhibitions. 

The safety and steady rhythm of everyday ministry and community are 

tantalizing. But then I think of this amazing voyage we are all on and I’m 

glad God has called me to a community that has a pioneering spirit and 

a passion for telling stories; a community that recognises that ships are 

safe in harbours but are made for sailing the open seas. 

Baden. 


To the wonderful team who organised a great Parish Supper Dance 

at St. Andrew’s N.S. on Saturday, 16th June; to Rafe Alan Sloper who was 

baptised on Sunday, 1st July; to all who completed their state exams and 

are anxiously (?) awaiting results. 

Sympathy 

To the family and friends of Stephen Legg who died recently, especially 

his brother, Colin, and his great friends. 

Dates for your Diary 

Sunday, 5th August – 8.30am Holy Communion 2; 11.00am Holy 

Communion 2. 

Saturday, 11th August – 8.30am/9.00am – 1.00pm; Christ Church Bray 

Car Boot Sale 

Sunday, 12th August – 8.30am Holy Communion 2; 11.00am Morning 

Prayer. 

Sunday, 19th August – 8.30am Holy Communion 1; 11.00am Rite of 

Holy Baptism and Holy Communion 2. 

Saturday, 25th August – 8.30am/9.00am – 1.00pm; Christ Church Bray 

Car Boot Sale 

Sunday, 26th August – 8.30am Holy Communion 2; 11.00am Family 

Service. 

Wednesday, 29th August – 8.00pm Select Vestry Meeting in the Parish 

Life Centre. 

CASTLEKNOCK AND MULHUDDART 

WITH CLONSILLA 

Rev Paul Houston. Tel: 8200040 

Curate: Rev. Victor Fitzpatrick. Tel: 8212218 

Reader: Stella Obe. Tel: 087 2237402 

Parish Website: www.castleknock.dublin.anglican.org 

Parish Office: Jennifer McGrath (Mon- Fri 9.30am-1pm - 8200040). 

Email: castleknockparishoffice2@eircom.net 

Review Distribution: Beatrice Richards (8382590). 

Castleknock National School: Principal Mrs Sandra Moloney (8202611). 

Dear Parishioners 

At the moment, we are busy organising our Bible Holiday Club for 

Children. This will be held on Monday 13th – Friday 17th August, in the 

Parish Centre, Castleknock. The proposed age groups are: 5-6 years, 7- 

9 years and 10-12 years. Four-year-olds beginning school this 

September are welcome. 

The theme this year is ‘Sports Academy’. This is very topical with the 

Olympic Games going to be held in London. The week will consist of 

activities, Bible fun & learning, games, puzzles and adventure. The cost is 

€35 per child and includes all activities, refreshments and materials. 

Reductions are in place for two children (€60). 

I hope that the week will be well supported. We will have an all-age 

service on Sunday 19th August at 11.30am in St Brigid’s to conclude the 

week, with children involved. 

For more information please contact the Parish Office: 820 0040. 

Yours sincerely, 

Rev. Paul. 

Olympic Prayer 

The Church of England has released a special prayer for the London 

2012 Games. It is hoped that ‘A Prayer In Preparation For The 2012 

Games’ will spur on athletes, churches and anyone who is getting ready 

for the Olympics. The words, read in a podcast by British Olympic 

champion Christine Ohuruogu at www.churchofengland.org, are 

designed to be used in church services or alone by worshippers of any 

faith in a spare moment. 

Eternal God, 

Giver of joy and source of all strength, we pray for those who 

prepare for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

For the competitors training for the Games and their loved ones, 

For the many thousands who will support them, 

And for the Churches and others who are organising special events 

and who will welcome many people from many nations. 

In a world where many are rejected and abused, we pray for a spirit 

of tolerance and acceptance, of humility and respect and for the health 

and safety of all. 

May we at the last be led towards the love of Christ who is more 

than gold, today and forever. 

Amen. 

Services for August 

Sundays 

5th August 

8.30 am Holy Communion – St Brigid’s 

10am Holy Communion – St Mary’s 


8pm – Evening Prayer – St Thomas’s 

12th August 


10am Morning Prayer – St Mary’s 

11.30am Morning Prayer – St Brigid’s 


19th August 


10am Holy Communion & Holy Baptism – St Mary’s 

11.30am Service of the Word & Holy Baptism – St Brigid’s 


26th August 


CHURCH REVIEW 25


10am Service of the Word – St Mary’s 

11.30am Holy Communion – St Brigid’s 

8pm Holy Communion – St Thomas’s 

Please note that crèche facilities are available in the Vestry at St 

Brigid’s during the 11.30am Service. 

Holy Baptism 

St Brigid’s 17th June: Isabel Ann Booth & Aoife Kerrie Foran. 

St Mary’s 17th June: Sadhbh Karen Cadoo. 

St Brigid’s 23rd June: Hui Wang, Peng Li, Rebecca & Rachel Li. 

St Brigid’s 1st July: Nicholas Alexander Bielenberg. 

St Mary’s 8th July: Daniel Odimuko. 

We send our best wishes to the Parents and Godparents, and to the 

adults who were baptised. 

CLONDALKIN & RATHCOOLE 

Rector: Rev Alan Rufli. Tel: 087 9972401 

Email: clondalkin.rathcoole@gmail.com 

Readers: Mrs Sylvia Armstrong, Mr Bill King and Mrs Barbara O’Callaghan. 

Services: Sunday – St John’s 8.30 am. H.C. and 11.15; Rathcoole 10 am 

Wednesday – St John’s 11 am. Holy Communion 

School News 

At time of writing the Teachers and Pupils of St John’s National 

School are on holidays. The year ended with a service of Thanksgiving 

in the church on Wednesday 27th June during which the school said 

goodbye to the pupils in 6th class who were moving on into Secondary 

Schools. During the service pupils in 6th class were invited to bring 

forward items that reminded them of their time in the school. It came 

as no surprise that one of the “items” was Mrs Margaret Pardoe who 

retired as Headmistress during the year. Happily for Margaret the pupils 

didn’t leave their items on the Chancel steps for the service. A large 

number of parents & guardians joined the regular congregation at this 

service to celebrate and mark another year in the life of our school. 

The School tours this year took the Infants, 1st & 2nd classes to the 

Rathwood Falcony in terrible weather, which seems not to have spoilt 

the day too much. The 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th classes went to Glendalough 

and to the Bowling Alley in Stillorgan. These tours were largely financed 

by a raffle held during the very successful Drama Night. 

Congratulations to all who took part. 

In June Team St John’s NS took on the might of St Maelruain’s NS 

(Tallaght) in soccer. The match was played in Moyle Park College and 

ended with a resounding victory for St John’s. Goals form Ali (2) – Lee (2) 

– Alex (1) & Junior (1) saw the final score 6 – 1. It was an all-round good 

team performance with Zalan, Hannah, Luke, Yasin, Jake, Busola, Hanora, 

Charis, Lee, Kluivert, Faruq, Victor, Alan & the goalscoers all playing well. 

Perhaps this squad should have represented Ireland at the Euros! 

The school reopens on the 30th August 2012. 

Mothers’ Union 

On Sunday 24th June our Branch held a very successful Tea Party in 

the church Grounds following the Service in St John’s. A large 

attendance enjoyed the party in glorious sunshine. Our thanks go to 

Godon and his team for setting up and taking down the marquee, tables 

etc. used on the day. This was part of the “Mums in May” celebrations 

organised to celebrate 125 years of Mothers’ Union in Ireland. Although 

celebrated late in Clondalkin Rathcolle it was well worth the wait. 

Clondalkin Village Festival 

Clondalkin Village held it’s first Festival on the weekend of the 30th 

June/1st July. As part of the attractions St John’s Church was opened 

from 2 pm until 6pm on Sunday. Over 400 people came to the church 

and grounds. Joe Williams, the local historian was on hand to point the 

items of interest in the grounds. Many favourable comments were made 

to the members of the Parish who manned the church during the 

afternoon. It is hoped that next year will see another village festival 

when we will have the opportunity of sharing our church and grounds 

with the people of our village. 


Raymond Onwunali was awarded a bronze An Gaisce medal by 

Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Children at a recent ceremony in Moyle 

Park College. During the ceremony Raymond was chosen to thank the 

Minister and the school. We look forward to reporting his Silver Medal 

ceremony at some stage in the future. 

And finally some thoughts about excerise now that summer 

is here 

I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what 

I'm doing. 

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. 

Now he's 97 years old and we have no idea where the hell he is. 

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me. 

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them. 

Every time I hear the dirty word ‘exercise’, I wash my mouth out with 

chocolate. 

CRINKEN CHURCH 

Rev Canon Trevor Stevenson. Tel: 01 2820150 

Email: trevor@fieldsoflife.com 

Lay Reader: Stephen Gardiner 

Youth Worker: Neil Douglas. Mob: 087 6465281 

Email: Neil@crinken.com 

Website www.crinken.com 

Seeking to share God’s love in our neighbourhood! 

A one week wonder or a fifty two week commitment? Well, both 

really, at least that is our objective. With this in mind the church 

embarked on an initial one week programme from 12-17 June in order 

to start making new connections into the community. Following a 

sermon series on the topic of ‘a church without walls’, what better way 

to carry this forward than to engage with people of our 

neighbourhood. Also, to that end, all events for the week would take 

place outside and as near to the public road as practicable. 

Having created a festive atmosphere with bunting, gazebos, and 

appropriate street-side music, our week commenced with serving free 

strawberries and cream to any passers-by who cared to stop at the 

roadside gazebo. Some partook, said thank you, took one of our 

programme leaflets and moved on; others stopped to chat; good 

connections were made. 

This was followed on Friday evening with a community BBQ, 

attended by approximately 200 people in spite of poor weather and 

competition from the European football tournament! This was also a 

great opportunity to connect with families of children who attend our 

weekly clubs. The ice-cream van and children’s games were added 

attractions to the relaxed nature of the evening. 

Come Saturday morning despite being novices, we ran a car boot sale 

with no charge for pitches or teas/coffees. Twenty seven cars were 

booked in and most had satisfactory sales, but all were agreed that the 

atmosphere of the occasion was a relaxed and pleasurable experience, 

many asking ‘will you do it again?’ Definitely! 

The culmination – and – highlight – of the week was Sunday service 

in the car park by the roadside. We were joined by some who had 

connected with us during the week and many other friends as we 

worshipped the Lord together. Fully equipped with outdoor PA 

facilities, we enjoyed the ministry of Crinken Gospel Choir. We were 

led in prayers for a variety of community and national needs by visiting 

community representatives. The speaker, David Williamson, told his 

amazing story of how God had twice brought him back from death’s 

door with full healing after two very traumatic events; he impressed on 

us how God’s grace is available to each of us. All that, followed by a 

picnic in the car park and much chatting left us with a warm sense of 

God’s blessing, not just that day, but all week. Praise the Lord. 

One other feature of the week was that instead of making charges 

for anything a facility was provided for donations to St. Vincent de Paul 

resulting in them receiving a total of €958 to support those in our 

neighbourhood affected by the financial strains of our times. 

Most important was the prayer ministry over the week as a 

committed group prayed for all aspects of the week and the Lord’s 

blessing on everyone with whom we connected. 

So now folks, the other 51 weeks?!?! 

Robert Thompson 

Crinken Kids 

It is hard to believe that summer holidays are halfway through, but 

we’ve been enjoying them!!! Summer holiday club ran from 30th July- 

26 CHURCH REVIEW


parish stall while other stalls pay €10, coffee,tea and bakes and burgers 

are also for sale. 

The Parish BBQ on 23 June beat the weather – by going indoors! 

It was a great night and we raised over €2000 for the parish. As ever 

Flo & the team worked their magic making sure every detail was taken 

care of and everyone fed within an inch of their lives! 

St Patricks NS 6th Class had their farewell assembly in the 

Church on Friday 29th June. As ever it was a mixture of looking 

backwards nostalgically and looking forwards hopefully. This little cross 

roads in life brings laughter and tears from children, parents and 

teachers. The children are moving on to East Glendalough, St David’s 

and beyond – we wish them all well and they go having enjoyed and 

benefitted from their formative education at St Patrick’s. 

The Greystones Band 

A new book “The Greystones Band” by Victor Edmonds was 

launched on the 12th June in the Swann Hall. The book is the story of 

an exceptional group of mainly Greystones boys and young men who 

were members of Ireland’s first ever Boys Scout Pipe Band. They 

travelled freely and represented the Irish Free State at international 

scout jamborees including 1933 at Godollo in Hungary, this trip costing 

an enourmous £15 per scout at the time. 

The Band met Chief Scout Lord Baden Powell on a number of 

occasions, as well as the Prince of Wales in 1929 at Birkenhead. The 

band’s tutor was the renowned Irish piper William Nathaniel Andrews. 

The outbreak of the Second World War caused the demise of the band; 

in 1940 so many of the members left to join the forces. It is a wonderful 

story of halcyon days and of the achievements of a dedicated group who 

brought music and entertainment to Ireland and around the world. (The 

book is for sale at the Village Bookshop in Greystones, price €15). 

Greystones Art Group are holding their 47th Exhibition in the 

Swann Hall 11-15th July. It is the usual eclectic mixture of styles and tastes 

which draws great interest from within and beyond the community. This 

year the Exhibition is in aid of the Bray Women’s Refuge. 

The annual Churches Seaside Mission (CSSM) begins on Sunday 

15th July for one week. It represents a century’s old mission which is 

really well anticipated in the community; children and families travel 

from near and far to be here for it. It is non denominational/scripture 

union led. We look forward to a team from CSSM visiting St Patrick’s 

on Sunday 22nd to participate in our family service. 

LEIXLIP AND LUCAN 

The Rev. Scott Peoples. Tel: 01-624 9147. Mobile: 083-1357 328. 

Email: peoples.scott@ymail.com 

Lay Readers: Rosemary Fair, Joe Haughton, Irene Young 

Parish Office: 01-6240976. Fax: 01-6240846. 

Rector’s day off: Monday. 

St. Mary’s 

The painting is well under way at the time of writing. It will be terrific 

to see the end result. 

Many thanks are due to our painters for their efficient work, to our 

churchwardens for shifting their home to Lucan for the period of the 

work and to all parishioners for their co operation during the time. 

The wait will have been truly worth it. 

Stewardship 

Like all maintenance parish finances and volunteer lists have to be 

updated from time to time. 

With this in mind a stewardship campaign will be rolled out from 

September onwards. 

Volunteer visitors will be required for the programme and we would 

welcome anyone who would like to participate. 

Back to School 

I know its a bit early but planning for the financial demands of the 

return to school can be the focus of every family at this stage. 

Assistance can be obtained to assist with these demands and an 

approach to the parish officewould be the first step. 

New School 

By now the planning application will have been with South Dublin 

County Council for over a month and the clock is ticking positively 

towards the provision of our new school by September 2013. The 

school will be built to facilitate twice the present school population and 

will reach its capacity by 2021. New facilities will bring new 

opportunities and we look forward to these into the future. 

NARRAGHMORE AND TIMOLIN 

WITH CASTLEDERMOT 

AND KINNEAGH 

Rector: Rev. Isaac Delamere. Tel: 059 8624278 

Readers: Mr. Philip Hendy. Tel: 059 8636518 

Mrs. Avril Gillatt. Tel: 059 8624974 

Review Distribution: Mrs. Beatrice Hendy. Tel: 059 8636518 

Mrs. Charlotte Glynn. Tel: 059 8623167 

Mrs. Elsie Ubank. Tel: 059 9144176 

Parish Website: www.narraghmoretimolincastledermotkinneagh.com 

Bolton Abbey 

It was a pleasure to be invited to attend the Abbatial Blessing of Dom 

Michael Ryan by Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin on the 11th of July at 

Bolton Abbey in Moone. Fr. Michael is the fifth abbot of Bolton since 

its foundation fifty years ago. There are presently ten monks in Bolton 

Abbey and there ministry of prayer and Christian witness is greatly 

appreciated and valued by the wider community. We assure Fr. Michael 

of our support and best wishes in his new role as abbot. Some 

interesting words from the rule of St. Benedict on the election of an 

abbot which are worthy of reflection “Let the abbot strive to be loved 

rather than feared.. he must show forethought and consideration in his 

requests, and whether the tasks he assigns concerns God or the world 

he should be discerning and moderate and he must so arrange 

everything that the strong have something to strive for and the weak 

are not discouraged”. 

Timolin School 

On the 29th of June Timolin National school held its end of year 

closing service. It was a pleasure to have with us local political 

representatives, members of Kildare GAA team and Darragh Wyer 

from Kildare County Council for the raising of our second Green 

Schools flag as well as the unveiling of a plaque for excellence in maths 

and science. A certificate was presented to Sara Moody in recognition 

of having a full attendance record throughout the school year. Her 

brother Cian who is a pupil at Colaiste Lorcain also received a similar 

certificate for full attendance. So well done to the Moody family! Our 

sixth class pupils shared reflections on their time in TNS. We wish Alley 

Stanley, Gary Hendy, Jordan Stanley and Brandon Kelly well as they 

begin post primary school in September. 

Belfast Trip 

On Saturday the 11th of August close to one hundred people will 

travel to Belfast to visit the Titanic museum. We are greatly looking 

forward to the outing which includes a tour of Belfast city and a visit 

to the Ulster museum and botanic gardens. 


The first week of July was a cause of double celebrations for Charles 

and Judy Chambers on the marriage of their son Alastair to Edwina 

Kelly as well as the arrival of their third grandchild, baby Eva. 

Wedding 

Congratulations and best wishes to Geoffrey Deane and Elizabeth 

Pearson who were married on the 12th of July at Fontstown church. 

The service was conducted by Rev. Cliff Jeffers assisted by the Rector. 

N&T Barbeque 

The barbeque will take place on Saturday the 25th of August at the 

Sportsmans Inn Timolin. 

Afternoon Tea Party 

Our senior citizens and their parish visitors had a wonderful 

afternoon at the home of Naomi and Jeffrey White, Blackhall Castle. It 

a great opportunity for people to socialise. Enormous thanks to the 

ladies who prepared the food and entertained everyone for the 

afternoon. Despite the fact that we had no pianist this year it didn’t stop 

Naomi leading us in song! 

52 CHURCH REVIEW

Archbishop Michael Jackson leads the Christian Prayer at the National Day of 

Commemoration Ceremony in Collins Barracks. (photo: Patrick Hugh Lynch) 

The Army No. 1 Band and the Band of 4 Western Brigade at the National Day of 

Commemoration Ceremony in Collins Barracks. 

Government ministers enter the quadrangle of Collins Barracks of the 

National Day of Commemoration Ceremony. 

Members of Kilternan Parish Tuesday Club on their outing to Fota Wildlife Park 

in June. 

Greg Fromholz and Rob Jones with David McWilliams who spoke at Fresh 

Expression in Holy Trinity. 

The committee of Christ Church Cathedral Past Choristers Association who 

helped to organise the annual reunion which took place in the cathedral. Former 

members of the choir gathered to sing Evensong with the current cathedral choir. 

Christ Church Cathedral Past Choristers Association gathered in the cathedral for their second annual reunion. The event, which aims to reconnect those who have 

been part of the cathedral’s long musical past, drew former choir members from all over the country. The former choristers rehearsed in the afternoon and then 

sang Evensong with the current choir at a service which welcomed delegates from the International Eucharistic Congress. A reception, hosted by the Dean, took 

place in the Chapter Room afterwards. 

54 CHURCH REVIEW

Presentation of cheque by the JAM Club to HDAI at All Saints’ Raheny on 24th June. 

The Zimmerman family from Nepal visited Delgany parish. Back row: Brian 

Glanville (Chair Mission Partnership Committee) Gordon Elliott (Church 

Warden), Deirdre Zimmerman, Mark Zimmerman, Meg Elliott, Rev Harry Lew 

and Audrey Smith with the Zimmerman boys, Zachary and Benjamin. 

Queen Elizabeth II meets the people of Enniskillen. (Photo: Harrison Photography) 

Above: Pupils from Athy Model School, Timolin National School, Johnathan Swift 

National School, Donoughmore National School and Blessington No 1 School, 

filled St Mary’s Church, Blessington for the annual West Glendalough Children’s 

Choral Festival. 

Left: Olympic torch bearer, Derek Williams; rector of Blessington, Revd Leonard 

Ruddock; Archdeacon of Glendalough, the Ven Ricky Rountree; and GOAL 

development and education coordinator, Maeve Seery, following the West 

Glendalough Children’s Choral Festival in St Mary’s Church in Blessington. 

CHURCH REVIEW 55

The pupils of Athy Model School at the service to bless and officially open their 

new building. 

First and second pupils singing at the official opening of Athy Model School. 

Archbishop Michael Jackson and chairman of the board of management, Ron 

Condell, unveil a plaque in the hall of the new Athy Model School. Also pictured 

are school principal, Yvonne Griffin and rector of Athy, Revd Cliff Jeffers. 

Junior and senior infants of Athy Model School perform at the official opening and 

blessing of their new building. 

Pupils perform some Irish dancing at the official opening and blessing of Athy 

Model School. 

Robin MacCaw a great grandson of Bram Stoker and Douglas Appleyard and 

his wife Pat at the Service in St Ann’s. 

Members of PJT Youth Club from Booterstown and Carysfort with Mount 

Merrion getting their Viking hats ready for their Vikingsplash Tour. 

56 CHURCH REVIEW

Some of the dogs, cats, a pig and their owners following the very successful Pets service outside Timolin Church on 24th June 2012. 

Members of Dublin City Interfaith Forum attending their inaugural seminar at 

the Wood Quay Venue. Pictured are Alan Bruce of Universal Learning Systems, 

Dr Melanie Brow of the Dublin Orthadox Jewish Community, Hilary 

Abrahamson of the Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation, Deepak Inamdar 

of the Hindu Cultural Centre, Pastor Mark Oshiokameh of the Redeemed 

Christian Church of God and Adrian Cristea, programme officer with Dublin 

City Interfaith Forum. 

A selection of the people who attended the inaugural seminar held by Dublin City 

Interfaith Forum. 

Adrian Cristea, programme officer with Dublin City Interfaith Forum, Revd 

Canon Ginnie Kennerley of the Church of Ireland, Hilary Abrahamson of the 

Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation and Shaheen Ahmed of the Islamic 

Cultural Centre of Ireland at DCIF’s inaugural seminar. 

The Friends of Christ Church Cathedral with Archbishop Michael Jackson on their 

visit to the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in Clonskeagh. 

Tom, Brenda, Sheila and Diana at the recording of the St Ann’s service in RTE. 

John and Joyce Patterson from Delgany celebrated their 50th wedding 

anniversary recently. 

CHURCH REVIEW 57


New Parish Administrator 

We are delighted that the Select Vestry has decided to employ an 

official part time Parish Administrator. (Contact details at the top of the 

parish notes). Karen Reynolds has been at the centre of most parish 

activities for many years and she has agreed to take on this position. 

The work of an administrator will increase greatly when the Parish 

Centre is in use and it is great to be building towards that future. We 

wish her well. 

Parish Barbeque 

The Annual Barbeque will be held on Saturday the 25th of August in 

the grounds of the Rectory Cottage. All welcome. Adults €10 Children 

€5. Bring your own meat and drinks. Salads, Breads, Potatoes, Children’s 

Sausages, Desserts and music provided. 

Diocesan Inter-Parish Hockey Tournament 

This year nine teams entered from various parishes and it was, as 

always, a fun tournament and great social event. Unfortunately 

Newcastle (last year’s winners) were eventually beaten by the eventual 

winners Dalkey Parish. Thank you to all concerned. 

Coffee & Point of Contact 

Coffee in the cottage continues as usual on Tuesdays from 10.30am. 

Everyone is welcome to drop in. If you have any queries, or need to 

contact anyone on parish business please call in to the cottage on a 

Tuesday morning. 

Time Out 

We will meet on the first Tuesday of the month during August in the 

Rectory Cottage at 8pm. 

Sunday School 

Sunday School starts again on 9th September. We want to put a call 

out for adult volunteers to help. We now have two age groups and so 

need four people every time. Contact Mary or Karen for information. 

Lunch 

The popular monthly lunch will be held in the Rectory Cottage on 

Thursday the 16th of August. Price €7.50. Please let Karen know if you 

plan to attend as space is limited. 


Congratulations to Joe Bradley, the organist in Newcastle and St. 

Matthew’s. He is to be organ scholar for the new academic year in 

Trinity College and so will be leaving us in September. We are delighted 

with his success but will miss his beautiful playing. 

Heritage Week 

On 20th August the well known historian Chris Corlett will return 

to the Community Centre in Newcastle at 8pm. to give a talk on 18th 

Century Headstones in Co. Wicklow. Also for Heritage week, there will 

be a historical walk from the Community Centre on the 25th of August 

at 2pm. The walk will take approximately 2 hours. 

Calary 

Parish Barbeque 

June and Willie Roe have kindly offered their house as a venue for the 

Calary Parish Barbeque, which will take place at 6.30pm. on Saturday 

18th August. Tickets can be booked with Ethni Seymour (2863890), 

Elizabeth Kiely (2818270) or Derek Neilson (2818118). 

Heritage Week 

Calary church will again be open during Heritage Week. The church 

will be open between 2pm. and 5pm. on the 18th, 19th, 25th and 26th 

August. Tea and coffee will be available and plants and country produce 

will be on sale. There will be free guided tours of the church and 

grounds with a chance to see John Nelson Darby’s pulpit. Darby was 

influential in founding the Plymouth Brethren and is also known in the 

theological world as the “father” of dispensationalism. Darby was 

curate in the Calary area between 1826 and 1828 and when Calary 

Church was consecrated in 1834 the pulpit that he had used in the 

adjacent school was moved to the church and continued to be used 

until the 1820s. 

POWERSCOURT WITH KILBRIDE 

Rector: The Venerable Ricky Rountree. Tel: 2863534 

Email: rbrountree@gmail.com 

Curate Asst: Rev Terry Lilburn. Tel: 086 8865361 

email: terrylilburn@gmail.com 

Website: www.powerscourt.glendalough.anglican.org 

Parish Office: (Secretary, Hazel Thompson) 

Tel/Fax 2863862 Email: powerscourtns@eircom.net 

Review Circulation: Mrs Joyce Roe. Tel: 2862645 

School Car Boot Sales during May & June concluded successfully 

on the last Saturday in June raising very welcome extra funds for the 

activities of the Parent Teacher Team of the school. The school closed 

for the summer on 29th June but tasks including the completion of 

snags to the new building and the filling of vacant posts will continue 

throughout the summer. School will reopen on Thursday 30th August. 

Children’s Sunday Club which has been traditionally called 

Mustard Seed in the parish is being reformed now that we have new 

facilities near the church. For a number of years the children’s club met 

on Wednesday evenings. Training for the new leader team began in June 

with Safeguarding Trust training, which will be followed up later this 

month with further training for leading the sessions. Mustard Seed will 

meet on Sunday mornings at 11.30 in Powerscourt when the children 

will come to the main morning service for junior church and then move 

to the School Hall for their activities. Parents and adults will join them 

after the service for coffee etc. Mustard Seed will meet every Sunday 

except for the Family Service on the second Sunday of each month. It 

will begin on Sunday 16th September. 

Men’s Shed meets every other Thursday in the shed at 7.30pm. 

During July there was both a Land Rover night and a demonstration of 

a gas cylinder wood burning stove. The Men’s Shed Group have set 

themselves the task of producing wacky musical instruments to add to 

the fun of the Victorian Field Day on 16th September. Further work 

also needs to be carried out on the shed itself. 

Annual Joint Parishes Golf Classic will be held in Powerscourt 

Golf Club on Sunday 2nd September. It will be a double shot gun start 

at 9.30am 7 2030pm. Teams of four are invitied at €360 per team which 

includes dinner, a BBQ on 10th tee and super prizes. Book your team 

by phoning Eddie (087 2598887) or Des (0872568366). 

Other Future Dates 

Back to Church, full attendance Sunday on Sunday 9th September 

at 10.00am in Kilbride and 11.30 in Powerscourt. All parishioners are 

asked to be in church on that day and to invite and accompany a friend to 

church. Tea & coffee after the services. 

The Enniskerry Victorian Field Day will take place on Knocklinn 

Farm, Ballyman Road on Sunday September 16th nestled between Bray 

and Enniskerry and 30 minutes from Dublin city centre. Last year this 

unique event attracted almost 4,000 people! The fantastic programme 

Wedding of Gillian Wallace & David Jones. 

58 CHURCH REVIEW

will repeat the popular shows and activities such as steam threshing, 

sheaf pitching, tug of war, vintage car and tractor shows, arts & crafts 

and of course the delicious and much bigger food fair. Other highlights 

which will have mass appeal across the generations and will include the 

pony and carriage rides, a dog show, puppetry, nail driving, arm 

wrestling, horseshoe throwing, archery, falconry, bucking bronco, 

carousels, a climbing wall and much more. We hope to offer you a truly 

traditional rural family fun day out with live music throughout the day. 

Entry fee will be €5 per person with children free of charge. Gates 

are open from 11am to 5pm. 

Last year the event supported the Dublin MS Centre. This year the 

special project is the building fund of the Wicklow Hospice. 

Parish Registers – Holy Matrimony 

15th June: Liz Regan & Andy Roberts. 

7th July: Gillian Wallace & David Jones. 

RATHDRUM & DERRALOSSARY 

WITH GLENEALY 

Canon John McCullagh. Tel: 0404-43814 

Email: rathdrum@glendalough.anglican.org 

Holy Baptism 

Callum James Brady son of Hugh and Caitriona and great grandson 

of Tom Delamere was baptised in St John’s on Sunday 8 July. The rector 

risked causing a riot by suggesting that it would, perhaps, have been 

appropriate to baptise Callum in St Saviour’s. This was based on the 

premise that Callum means dove and the dove is shown descending 

from heaven in the east window in St Saviour’s. Thankfully the 

parishioners of St John’s are most eirenic and tolerant of the curiosities 

that slip occasionally into the sermon. The east window has been very 

much on our minds as it needs significant repair. 

We remember Callum and all who have been baptised recently and 

pray they will feel part of the church and congregation. 

Harvest Thanksgiving 

The Archdeacon of Glendalough will be the preacher at the service 

in St John’s on Friday 7 September. The Venerable Ricky Rountree has 

also agreed to dedicate the set of inner doors which have been given 

by Tom Delamere in memory of his late wife Gladys. 

Dr John Harris a lay Methodist circuit preacher and trustee of the 

Methodist Church in Ireland will preach at the service in Glenealy 

Parish Church on Friday 28 September. Dr Harris is known to a 

number of parishioners as Newpark School’s catchment area once 

extended to Laragh and Wicklow Town. He also served as principal in 

Sandford School and Wesley College. The site for Glenealy Church was 

selected by John Wesley on a visit to the Tighe Family of Rosanna at 

Ashford. The sweet chestnut tree under which he preached at Rosanna 

is still flourishing. The Wesleyan link and the tenth anniversary of the 

Methodist and Church of Ireland Covenant make his visit very significant. 

Both these services commence at 8 pm and there will be the 

opportunity afterwards to chat over tea and goodies. 

Holy Matrimony 

Aileen Johnston and Angus Woods were married in Glenealy Church 

on Thursday 28 June. This was one of the few days when there was 

sunshine even though many had been prepared for rain. Indeed Angus 

like all our farmers has been under pressure due to the difficult 

weather conditions and he had been in the fields making silage the 

previous day and had to break off for the rehearsal. We wish Aileen and 

Angus every blessing. 

Glenealy Barbeque 

Thanks to the hard work of Cecil Bradshaw, his sons and assorted 

helpers a wonderful marquee provided a delightful venue for the 

barbeque and the ladies of the parish, under the direction of Hilary, 

provided a range of salads and desserts to accompany the steaks. The 

kindness of the Bradshaw family in opening their house grounds and 

giving so much time to the work is greatly appreciated. It was another 

delightful event with hospitality and chat and appreciated support from 

a wide area. The funds will help to defray the programme of works at 

the parish church and graveyard. 

WICKLOW AND KILLISKEY 

Rector: Canon John Clarke. Tel: 0404 67132. 

Associate Vicar: The Revd. Ken Rue. Tel: 087 2766590. 

Review Distributors: Mrs. Frances Douglas. Tel: 0404 67137 (Wicklow). 

Mrs. Vera Webster. Tel: 0404 40299 (Killiskey). 

Thank you to Ken Hastie for preaching on Sunday 15th July, and to 

Canon Peter Norton for his ready help. Also to organists Margaret 

Scarlett and Margaret Bloomer for playing while Klaas and Neville are 

taking a well earned break. 

Thank you also to Trevor and Allyson Minion (and their team!) for the 

excellent Barbecue on Sunday 8th. July at their home. 

Baptisms in Wicklow 

Kara and Callie Sheane (twins) on Sunday 17th June. 

Roisin Maud Jackson and Olivia Ida Elizabeth Ladouri on Sunday July 1st. 

School’s Services 

Each of our primary schools held the end of term services in their parish 

churches – the Glebe School in Wicklow and Nuns Cross in Killiskey. 

Kit Sealy 

All who knew her were saddened at the death of Mrs. Kit Sealy in 

England at the age of 90. A Service of Thanksgiving for her life will be held 

at 2.30 pm. on Friday 27th July in Nuns Cross, followed by Burial of ashes. 

Kit moved to Wicklow in 1977 . She and her husband John immersed 

themselves in Wicklow life, hillwalking and exploring the countryside, 

and becoming very involved in all aspects of parish life. Following John’s 

death in 1997, Kit stayed on in Wicklow, tending to her wonderful 

garden and seeing friends and family. She lived on her own until last 

year, when, aged 90 and a week, she boarded an Aer Lingus flight not 

having flown for over 50 years and started a new life at Pendean 

Nursing Home in Midhurst, West Sussex. Whilst only there for 11 

months, she settled in very quickly and had a lovely room on the 

ground floor overlooking the beautiful gardens. Nothing pleased her 

more than to have a quiet stroll on the patio and lawn at Pendean, 

getting out to have coffee in the local farm shop or visiting Siobhan and 

John and family. As long as she had a book and a radio, she was perfectly 

content. She always had a story to tell, enjoyed everyone’s company and 

could find humour in any situation. She will be sorely missed. 

Parish Picnic 

This has not been the most warm and sunny of Summers! However 

we are hoping for better weather as we plan for a Joint Service in 

Killiskey followed by Parish Picnic on Sunday, 29th July. We are also 

looking forward to our next Parish Barbecue on September 9. 

Orchestral Concert 

On Friday, 17th August, with Chamber Philharmonia of Cologne 

(Wicklow). This has always proved to be an enjoyable and worthwhile 

event. 

Our Confirmation Candidates 

Alex Bayley, Hana Blake, Hugh Bradshaw, Connor Burnham, Stephen 

Finlay, Joe Fisher, Victoria Flynn, Lisa Fogarty, Lauren Gillanders, Phoebe 

Glover, Lucy Heather, Victoria Hoblyn, Leah McDonagh, Sarah Pogue, JJ 

Power, Holly Vambeck, Nicola Vambeck, Jessica Cox, Oisin Daunt-Smyth, Rian 

Daunt-Smyth, Alexander de Vries, Peter Hastie, Alfie Heather, Claire 

Henderson, Thomas Hudson, Saranne Law, Blake McNiffe, Rebekah Pile, 

Killian Pogue, Michelle Sheane, Stephen Swan, Anna Yague, Thomas Yennusick. 

Joint Select Vestry Meeting on 27 June 

A lively and important meeting was held in the Bel- Air hotel, for the 

presentation of Church 21 by Peter Norton and Matanja de Boer. It is 

over a year since both select vestries decided to sign up to Church 21. 

Peter Norton started with a powerpoint presentation, Mattanja de 

Boer also spoke followed by a group discussion. There is much which 

will be shard by the parishioners. The evening closed with prayer, 

followed by tea, biscuits and chat. 

Some dates to note 

September 23rd – “Back to Church” Sunday. 

September 30th – Preparation Service for Confirmation Candidates 

and their families in Wicklow. 

October 5th to 9th – Harvest Festival weekend. 

October 14th – Confirmation Service in Wicklow. 

CHURCH REVIEW 59

WILSON’S HOSPITAL SCHOOL 

CO-EDUCATIONAL BOARDING SECONDARY SCHOOL 

Under the patronage of Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Ireland 

• Outstanding academic record and progression to Third 

Level 

• Convenient yet rural location set on 200 acres, just off 

M4/N4, less than 10 minutes west of Mullingar. 

One hour and 15 minutes from Dublin 

• 400 pupils (280 Boarders from 22 counties) ensuring 

happy, caring, wholesome and tranquil environment 

• Pastoral care, school nurses and doctor, 24 hour 

supervision including active night time care, 

Wilson’s never sleeps 

• Bedrooms contain 3 or 4 beds 

• School Chaplain, Sunday night Chapel service, 

Morning Assembly, Award winning Choir 

• Lifelong friendships established 

• Five day teaching week – extensive weekend recreational 

programme for pupils remaining at weekends 

• Choice of 20 subjects to Leaving Certificate level 

• Staff supervise all study. Strong emphasis on career 

guidance. Academic focus 

• New classrooms under construction 2012 

• Wide range of recreational activities, team and 

individual sports, indoor and outdoor 

• Seven day boarding fee: €7,767 (level of maximum 

SEC grant) 

• Extensive programme of grants, bursaries and 

scholarships 

For further information 

and prospectus, 

contact 

The Headmaster, 

Mr Adrian G. Oughton 

B.A., HDip. Ed., D.E.M. 

Head Boy 

Wenceslas 

Head Girl 

Lorraine 

www.whs.ie 

MULTYFARNHAM, CO. WESTMEATH 

TEL: 044 - 9371115 FAX: 044 - 9371563 EMAIL: WILSONSH@WHS.IE

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