What's New @ Christ Church Cathedral Dublin

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL DUBLIN: THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY COMMONLY CALLED CHRIST CHURCH DUBLIN


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13/06/2009	Canon Patrick Comerford reports on forthcoming ordination of deacons in his blog, including the fact that ' tomorrow week, on Sunday 21 June, four deacons will be ordained in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin'. Elsewhere, a blog on the lesser-known saints of Ireland makes use of the martyrology of Christ Church, an edition of which is now online on archive.org. A variety of views of the cathedral appear in KJZ's recently uploaded Flickr album.
12/06/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 12 June 2009) pictures ordinands to the stipendiary ministry including David McDonnell in the Christ Church cathedral group of parishes, Dublin.
11/06/2009	Canon Patrick Comerford reports on his blog, under the heading 'An encounter with the unknown and boundless deep' on last night's launch by Sebastian Barry of the Icons in Transformation exhibition in the crypt.
10/06/2009	Suggested intercessions for Trinity Sunday 7 and Sundays 14, 21 & 28 June, and 5 July 2009 are now online. The June Gallery of the diocesan website features the Salmon and Strawberry lunch in the crypt organised by the cathedral Friends' last Trinity Sunday, including photographs of the administrator, Michael Denton, with his wife, Margaret Daly Denton, lecturer in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute; Canon Pastor Mark Gardner, Irene Hayes and Margaret Mack; as well Ken Rue and artist Ludmila Pawlowska whose exhibition 'Icons in Transformation' opens in the cathedral this evening. The official stayDublin.com blog notes the free performance of Handel's Messiah on Friday 19 June 2009 at 7.00pm conducted by Simon Carrington.
09/06/2009	A reminder that as part of the Dublin Shakespeare Festival, the Dublin University Players, directed by Patrick Reevell, will perform Richard II, act 5, scene 5 today in the crypt from 3.00-3.20pm.
08/06/2009	Advanced noticed that a quarter peal attempt will be made on Sunday 28 June 2009 at 12.30. Focusing on the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn, the Irish Times reports on his 'signature that spans musical eras', noting a current exhibition of his works at the Chester Beatty Library, and the fact that the Lassus Scholars will perform his Missa Brevis in F in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, this Sunday 14 June at 11.00, and again on Sunday 28 June in St Kevin's church, Harrington Street, Dublin.
07/06/2009	Today, Trinity Sunday, is the patronal festival of Christ Church cathedral, the cathedral of the Holy Trinity, as noted and explored on the blog of Canon Patrick Comerford.
06/06/2009	The Church of Ireland notes today (Saturday 6 June 2009) note that Christ Church will hold its patronal festival tomorrow (Sunday), while another Christ Church cathedral in Lisburn will celebrate the 400th anniversary of it being granted a royal charter by James I in 1609. Also noted is that the major touring exhibition, Icons in Transformation will be opened in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin on Wednesday evening by the award winning Irish novelist, Sebastian Barry. The Christ Church exhibition, which is the only Irish venue on an international tour, features the work of the celebrated Russian born artist, Ludmilla Pawlowska, who now lives in Sweden. As part of the Dublin Shakespeare Festival, the Dublin University Players, directed by Patrick Reevell, will perform Richard II, act 5, scene 5 on Tuesday 9 June 2009 at 3.00-3.20pm at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, as reported on Culch.ie. Also, for an atmospheric view of the cathedral see Bamapachyderm's blog, also reproduced on Flickr.
05/06/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 5 June 2009) notes that St Patrick's cathedral is to launch an extensive new history, which will compliment the history of Christ Church published in 2000. In the letters page, Adrian Hilliard notes with relief during recessionary times that next year's synod will take place at Christ Church in Dublin, while in another letter, Dermot O'Callaghan responds to Senator David Norris's address given at Christ Church on 17 May for the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) service. A festschrift in honour of Professor Howard B. Clarke, historian of medieval Dublin and for many years the chairman of the Friends of Medieval Dublin, will be launched by Professor Nicholas Canny, President of the Royal Irish Academy in the RIA on Tuesday week at 6.00pm. The volume, which pictures Christ Church in the centre of the model of medieval Dublin in Dublinia, includes articles about the cathedral by Stuart Kinsella on the cloister, by Michael O'Neill comparing it with other Augustinian Irish buildings, and by Raghnall Ó Floinn on the late-medieval relics.
04/06/2009	An organ recital will be given by James Dyer this Monday 8 June 2009 at 2.00pm. All welcome. Admission included in entrance fee.
03/06/2009	A new poster for the forthcoming free performance of Handel's Messiah at the cathedral on Friday 19 June 2009 at 8.00pm, sung by the 2009 Dublin Messiah Festival Chorus and conducted by Simon Carrington, director of the Yale Schola Cantorum and professor of choral conducting at Yale University. The soloists will be Roisín Ó Grady (soprano), Tania Sewell (alto), Eugene Ginty (tenor) and Jeffrey Ledwidge (bass). A PDF file of the concert poster is also now available online. Details of the St Olaf Choir evening concert on Saturday 6 June 2009 at 8.00pm are also available on Gigsta.co.uk, while the cat and rat are pictured in the blog of Martha and David Staple.
	Details of a lunchtime concert on Wednesday 1 July 2009 at 1.15pm by the Heartland Youth Choir from the USA are now available online. Also a new poster for the lunchtime concert on Wednesday 24 June 2009 at 1.15pm given by the Langley Youth Orchestra, Fairfax County, USA as 'A Tribute to the Musical Tradition of Ireland and the United States of America' is also now online. The cathedral is also photographed on Ryan McGuire's blog, while a recent press release about Lyons tea of all things, reveals that the original company was founded not far from the cathedral in 1902.

31/06/2009	A great Flickr photograph of the cathedral has recently been uploaded by Lafalott.
30/05/2009	One blogger visited Christ Church with a heavy heart having read the Ryan Commission Report admitting 'Christ Church isn’t Catholic, but the consequences of this scandal affect them as much as St Patrick’s Cathedral nearby', while the Irish Examiner discussing the same revelations recalls President McAleese receiving communion at Christ Church. The aforementioned blogger also includes a marvellous shot of head capitals in the south aisle, another muses on the Dublin churches, including Christ Church, while Alex Lukawski's Flickr collection includes some marvellous HDR images of the cathedral. The Church of Ireland notes today (Saturday 30 May 2009) highlight the ecumenical Powerscourt 150th anniversaries, where Archdeacon Ricky Rountree is rector of the two Church of Ireland churches. Also noted is the forthcoming screening on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at 8.00pm of the iconic silent film, Nosferatu the Vampire, the sound for which will be improvised live on the cathedral organ by the internationally renowned concert organist, David Briggs.
29/05/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 29 May 2009) includes an article headed 'Church must "stand up" and denounce gay and lesbian hatred - ground-breaking services told' reporting on the services held at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, St Fin Barre’s Cathedral Cork and St George’s church, High Street, Belfast on Sunday 17 May to mark International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). Senator David Norris's address can now be found online on the cathedral website and on his own website.
27/05/2009	Part of the Church Review notes for July 2009 are now online.
26/05/2009	Dublin Tourism's Visit Dublin site notes the forthcoming concert by the Dublin Orchestra and Austrian tenor, Adam Urosevic, as a double debut, the first performance of the newly-founded orchestra, conducted by Luke O'Sullivan, and the first Irish performance of the Urosevic. A number of photographers have also uploaded new images of the cathedral, viz. Marian Grimes and mmauro on Flickr, and Jim Marlo on his Grinwithoutacat blog.
23/05/2009	Details of a quarter peal of 1260 Plain Bob Minor rung on Friday 22 May 2009 are now online.
22/05/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 22 May 2009) this week includes an article by diocesan communications officer, Garrett Casey, on the forthcoming Icons exhibition at the cathedral, which he notes as 'unique and unmissable'. Also noted under the headline 'Cathedral to host Gothic horror', is the screening of the 1922 silent move, Nosferatu the Vampyre on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at 8.00pm. The sound track will be improvised by international concert organist, David Briggs.
21/05/2009	Suggested intercessions for today, Ascension 21 May, and Sundays 24 and 31 May 2009 are now online, as are those belated for Sundays 17 May.
20/05/2009	On his blog of St Matthias' Church News (May 2009), the rector of St Matthias church writes: 'Niall Stratford will be ordained deacon to serve as non-stipendiary curate in our parish on Sunday, 21st June at 3.30 pm in Christ Church Cathedral. This will be the first time since the Nineteenth Century that someone will have been ordained to serve in the parish and we hope for a large representation from the parish at the cathedral that afternoon. The Rector is preaching at the service, at which four people will be ordained, so will be able to see from the pulpit who is present!'
19/05/2009	The Church Review notes for May and June 2009 are now online.
18/05/2009	The diocesan website in its May Gallery includes photographs of the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) including the reader, the Revd Norma McMaster; the preacher, Senator David Norris, and both pictured with the Dean Dunne and the Revd Mervyn Kingston of Changing Attitude Ireland.
17/05/2009	Full details are now online of a lunchtime concert to be given by the Langley Youth Orchestra from McLean, Virginia in the USA on Wednesday 24 June 2009 at 1.15pm. The theme of the concert will be 'A tribute to the musical traditions of Ireland and the United States of America' and willbe conducted by Dr Scott McCormick. The programme will include works by Bernstein, Meyer, Mitchell and Ungar, as well as traditional arrangements and those by Balmages, Celtic Storm, Gruselle, Marshall and Newbold. Entrance to concert included in admission charge. Details are also available of the lunchtime recital by John Mountford, cathedral organ scholar (2007-9) on Saturday 27 June 2009 at 1.15pm in which he will perform a lunchtime recital of preludes and fugues by Bach, Dupré and Hindemith, Sonata II. Photographer, Kaarakainen, captures the cathedral shrouded in gothic atmosphere.
16/05/2009	Today at Christ Church, Taney, the cathedral bell ringers won the Murphy Cup, which is the Irish Association of Change Ringers annual striking competition, most prestigious All-Ireland ringing competiton, the ringing equivalent of the Sam Maguire! Also reported in a Ringers' Intelligencer for May 2009, here is a picture of the victorious team proudly holding the Murphy Cup. The diocesan website notes the forthcoming lecture by Dr Michael O'Neill next Saturday 23 May entitled 'Christ Church cathedral & the tale of two cloisters' in the Robert Emmet Theatre, the Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin, at 11.30 at the 11th annual Friends of Medieval Symposium. The Church of Ireland notes today (Saturday 16 May 2009) highlight new books (some launched at the recent General Synod) including the Clergy of Meath and Kildare, edited by W.J.R. Wallace, a regular face as a volunteer at Christ Church, and former head of history at the High School, Rathgar. It is a revision and updating of the late Canon J.B. Leslie’s unpublished biographical succession lists of the clergy of these two dioceses. Notably the bishops of Kildare from 1681-1846 were also deans of Christ Church. Also noted is the that for the first time special services have been arranged by Changing Attitudes Ireland to mark IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia) which will take place tomorrow (Sunday) in St George's Church, Belfast at 3pm, Christ Church cathedral, Dublin at 3.30pm and in St Fin Barre's cathedral, Cork at 7pm.
15/05/2009	Canon Patrick Comerford notes the forthcoming exhibition entitled Icons in Transformation from Thursday 11 June to Sunday 19 July 2009, which is the only Irish venue for an international tour that includes cathedrals and churches throughout Europe, including Scandinavia, Britain and Switzerland. Canon Comerford will also be organising a lecture day at the cathedral on 'Icons in Liturgy and Culture' which takes place on Saturday 27 June. Dublin Tourism notes the forthcoming free performance of Handel's Messiah at the cathedral on Friday 19 June 2009 at 8.00pm, sung by the 2009 Dublin Messiah Festival Chorus and conducted by Simon Carrington, director of the Yale Schola Cantorum and professor of choral conducting at Yale University. The Irish School of Ecumenics and the School of Religions and Theology, Trinity College Dublin will hold the sixth public lecture in the series Encounters with Islamic Theology with a lecture entitled 'Doing Christian Theology in Islamic Terms: the Unity and Trinity of God in Early Christian / Muslim Dialogue' by Prof. Sidney H. Griffith, Catholic University of America, Washington DC. The lecture will take place in the Davis Lecture Theatre, Room 2043, Arts and Social Science Building, Trinity College Dublin on Monday 25 May 2009 at 7.00 p.m.. There is a €7 charge for the lecture, but it is free to students and unwaged.
14/05/2009	A review by Professor Anthony S.G. Edwards of De Montford University, Leicester of Raymond Gillespie & Raymond Refaussé (ed.), The medieval manuscripts of Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, reproduced from the Times Literary Supplement, is now available online. Blogger, Paul Oakley, muses on the histories of the Dublin cathedrals, and writes an articulate and interesting comparison of his recent experience of evensong at Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals. Gaire and Gay Newry highlight the forthcoming IDAHO (International Day Against Homophobia) service in Christ Church on Sunday 17 May. A website of Dublin City Public Libraries, Dublin: One City, One Book, notes the forthcoming live organ improvisation by David Briggs to the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu, the Vampyre.
13/05/2009	Advance notice that there will be a quarter peal attempt on Sunday 25 May 2009 at 12.30.
12/05/2009	Details of a lunchtime concert entitled 'Furibondo spira il vento' (Furiously blows the wind, from Handel's opera Partenope) to be given on Friday 5 June 2009 at 1.15pm by mezzo-soprao, Tuula Vouiltlain, an alto lay vicar choral in the cathedral choir are now available online. The programme will include a smorgasbord of songs and arias by Bach, Handel, Schubert, Debussy and de Falla. Entrance to the concert is included in the admission fee to the cathedral. The Church of Ireland and diocesan websites note the dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough taking a number of the annual Church of Ireland Communications Awards, which went to the Glendalough parish of Castledermot and Kinneagh with Narraghmore and Timolin for best parish magazine or newsletter, with the Dublin parish of Taney highly commended. Taney also won runner up in the best parish website category, as was the diocesan website in the diocesan category. In the new technologies category, Canon Patrick Comerford won the prize for best blog.
09/05/2009	Music development officer, Peter Parshall notes on Choral Ireland that international concert organist, David Briggs, will improvise a live soundtrack on the cathedral organ to the iconic 1922 silent movie Nosferatu the Vampire on Wednesday 3 June 2009 at 8.00pm. Tickets are €12/€8 (concessions) from musicassist@cccdub.ie or telephone 01 677 8099 x 216. David Briggs is one of the foremost concert organists of his generation and is particularly well-known for his sensational skills as an improviser. His silent movie improvisation concerts are deservedly renowned. David's website can be found at www.david-briggs.org.uk. The Church of Ireland notes today (Saturday 9 May 2009) report on the Churches and Europe noting a recent conference held in the European Parliament in Brussels and at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre at Mechelen (Malines). Representing the Church of Ireland's ‘Working-Group on Europe’, it was attended by Dr Kenneth Milne, also the honorary keeper of the archives at the cathedral.
08/05/2009	Full details of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland which takes place from Friday 8 until Sunday 10 May 2009 in Armagh City Hotel, can be found online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 8 May 2009) this week notes the Belfast choirs that sang services at both Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals in Dublin on the second Sunday of Easter, when the cathedral choirs were on holiday. At Christ Church this was the choir, Sciolto, while St Patrick's welcomed the choir of St John’s, Malone. Christ Church's service on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on Sunday 17 May 2009 has been noted on Religiousleft.us and Idahomophobia.org. Meanwhile a range of blogs muse upon and photograph the cathedral.
06/05/2009	UK Gay News reports 'Gay Groups in UK and Ireland rally against worldwide homophobia' noting that Changing Attitude Ireland, the Christian pro-gay network, is to hold special church services at Christ Church cathedral, Dublin (3.30pm), at St Fin Barre's cathedral, Cork (7pm) and at St George’s Parish church, High Street, Belfast (3pm) to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on Sunday 17 May 2009.
05/05/2009	The Herald reports that Dublin is great, but we're too bored to realise, noting that most Dubliners have never visited the city's treasures, also giving the cathedral cat and mouse a mention.
04/05/2009	The Royal School of Church Music Ireland is sorry to announce that, due to unforeseen circumstances, this coming Saturday's festival services in Dublin and Downpatrick will be postponed until the autumn. Furter details of the Ottoni Ensemble which will give a lunchtime recital on Saturday 30 May 2009 at 1.15pm. The concert will feature the Irish premiere of Equepieces by Derek Ball, as well as works by Samuel Scheidt and Leonard Bernstein. The ensemble was the first brass group to win the chamber cup in the Feis Ceoil in 2001 and can also be found online on their MySpace site. A wide range of photographs of the cathedral including some of the icons from the forthcoming Icons in Transformation exhibition (11 June-19 July 2009) are available in a set of images by theinevitablemrzodo on Flickr.
03/05/2009	The Early Modern History blog notes the forthcoming conference on Nobility in Early Modern Ireland on Saturday 23 May 2009 at 14.30 at which Stuart Kinsella, this website's editor, will give a paper entitled 'The art of nobility at Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, 1500-1700'.
01/05/2009	A reminder that the Royal School of Church Music Ireland annual choral festival takes place next Saturday afternoon, 9 May, at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin. The deadline for booking is Monday 4 May, and details and booking forms are available on the RSCM Ireland website. An exhibition entitled 'James Hoban, architect of the White House' runs in city hall for the month of May (as reported on Archiseek). Hoban was a student in the Dublin Society drawing school under Thomas Ivory, a former architect of Christ Church. A Malaysian blogger writes of her conversion to Christianity following a visit to Christ Church in April 2009.

30/04/2009	The Ulster Herald muses on bells noting those at Christ Church, Dublin.
29/04/2009	Details of the festival of icons at the cathedral entitled Icons in Transformation, which runs from 11 June until 19 July 2009, are now available online on the diocesan website. The exhibition consists of icons by Russian-born, Swedish-resident artist, Ludmila Pawlowska, and a number of the larger icons will be dramatically suspended between the pillars in the nave along with smaller works, which will be displayed throughout the cathedral. As part of the exhibition there will be a series of lectures on Saturday 27 June on the theme of Icons in liturgy and culture, speakers for which will include Dom Gregory Collins OSB, author of the Glenstal Book of Icons, Dr Sarah Smyth of the Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies, TCD, Tim Thurston, presenter of Lyric FM's Gloria and Canon Patrick Comerford, Director of Spiritual Formation in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dublin. Full details available on the cathedral website, while the April gallery of the diocesan website features photographs of Ludmila Pawlowska, with the dean, with the icons project manager, Des Campbell, and with Aonghus Dwane, a member of the cathedral culture committee. Advance notice that Idaho Day (International Day Against Homophobia) will be celebrated at Christ Church on Sunday 17 May 2009 at 3.30pm. Changing Attitude Ireland invite all to a service of the word on the theme 'Don't throw Stones' at which Senator David Norris will speak.
28/04/2009	The Society for Musicology in Ireland also note the seminar in St Patrick's cathedral on 'Architecture and Music in Context' tomorrow, Wednesday 29 April at 18.30 in which papers will examine Dublin's two medieval cathedrals from an acoustic perspective to assess the links between architecture and music. For further information please contact Fiona Smyth, fiona.m.smyth@ucd.ie. The diocesan website notes that St Mary's Pro-Cathedral will be the Dublin venue for the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) choral festival on Saturday 9 May, which will be held simultaneouls in Downpatrick cathedral in Northern Ireland. Judy Martin, director of music at Christ Church will conduct in Dublin, accompanied by Peter Barley, organ, while Michael McCracken, director of music at Down cathedral will conduct at Down cathedral, accompanied by Stephen Hamill. The RSCM Ireland co-ordinator is Peter Parshall, also the music development officer at Christ Church. Also noted on the diocesan website is that there is a vacancy in the neighbouring St Patrick's cathedral group of parishes which includes the medieval St Audoen's church on High Street, and St Catherine's Church, Donore Avenue, as well as close links with St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin.
26/04/2009	An Irish author and photographer, Don Mullan, has assembled an exhibition of images taken with his mobile phone which is on display, entitled A Thousand Reasons for Living, until Tuesday at Gallery One, No. 1 Castle Street, Dublin 2. One of the images is of the hands of Millvina Dean, the youngest and the last survivor of the Titanic disaster, a biography of whom he is also writing.
25/04/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 25 April 2009) focus on the launch of the tenth volume of Irish Musical Studies published by Four Courts Press this evening, edited by Professor Barra Boydell (NUI, Maynooth) & Kerry Houston (DIT Conservatory), both respectively associated with the music of Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals. Dr Houston is also associated with a seminar on Wednesday evening entitled 'Architecture and Music in Context', which will examine the interaction of architecture and music in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, part of a collaborative project to analyse and capture the acoustic profiles of both St Patrick’s and Christ Church between the cathedrals, UCD Architecture, UCD Urban Institute and TCD Engineering departments. demonstrations of musical acoustics in architecture. The seminar is preceded by evensong which begins at 17.40. The Church of Ireland Historical Society also meets today in the Robinson Library, Armagh, while in Christ Church this weekend, the services will be sung by the Piccolo Lasso (today) and Lassus Scholars (tomorrow).
24/04/2009	In the Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 24 April 2009) this week, the Diocesan Focus article is on Dublin and Glendalough written by Garrett Casey who notes that the fourteen lay ministers (and one in absentia) commissioned at the Chrism Eucharist at Christ Church on Tuesday 7 April 2009 are part of a 'quiet revolution’ in lay ministry in the Church of Ireland which began with the then Canon Rountree's appointment as a new diocesan director of lay ministry in 2005 in succession to the previous warden of lay readers. Pictured were Archbishop John Neill, Archdeacon Ricky Rountree, and the Revd John Tanner, who was commissioned as the new diocesan director of lay ministry.
21/04/2009	Advance notice that the St Olaf Choir from Minnesota in the USA, will give an evening concert of a repertoire from the baroque through American spirituals to the 21st century on Saturday 6 June 2009 at 8.00pm in aid of Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin. A video associated with their 2009 tour of Ireland, Wales and England can also be found online. Remaining on a Scandinavian theme, later in June, there will be a a lunchtime concert given by Chorisma, a Swedish choir from Boden, on Tuesday 16 June 2009 at 1.15pm, when they will sing a range of Swedish and other sacred music. In her blog, Steph reports on last Thursday evening's performance of Messiah by the cathedral choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia. The blog, Lucy's Lounge, reports on a birthday party held in the crypt last Saturday.
19/04/2009	Former ringing master, Gary McGuire, has supplied details of the quarter peal of 1260 Grandsire Triples rung today after the morning eucharist, to celebrate the birthday of the mother of one of the ringers, and to mark the 250th anniversary of the death of Handel. The diocesan website in the April gallery features a photograph of Neil Francis (bass guitar) and Phil Laslett (drums), part of the David Rees-Williams Trio which played in the cathedral for the Handel Festival.
18/04/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 18 April 2009) highlight the visit of the archbishop of Sydney to Ireland to address a meeting in St Saviour's Church, Dollingstown on Monday at 8.00pm organised by the Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy. Also noted is that today (Saturday) evensong at the cathedral will be sung by the Belfast-based chamber choir, Sciolto, who will also sing the services tomorrow. Details of the forthcoming lunchtime concert by the brass quintet, the Ottoni Ensemble on Saturday 30 May 2009 at 1.15pm are now online.
17/04/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 17 April 2009) notes a DVD on vocation to the ordained ministry, entitled As I am, produced by Canon Katharine Poulton, the Church of Ireland Central Director of Ordinands. Ringing master, Ian Bell, has supplied notice that there will be a quarter peal attempt rung this Sunday 19 April 2009 at 12.30. For those finding Anglicanism hard going sometimes, two websites might be of interest to lighten the spirits, a satirical Scottish Episcopalian Church blog entitled Taking the Episcopalian, and of course the self-styled 'website of Christian unrest', the Ship of Fools.
16/04/2009	Suggested intercessions for Sundays 19 & 26 April, and Sunday 3 & 10 May 2009 are now online.
15/04/2009	Full details of the lunchtime concert to be given by the Dominican Festival Choir on Friday 15 May 2009 under the directorship of Father James Marchionda are now available online. Details of cathedral opening hours and entrance charges which have just recently been updated are now online. The Irish School of Ecumenics' major surveys of 21st century faith go live today. The surveys which are intended for both clergy of all Christian denominations and religious faiths, and also for lay people can be completed online at www.ecumenics.ie/survey. The Irish Times today notes plans to reduce the speed limit to 30km per hour throughout most of Dublin city centre including national primary roads such as the N81 which includes Christchurch Place, Lord Edward Street, Cork Hill and Dame Street, also noting how these Proposals recast Dublin and its traffic, as also noted on Archeire.
14/04/2009	Advance notice of two lectures on Christ Church cathedral which will be of interest. On Saturday 23 May 2009 at the 11th annual Friends of Medieval Symposium, Dr Michael O'Neill will deliver a paper in the Robert Emmet Theatre in the Arts Building, TCD at 11.30 entitled 'Christ Church cathedral & the tale of two cloisters'. The Friends of Medieval Dublin conference (also noted on the Heritage Council website) is open to all and is free of charge. The same day, Dr Stuart Kinsella will give a paper at 14.30 at a conference in NUI, Galway on Nobility in Early Modern Ireland, entitled 'The art of nobility at Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, 1500-1700'. Later that week on Friday 29 May 2009 at an interdisciplinary conference on Dublin and the Pale in the Renaissance in the Swift Theatre in Trinity College, Dublin, the same lecturer will give a talk at 12.15 entitled ''All gorgiusly wrought': Renaissance influence at Christ Church cathedral, Dublin'. Temple Bar Cultural Trust offer another opportunity to win tickets for the Dublin Handel Festival, this time for the David Rees-Williams Trio on Friday 17 April 2009 at 8.00pm.
13/04/2009	The Irish Times reports (also reproduced on Clerical Whispers), that 'Faith can help during recession' according to Cardinal Seán Brady, quoting also from Archbishop Neill's sermon which stated that it was 'no longer possible to afford credibility to the selfishness that lay close to the heart of those [Celtic Tiger] boom times'.
12/04/2009	Happy Easter to all visitors to the cathedral website. The archbishop's Easter sermon in which he urged 'Christians to lead a life of hope when all around the prophets of despair abound' is now online on the cathedral, Dublin & Glendalough diocesan and Church of Ireland websites, a message conveyed in the article 'Clerics deliver Easter messages' in the Irish Times, reproduced on the Clerical Whispers blog, while the later also features an article 'Easter brings message of hope in economic gloom, say churchmen' sourced from the ArchDiocese of Armagh. The diocesan website also includes in the April gallery photographs of the lighting of the Paschal candle in the old chapterhouse ruins, carried by Archdeacon Pierpoint, and adult confirmations at the Easter Vigil on Saturday. The Easter Day Festal eucharist features photographs of Deacon Kalmer Keskula of Estonian Lutheran Church, with the dean and Canon Canon John Bartlett, the archbishop preaching, verger, Patrick Tierney leading the choir out, and Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion processing out with Canon Adrian Empey, formerly both precentor and principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College.
11/04/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 11 April 2009) highlight the forthcoming programme for the spring meeting of the Church of Ireland Historical Society, which will be held in the Public Library, Armagh (Robinson Library), on Saturday 25 April 2009. The society meets twice a year: in the Robinson Library, Armagh, in April, and in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, in November and exists to promote scholarly interest in the history of the Church and to facilitate publication. Also noted is that tomorrow (Sunday) is Easter Day when, by tradition, the bishops preach in their diocesan cathedrals. Also noted is that as part of the Dublin Handel Festival, 'Celebrating Handel 250', the cathedral choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia will perform Messiah in the cathedral on Thursday, and this will be followed on Friday evening by a concert by the David Rees-Williams Trio which brings a jazz treatment to the classical repertoire.
10/04/2009	Today's Good Friday service will be a liturgy of the Lord's Passion and Ante Communion, which will take place at 3.30pm and include music by Casals, Goss, Poulenc and Sanders. The performance of Messiah sung by the cathedral choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia (Thursday 16 April, 7.30pm) and the classical-jazz David Rees-Williams Trio (Friday 17 April, 8.00pm) are both highlighted as taking place in the Handel Festival in an article on G.F. Handel as artist and entertainer by Arminta Wallace in the Irish Times today. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 10 April 2009) notes the recent launch by the renowned British choral conductor, organist and composer, Sir David Willcocks, of the the cathedral choir’s new CD, I Love All Beauteous Things, which features some of the lesser known works of the composer, Herbert Howells.
09/04/2009	Holy Week and Easter services at Christ Church are noted today among cathedral services listed in the London Times. The Irish School of Ecumenics and the School of Religions and Theology, Trinity College Dublin will hold their fifth public lecture in the series Encounters with Islamic Theology, with a lecture entitled 'Questioning Usul al-Fiqh' by Professor Tariq Ramdan of the University of Oxford, which will take place in the Davis Theatre, Room 2043, the Arts Block, Trinity College Dublin on Monday 27 April 2009 at 7.00p.m. €7 charged per lecture, but free for students and the unwaged. The library of the Church of Ireland dioceses of Derry and Raphoe, referred to as 'a Cinderella of the book world', is being restored by University of Ulster. The core of the collection of 5000 books was collected by the then bishop of Derry, later archbishop of Dublin, William King. Blogger, Sheila, includes Christ Church in her postcard a day site.
08/04/2009	Services for Good Friday and Eastertide at Church of Ireland cathedrals including Christ Church are listed today on the Church of Ireland website. On her blog, Dublin-based pianist and artistic director of Sarabande: the Glenn Gould Project, Karishmeh Felfeli, heartly recommends the forthcoming performance at the cathedral by the David Rees-Williams Trio on Friday 17 April 2009 at 20.00 as a 'must see concert',and even changed her playlist on her radio programme on City FM 103.2 (formerly Anna Livia Radio) to encourage more Dubliners to go and hear them. Temple Bar Cultural Trust are holding a competition offering free tickets to the Handel Festival for those who can email them the year in which Handel was born. Full details are also available of a concert on Friday 29 May 2009 at 8.00pm by the Dublin Orchestra, with guest tenor soloist Adam Urosevic. Blogger, Alice Cash, reports attending 'a beautiful Evensong service on Saturday' 5 April at Christ Church.
07/04/2009	The address given by Archbishop Neill at the Chrism Eucharist today in the cathedral can be found on the diocesan and cathedral websites. Also on the diocesan website is the archbishop's Easter message. The diocesan website also pictures in the April gallery a photograph of clergy and lay readers assembled in the cathedral for the Chrism Eucharist, at which were commissioned new lay ministers, such as Anne Lodge and Uta Raab, and the a new diocesan director of lay ministry, the Revd John Tanner. The Irish School of Ecumenics recently won a prestigious research award from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (Grants in Theology and Religious Studies) for a three-year research project entitled Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism: Diversity, Dialogue & Reconciliation, and wish to advertise two doctoral studentships for this multi-disciplinary research project that will evaluate the theological significance and impact of the ecumenical project in Ireland and internationally. Daragh Doyle on his Culch.ie website gives a wonderful promotion of the forthcoming performance of Messiah, noting the competition for tickets being run by Temple Bar Cultural Trust, and including some great photographs of the cathedral and choir.
04/04/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 4 April 2009) announce that the archbishop of Dublin will preside in the cathedral at the Holy Week services.
02/04/2009	Suggested intercessions for Palm Sunday 5 and Easter Sunday 12 April 2009 are now online. It is with sadness that we learn of the death today of Basil Grace aged 78. A member of the committee of the Friends of Christ Church, and for many years the organising force behind the Hibernian Catch Club, the singing and dining club founded for the lay vicars choral of Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals, he will be greatly missed.
01/04/2009	A website for the new Church of Ireland Theological Institute has just been launched, which can be found at www.theologicalinstitute.ie. RTÉ's Nationwide report last Friday on the recent Limerick Festival of Church Music may be of interest.

31/03/2009	Details of the services are now available for Holy Week & Easter 2009. Beginning with Palm Sunday on 5 April, when there will be a liturgy of palms and a sung eucharist, there will be a Chrism Eucharist celebrated on Tuesday at 12.00 at which 15 lay ministers will be commissioned including 13 trainees who have recently completed the new foundation course. On Wednesday the girls' choir will sing evensong, while on Maundy Thursday there will be a eucharist and stripping of the altars at 18.00, and a liturgy at the altar of repose at 21.00. On Good Friday at 15.30, there will be a liturgy of the Lord's Passion and Ante Communion, while on Easter Eve the Easter vigil takes place at 21.00. Easter day celebrations will take place at 11.00 with a festal eucharist and 15.30 with a festal evensong.
30/03/2009	An interested programme entitled the Narnia Code will examine C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia on BBC1 this Easter on Thursday 16 April at 22.35, in which a code is revealed which links each story to a planet. Lewis was raised as a member of the Church of Ireland in Belfast, became an atheist and famously converted back to Christianity aged 33 under the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson.
27/03/2009	The diocesan website notes the thanks of Archdeacon Edgar and Glady Swann to the diocese for the fond farewell which they received at Christ Church following evensong on Sunday 8 March 2009.
26/03/2009	The diocesan website gallery for March 2009 features a number of photographs of cathedral events including a presentation made to Archdeacon Swann at which the choir sang on Sunday 8 March, pictured with the archbishop and his successor Canon Rountree, and with Ron Condell and his wife Gladys. Also included are pictures from the music and musings evening, including a group picture of audience members: Pat Liddy, Dr Muriel McCarthy and Frances Blackburn, Siobhan Doyle and Fred Deane singing from the Merry Widow, and members of the girls' choir singing. The cathedral girls' choir and the girls of St Bartholomew's choir were also pictured at a recent joint evensong.
25/03/2009	Choral Ireland notes the two forthcoming concerts as part of the Handel Festival: Messiah sung by the cathedral choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia (Thursday 16 April, 7.30pm) and the David Rees-Williams Trio (Friday 17 April, 8.00pm). The Irish Times, as noted by Archiseek, reports that St George's Church in Hardwicke Place has been restored for use as offices. Restored by conservation architect,James O'Connor, the original architect was Francis Johnston who built the GPO, the chapel royal at Dublin castle, Nelson's pillar, and proffered an idea to stabilise the spire of St Werburgh's church, which would ultimately be dismantled.
23/03/2009	For those who enjoyed the crypt quiz held by the Friends last month, there is another opportunity for a quiz night being held at St George's & St Thomas's church, Cathal Brugha Street on Friday 24 April 2009 at 7.30pm organised by Canon Katherine Poulton to raise funds for the Discovery Gospel Choir. Tickets €10 per person, tables of four.
21/03/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 21 March 2009) note that on Thursday evening the latest CD by the cathedral choir, I Love All Beauteous Things: Choral and Organ Music by Herbert Howells issued by Signum Records, will be launched by Sir David Willcocks, the doyen of British choral music and a former director of music in King's College, Cambridge. The CD consists of choral and organ music by Herbert Howells whose compositions have become a staple part of the Anglican musical repertoire. Howells, who held, among many other appointments, the King Edward Chair of Music at London University for 1954 to 1964, died in 1983. The Christ Church Choir, directed by Judy Martin and with Tristan Russcher at the organ, has already received favourable reviews for the performance on this disc which is on the Signum Classic Records label. The disc is available in the Christ Church Cathedral shop at €15. Dublin Tourism gives full details of the forthcoming Handel Festival (13-19 April 2009) including the two concerts (16-17) at the cathedral.
20/03/2009	The Irish School of Ecumenics and the School of Religions and Theology, Trinity College Dublin are holding their fourth public lecture in the series Encounters with Islamic Theology, entitled, 'Mut’azilism: Common Rational Theology between Islam and Judaism', which will be given by Professor Wilferd Madelung of the University of Oxford in the Davis Lecture Theatre Room 2043 in the Arts block, Trinity College Dublin on Monday 23 March 2009, at 7.00p.m. Entry €7, or free for students and unwaged.
18/03/2009	With the launch of the cathedral choir CD I Love All Beauteous Things: Choral and Organ Music by Herbert Howells issued by Signum Records to take place on Thursday 26 March 2009 after evensong,by the celebrated Sir David Willcocks,those visiting the website might be interested to read some recent reviews of the CD, including that by Ed Breen of Musical Criticism, which touches on issues of mixed cathedral choirs and can be read here in full. Details of the two concerts at the cathedral for the Handel Festival in April are posted today on Choral Ireland: Messiah (Thursday 16 April, 7.30pm) and David Rees-Williams Trio (Friday 17 April, 8.00pm).
17/03/2009	Happy St Patrick's Day. The roads around the cathedral will be closed until the conclusion of the St Patrick's day parade, as reported in the Irish Times today.
16/03/2009	The Church Review notes for April 2009 are now online. Further details of the concert by Castle Consort, the choir of Carrickfergus Grammar School are now available. The concert will take place under the direction of Edward J. Craig, with organist Stephen Hamill, on Friday 27 March 2009 at 13.15 and will consist of a programme of sacred music alongside madrigals and irish folksongs including repertoire which celebrates the anniversaries of Purcell, Haydn and Mendelssohn. Entrance to the recital is included in the admission charge. Details are also available of the forthcoming lunchtime concert by the Nevada Union High School Choir from Grass Valley, California who will perform on Saturday 11 April 2009 at 1.15pm, conducted by Rod Baggett. Entrance included in the admission charge to the cathedral. The Evening Herald, as reported on Archiseek, notes that property developers planning a major scheme on Capel Street will have to carry out an extensive archaeological study of the historic site, given that much of it is potentially the site of the original St Mary's abbey, one of the Dublin's largest medieval monasteries, its chapter house, a protected structure at 3 Meeting House Lane being the only survival of the abbey.
14/03/2009	The St Patrick's Festival concert to have taken place on Monday 16 March 2009 sung by the cathedral choir has unfortunately had to be cancelled. Apologies to all for the inconvenience and disappointment caused. Suggested intercessions for Sundays 15, 22 & 29 March 2009 are now online. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 14 March 2009) review forthcoming St Patrick's tide celebrations beginning with evensong in Irish at the cathedral this evening (Saturday) at 5.00pm as part of a continuing collaboration with Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise, while on on Monday there will be lunchtime concerts by visiting bands from North America in Christ Church and St Patrick’s cathedrals and in St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway. Advance notice of two concerts in the cathedral as part of the Handel Festival 250. The first is a performance of G.F. Handel, Messiah on Thursday 16 April 2009 at 7.30pm performed by the cathedral choir and the Orchestra of St Cecilia. The second, on Friday 17 April 2009 at 8.00pm will given by the David Rees-Williams Trio.
12/03/2009	A new organ scholar, Aleksandr Nisse, has been appointed to the cathedral for 2009-10.Aleksandr studied the organ in Paris, at the Conservatoire National de Region de Lyon, where he was awarded the Premier Prix de Perfectionnement with distinction, and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He is currently organ scholar at Sherborne Abbey and Sherborne School. The current organ scholar, John Mountford, whom we have been fortunate enough to have for two years, takes up a position in September as Teacher of Music and Chapel Organist at Loretto School in Musselburgh in Scotland.
10/03/2009	The launch of a new book on the Dublin diocese during the Reformation will take place on 19 March 2009 at 6.30 pm in Area A on the sixth floor of the Arts Block in Trinity College Dublin. The book by Dr James Murray, Enforcing the English Reformation in Ireland: Clerical resistance and political conflict in the diocese of Dublin, 1534-1590 (Cambridge University Press, 2009) will be launched by Dr Brendan Bradshaw, S.M., former director of studies, Queen's College, Cambridge. The Dublin Council of Churches is organizing an ecumenical evening prayer service on the eve of St Patrick's day, Monday 16 March 2009, 19.00 at St Finian’s Lutheran Church, Adelaide Road to commemorate and celebrate the coming of Christianity to Ireland and St Patrick's seminal role in this. The service will take the form of readings from Patrick’s historical writings and music (provided by musicians associated with the Pro-Cathedral), prayers and scripture readings seeking to bear witness to the great source of hope in our common faith which can sustain us in these hard times. All are welcome. On Choral Ireland, Cliona Donnelly highlights the New Dublin Voices concert which will take place in the cathedral tomorrow evening, Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 8.00pm.
07/03/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 7 March 2009) report on the magazine, website and new technologies competition of the Church of Ireland for 2009.Also noted is that a broadcast service of the Word by RTÉ tomorrow (Sunday) morning will be conducted by the director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (CITI), the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott, while the preacher will be Canon Patrick Comerford. Archbishop Neill will preside at evensong at the cathedral which will be followed by a presentation to the Ven. Edgar Swann who has retired from the stipendiary ministry after forty years of dedicated service. Full details of the Church of Ireland Historical Society meeting that will be held in the Robinson Library, Armagh on Saturday 25 April 2009 are now available online.
06/03/2009	Suggested intercessions for Sunday 8 March 2009 are now online. Details of the lunchtime concert to be given by the Burnaby South & Alpha Secondary School Choir from British Columbia in Canada which will take place on Saturday 21 March 2009 at 1.15pm are now available online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 6 March 2009) notes a recent retirement dinner held for Archdeacon Edgar Swann by the board of the cathedral. The Gazette includes a photograph of him with Gladys Swann, Archdeacon David Pierpoint, Dean Dermot Dunne, Archdeacon Ricky Rountree and Sue Harman. Also noted is the forthcoming restoration of St Mary's cathedral in Limerick.
05/03/2009	The diocesan website reports today that Archbishop Neill has appointed the Revd Jim Carroll, rector of Raheny and Coolock to be the new rural dean of St Mary's with effect from 1 April 2009. He succeeds the Revd Andrew Orr who is moving to the diocese of Cashel and Ossory. The rural deanery of St Mary's includes the cathedral and the cathedral group of parishes.
03/03/2009	The Church Review notes for March 2009 are now online. The quarter peal intended to be rung on Sunday 8 March has been postponed and will now take place on Sunday 22 March. Some may be interested in a lecture entitled 'Secrets of the Cloister: Spatial gleanings from the cathedral priory of Christ Church, Dublin', which will be given by the editor of this website, Stuart Kinsella, for the Dublin Medieval Society, Room 5039, Arts Block, Trinity College Dublin, this Thursday 5 March 2009 at 7.00pm. All welcome.

28/02/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 28 February 2009) report that there will be choral vestpers sung by the cathedral choir today at 5.00pm by the cathedral choir and participants in the Royal School of Church Music workshop on Gregorian chant, while on Wednesday, there will be an evening of 'Music & Musings' at the cathedral at 7.30 pm with music from the cathedral girls' choir and musings from a number of cathedral personalities. In blogs, cathedral doors continue to hold fascination for some, while another website depicts the recent restoration work carried out on the porch and west end.
25/02/2009	The diocesan website gallery for February 2009 features a number of photographs of interest including the burning of the palms in the cathedral on Ash Wednesday, the assembled clergy after the 60th Annual Service of Thanksgiving for the Gift of Sport, Canon Katharine Poulton reading, David Blood, President of the Football Association of Ireland with the Revd Roy Byrne, rector of Drumcondra and North Strand, who organised the service, and Albert Bell, President of the Masonic Boys Association and Phil Orr, President of High School Past Pupils Association (and former Irish Rugby International), in the crypt afterwards. More photographs of the cathedral appear on two recent blogs.
24/02/2009	Further details, as posted on Choral Ireland, are now also available for the New Dublin Voices concert which takes place on Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 20.00. Various sites include photographs of the cathedral today including Gerda's postcard collection, and blogs by Ed Tan and Sarah.
23/02/2009	Details of the Gregorian Chant Workshop being held this weekend on Saturday 28 February 2009 between 11.00 and 18.00 are now available online. As posted on Choral Ireland, due to the indisposition of Eamonn Manning, the workshop will be taken by Nick Gale. Also details of the Yale University a capella group, Shades, which is giving a concert in the cathedral on Friday 13 March 2009 at 1.00pm, are now available online. The Californian website, Inside Bay Area runs an article encouraging people to 'Experience Dublin like a "Dub" for frugal fun', suggesting that visitors catch evensong at Christ Church and St Patrick's, recommending in particular the ringing of the Christ Church bells.
22/02/2009	The Herald and the Belfast Telegraph report that one of Dublin's best known fish and chip shops, oft frequented by those associated with the cathedral, Leo Burdock's, has been damaged by a fire which broke out this morning at 9.00am. There were no injuries, but the building has been badly damaged by smoke, slightly affecting the Lord Edward pub next door also. Elsewhere, the cathedral features on a Hungarian website, is geographically synopsised on a Virtual Globetrotting site, and recommended on one of the Historical walking tours of Dublin.
21/02/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 21 February 2009) , also reproduced on PPC Tech, highlight the 60th anniversary of the sports service, which will take place tomorrow (Sunday) at evensong in the cathedral, presided over by Archbishop Neill, with guest speaker, Doreen Howe, president of the Irish Hockey Association. Also noted is that a table quiz will be held in the cathedral crypt in aid of ALONE and Medecin sans Frontiere on Friday 27 February 2009 at 7.30pm. Jamie Hemmett's blog includes a photograph of the cathedral.
20/02/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 20 February 2009) note the secretary general of the Anglican Consultative Council, Canon Kenneth Kearon's statement drawing attention to the request of the primates and moderators of the Anglican Communion to observe Ash Wednesday 25 February as a day of prayer and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. A blog of choir notes for Christ Church cathedral in Montreal, Quebec notes a the recently produced Howells CD, I love all beauteous things by the choir of Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, a performance of which is now available for listening online through the Naxos Music library (though access is restricted to libraries). The recording is also noted on Crotchet. Margo's musings also notes and photographs a recent visit to the cathedral.
19/02/2009	The list of canonical preaching for 2009 is now online. Also the Forum for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Ireland picks up the recent news of the National Museum of Ireland lecture series on medieval music including Barra Boydell, Frank Lawrence, Ann Buckley and Siobhán Armstrong, to name just some of the lecturers. Todays crop of blogs regard the cathedral as 'Absolutely magnificent', and 'a really cool underground crypt' as 'very neat', while wykydtron wisely passed a crowded Christ Church arguing that this was 'NOT the way you want to experience the finest church in Dublin'.
18/02/2009	The Totino-Grace High School symphonic band from Minneapolis in Minnesota, USA will give a lunchtime concert on Monday 16 March 2009 at 1.15pm. The conductor will be Tim Hoffman, and as usual, entrance to the concert is including in the admission charge into the cathedral. The diocesan website also reports that on Sunday 8 March 2009 following evensong at 3.30pm in the cathedral, a presentation will be made to the Venerable Edgar Swann, former archdeacon of Glendalough and his wife, Gladys, in recognition of their long service in the diocese. In the diocesan February gallery he is pictured after a dinner held in his honour by the cathedral board with his wife, Archdeacon Pierpoint of Dublin, Archdeacon Rountree of Glendalough, the dean and Mrs Sue Harman, widow of the late Dean Desmond Harman. Advance notice that a total of nine concerts will take place in the cathedral in March, several of which have already been noted, viz.: Dr Bernd Scherers' organ recital, the Friends' music & musings, the Hibernian Orchestra's Haydn commemoration, the New Dublin Voices concert, the Totino-Grace High School Symphonic Band, and the Celtic Band & Singers of St John's Preparatory, Massachusetts. Three other lunchtime concerts at 1.15pm should be added. First, one by the Yale a capella group, Shades, which performs African-American, R&B, jazz and traditional music, which will take place on Friday 13 March. Second, the Burnaby South and Alpha Secondary Schools from Burnaby, British Columbia in Canada will perform on Saturday 21 March. Finally, Carrickfergus Grammar School, will give a concert under the direction of Stephen Hamill on Friday 27 March.
17/02/2009	Details of the concert by the New Dublin Voices, choir of the year for 2006 and 2008, which takes place on Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 8.00pm, conducted by Bernie Sherlock are now available online. Also details of a concert by the Celtic band and singers of St John's Preparatory School, Massachusetts, on Thursday 26 March 2009 at 1.30pm, are also now available online. Beidh Eocairist i nGaeilge in Ardteampall Chríost (Christ Church cathedral) ag 5.00pm ar an Domhnach beag seo, an 22 Feabhra. Tá an tseirbhís seo oscailte go gach éinne. Maireann an tseirbhís leath uair an chloig nó mar sin. Tá eolas breise ar sheirbhísí rialta Gaeilge Eaglais na hÉireann ar fáil ar shuíomh na deoise nó ó Chumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (+353 87 6232841). The Irish School of Ecumenics and the School of Religions & Theology in Trinity College Dublin will hold the third public lecture in the series 'Encounters with Islamic Theology' on Monday 23 February 2009 at 7.00pm. The lecture, Professor David Burrell of Notre Dame University, is entitled 'Muslim-Christian Dialogue as Mutually Transformative Speech', and takes place in the Davis Lecture Theatre (Room 2043), Arts and Social Science Building Trinity College Dublin All are most welcome to attend. Details available in the following Word document.
16/02/2009	Ringing master, Ian Bell, has supplied details of the quarter peal of 1320 Plain Bob Doubles rung yesterday, Sunday 15 February 2009. Pleasant feedback is always good to get, and a recent blogger, Yet another Howe, enjoyed the hospitality of a nearby pub having 'asked for recommendations from the kind lady cashier/guide from Christ Church.' Canon Patrick Comerford, director of spiritual formation at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, reports on Lambeth Conferences and the part Dublin has played in them, as part of an course on Anglicanism given to the CITI students. Also included atmospheric photograph of north aisle taken recently by Darren Greene, and a standard view from the blog of Annalise.
14/02/2009	Details are now available of the Music and Musings evening organised by the Friends of Christ Church, which will take place on Wednesday 4 March 2009 at 7.30pm. Featuring the cathedral girls' choir singing a variety of solo and choral works, the evening will be hosted by Fred Deane with contributions and anecdotes from familiar faces, clerical and lay. Tickets €15 (concessions €12). The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 14 February 2009) highlight the appointment of two new canons to our neighbours St Patrick's cathedral, who will be installed tomorrow. They are the archdeacon of Cork, the Venerable Robin Bantry White, appointed by the chapter of St Patrick's cathedral, Dublin, and the dean of Cashel, the Very Revd Dr Philip Knowles, elected by the diocesan synod of Cashel and Ossory. On St Valentine's day, blogger, Under the Oak, instead focuses on St Brigid, detailing the Latin entry for her taken from the Martyrology of Christ Church edited by J.H. Todd in 1844.
13/02/2009	It is with deep regret that we learn today of the death of Michael Adams, founder and managing director of Four Courts Press. Michael Adams was the enthusiastic publisher behind the publication of the Christ Church history, and the eight ancillary volumes which accompanied it, and can be credited with the transformation of academic publication in Ireland. Our sincerest condolences to his family and all at Four Courts Press. A reminder that the annual service of thanksgiving for the gift of sport will take place in the cathedral on Sunday 22 February 2009 at 3.30pm. The guest speaker will be Doreen Howe, president of the Irish Hockey Association. Representatives of the churches and sporting bodies as well as the schools and colleges will attend and all are welcome to come along and take part in the service. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 13 February 2009) notes a farewell reception held in honour of Canon John McCullagh, former General Synod Education Officer for the Republic of Ireland, who has recently left the education post to become rector of Rathdrum in the diocese of Glendalough. Yesterday, the secretary-general of the Anglican Communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon called to attention the request of the Primates and Moderators of the Anglican Communion, at their recent meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, that Anglican Churches world-wide observe 25 February, Ash Wednesday, as a day of prayer and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. Further details on the Church of Ireland website. Blogger, yetanotherhowe, overstates 'Christ Church! This church was famous for having an underground crypt bigger than the church itself!', while CheapEats, reviews nearby Burdocks and Peanut Publications feature a few photographs of the cathedral.
10/02/2009	We wish the dean's vicar, Canon Mark Gardner, a speedy recovery after a fall recently injuring his lower back. The National Museum of Ireland will hold a series of free Spring lectures on the subject of Medieval Music. The first, which is given by Professor Barra Boydell of the Music Department in the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, is on 'Music at Christ Church Cathedral during the medieval period' and takes place tomorrow, Wednesday 11 February 2009 at 13.00 and at 18.30 in the museum in Kildare Street. The second will be on Wednesday 18 February by Dr Frank Lawrence of the School of Music, UCD entitled 'From Brian Boru to Strongbow and Aoife: Music and Liturgy in the long Irish Twelfth Century, while on Wednesday 18 March 2009, Siobhán Armstrong of the Historical Harp Society of Ireland will give a talk entitled ‘… the sound so Melting and Prolonged… A brief look at the Early Irish Harp’. Professor Barra Boydell is an authority on the music of Christ Church, and both Dr Frank Lawrence and Siobhán Armstrong are former members of the cathedral choir. The Hook: Leinster's only hockey blog, giving news in brief, notes the forthcoming service of thanksgiving for the gift of sport which takes place in the cathedral on Sunday 22 February 2009 at 15.30. Another website, Pleasing Vacations, lists Christ Church in the top 10 of unmissable things to do in Dublin.
09/02/2009	Details are now online of an organ recital to be given by the Berlin organist, Dr Bernd Scherer on Tuesday 3 March 2009 at 1.15pm at which he will perform works by Marchand, Brahms, Guilmant, Langlais and Wiklander. The dean, his wife, Celia, the director of music, Judy Martin, and the music development officer, Peter Parshall, are representing Christ Church at the Northern Cathedrals Conference which begins today and continues until Thursday 12 February 2009, which this year is being held in the Swedish city of Uppsala. Visiting Ireland as a pilgrim, 'The [un]Common Didelphimorphia' blog was disappointed to find that St Audoen's church, and St Patrick’s and Christ Church cathedrals 'had a fee associated with entrance and was not ... open to anyone and everyone.' Another blogger, onegrapevine, included photographs of the cathedral including the important and often overlooked Griffith monument. The blog for St Matthias, Killiney Parish, Ballybrack, includes an entry on 'Nearly Reverend' noting the forthcoming ordination of Niall Stratford to the diaconate at Christ Church cathedral on 21 June 2009 at 3.30pm.
08/02/2009	An article in today's Guardian describes how Westminster abbey in London is planning to open its triforium levels to visitors giving, granting access to what John Betjeman has described as 'the best view in Europe'. Elsewhere, more bloggers photograph the cathedral, and its surrounding curios, the little explained brass castings of archaeological finds from Wood Quay scattered amongst the pavement around the cathedral.
07/02/2009	The cat and rat are pictured by Maladrin, while Europe wallpapers recommends the cathedral in a travel guide to Dublin.
06/02/2009	Details are now online for a concert by the Hibernian Orchestra on Saturday 7 March 2009 at 8.00pm which will mark the 200th anniversary of Joseph Haydn with the perfomance of works by Prokofiev, Ibert and Haydn. The conductor will be John Finucane, with soloist Alison Murphy. Tickets are €15 (concessions €12) and will be available at the door. Parking is available in Jurys Inn car park, opposite the Cathedral. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 6 February 2009) today notes an ecumenical service in Irish held at the cathedral during Christian Unity Week, organised by Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (the Irish Guild of the Church) and its Roman Catholic counterpart, Póbail an Aifreann. Present were the dean, the Revd David Oxley, rector of Finglas and Glasnevin; Fr Seamus Ó hAodha; and dean's vicar, Canon Mark Gardner, along with former archbishop of Dublin, the Right Revd Donald Caird, the preacher, the Revd Adrienne Galligan, rector of Crumlin and Chapelizod, and the Most Revd Fiachra Ó Ceallaigh, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin. Under 'Dublinia & Christ Church Cathedral', Lynn Toh At has posted a number of photographs of the cathedral on her blog.
05/02/2009	BBC News reports that St Columb's cathedral in Derry is to be restored with £2 million in governmental support. Canon Patrick Comerford writes a church history lecture on his blog on the performance of Handel's Messiah by the joint choirs of Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedrals, while publin writes some interesting observations on the Church of Ireland and the 'absolutely beautiful' Christ Church.
04/02/2009	The burning of the Chicago Holy Name cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago is reported by a number of sources today including Huliq, Topix, and a Chicago Architecture Blog. The first burned for 2 1/2 hours before firefighters could bring it under control. Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, dedicated on November 1875, replaced the Cathedral of Saint Mary and the Church of the Holy Name, both destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in October 1871. Elsewhere, BeckyIreland writes of her recent visit to the cathedral.
02/02/2009	The February gallery of the diocesan website features photographs of the cathedral Candlemas procession including a view of the dean, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne, new precentor, the Revd Peter Campion, and dean's vicar, Canon-Pastor Mark Gardner processing, and another of the dean and dean's vicar. The recent notice of St Mark's Pro-Cathedral in Alexandria in Egypt, reported on one Canon Kendall Harmon's blog, promoted much discussion on the subjects of pro-cathedrals and the Dublin situation of having two medieval Church of Ireland cathedrals, and a neo-classical Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral. Another blogger of cathedrals wasn't impressed by Christ Church, whose 'stained glass wasn’t as nice and the ceiling wasn’t that high', while a linguist's blog includes photographs of Christ Church and the nearby Iveagh Trust buildings.

31/01/2009	The Church of Ireland notes today (Saturday 31 January 2009) highlight that there will be a Candlemas procession at the cathedral this Sunday (tomorrow) at 17.00, which will mark the end of the season of Christmas. The music will include works by Byrd, Hadley, Holst and Howells. Also noted is that Canon Patrick Comerford will preach in the chapel of Christ's College, Cambridge at the Solemn Orchestral Eucharist for the Eve Candlemas. His sermon is part of the ‘Sundays at Six’ series on the theme, ‘The ears of the heart’, exploring various aspects of prayer. The chaplin of the college is a former student reader of Christ Church in Dublin the Revd Christopher Woods. On Monday Canon Comerford will preach at a Service of Light in Saint Botolph-without-Bishopsgate to mark the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (Candlemas), where the vicar is the Revd Dr Alan McCormack, a former Church of Ireland chaplain in Trinity College, Dublin.
30/01/2009	The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 30 January 2009) today notes the installations of a new archdeacon of Glendalough, precentor, treasurer and canon. Pictured with Archbishop John Neill (3rd left) and Dean Dermot Dunne (3rd right) are the new cathedral dignitaries following their installation in the cathedral (left to right) Canon Ted Ardis (new cathedral canon), Archdeacon Ricky Rountree (new archdeacon of Glendalough), Canon Peter Campion (new precentor) and Canon John McCullagh (new treasurer).
28/01/2009	The January gallery of the diocesan website features photographs of the reception held yesterday for Canon John McCullough for his contribution to education in the Church of Ireland while General Synod Education Officer, pictured here with the archbishop..
26/01/2009	Details of a quarter peal of 1260 Plain Bob Minor rung in 45 minutes on Sunday 25 January 2009 are now available online. The January gallery of the diocesan website features photographs of the Ecumenical service held in Irish last night, including images of the preacher, the Revd Adrienne Galligan with former archbishop, the Right Revd Donald Caird, the children's choir from Scoil Aontacht Chríostaí talking with their teacher, Julia Carmichael, as well as Bishop Caird talking with Bishop Fiachra Ó Ceallaigh and Father Seamus Ó hAodha.
23/01/2009	Congratulations to the dean's vicar, the Revd Mark Gardner, recently appointed a canon of the cathedral, who has also been appointed by the dean as canon-pastor. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 23 January 2009) today pictures the Revd Terry Alcock who was recently ordained at the cathedral by Archbishop Neill as a non-stipendary minister (NSM) curate-assistant to serve in Narraghmore and Timolin with Castledermot and Kinneigh in the diocese of Glendalough. Also pictured in the Gazette was Canon McCullough, treasurer-designate, who was instituted by the archbishop as rector of Rathdrum and Derralossary with Glenealy also in the diocese of Glendalough. Also present was Archdeacon Edgar Swann, the church wardens of the parish union, the Revd Robert Marshall (deputy diocesan and provincial registrar), and the Revd Ian Ellis (General Synod Board of Education Northern Ireland) who preached at the institution. Also noted was Canon Patrick Comerford's recent Bedell Boyle lecture which has been published by the National Bible Society of Ireland, entitled: Reflections of the Bible in the Qur’an: a Comparison of Scriptural traditions in Christianity and Islam.
22/01/2009	The sermon preached by the Revd Neal Phair for the Octave of Christian Unity on Epiphany 2, Sunday 18 January 2009 at 11.00 is now online.
20/01/2009	The Irish School of Ecumenics and the School of Religions & Theology in Trinity College Dublin will hold a joint lecture series on 'Encounters with Islamic Theology' beginning on 26 January and continuing until 29 June 2009. The lectures are co-organised by Dr Norbert Hintersteiner (ISE) and Dr Roja Fazaeli (School of Religions & Theology). All are most welcome to attend. Full details in the following PDF online.
18/01/2009	Former ringing master, Gary McGuire has kindly supplied a partial recording of the quarter peal of Stedman Caters rung on New Year's Day, 1 January 2009. The January gallery of the diocesan website features photographs of today's installation of the four new digitaries in the cathedral, including a presentation to Archdeacon Rountree in the crypt from parishioners of Powerscourt and Kilbride, the four new dignitaries together: Archdeacon Rountree, Precentor Campion, Treasurer McCullough and Canon Ardis. Also pictured were diocesan register, Canon Stacey, his deputy, the Revd Robert Marshall, and the new chapter clerk, the Revd Gillian Wharton, the Revd Aisling Shine and the Revd Dr Adrian Empey, new canon, the Revd Ted Ardis, rector of Donnybrook and Irishtown outside the cathedral, as well as a photograph of the archbishop outside with the new archdeacon.
17/01/2009	Suggested intercessions for Sundays 18 and 25 January 2009 are now online. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 17 January 2009), as also reproduced in the Irish Times, note Church Unity Week Celebrations including, on Friday evening at 8.00pm in the cathedral, an interdenominational service of prayer and music hosted by Pobal an Aifrinn and Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild of the Church) of Prayer and Music, in Irish, under the title, ‘That they may become One in your Hand’. The preacher will be the Rev Adrienne Galligan, Rector of Crumlin & Chapelizod. ’s lecture in the Bedell Boyle Lecture series in a new publication: Reflections of the Bible in the Qur’an: a Comparison of Scriptural traditions in Christianity and Islam, which points out that Muslims respect Jews, Christians and Muslims as “People of the Book,” sharing a common scriptural tradition, based on the Torah or first five books of the Bible, the Psalms and the Gospels. Also noted is that at evensong in the cathedral tomorrow (Sunday), the archbishop will preside at the installation of a new archdeacon of Glendalough, precentor, treasurer and twelfth canon.
16/01/2009	The Church Review notes for February 2009 are now online. The Church of Ireland Gazette (Friday 16 January 2009) notes the appointment of a new committee of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (the Irish Guild of the Church) including Dr Kenneth Milne, Aonghus Dwane (Honorary Secretary), and Dáithí Ó Maolchoille (Honorary Treasurer), familiar faces around the cathedral. The diocesan website reports on the service on Sunday 18 January 2009 at 15.30 at which four new dignitaries will be installed on the cathedral chapter.
15/01/2009	Details of a lunchtime concert to be given by the St Paul's Academy choir on Wednesday 2 February 2009 at 1.15pm are now available. The sermon preached by Canon Dr John Bartlett on Sunday 4 January 2009 is now online. The ringing master, Ian Bell, gives notice that there will be attempted quarter peals on Sundays 25 January, 15 February and 8 March 2009 at 12.30, as well as the usual full peal rung on St Patrick's day after the procession from about 14.00 to 17.45. Thank you to Lesley Rue who filled in a few more names in the photographs of past choristers including that of Judge Liam Devally, a former member of the Choir 500 committee, and Janet Darling, who sang in the choir under Peter Sweeney.
14/01/2009	Full details of the 60th annual service of thanksgiving for the gift of sport which will take place at the cathedral on Sunday 22 February 2009 at 3.30pm, are now online. The speaker will be Doreen Howe, President of the Irish Hockey Foundation, and the collection will be in aid of Blackrock Hospice. The 3rd annual crypt table quiz will be held at the cathedral on Friday 27 February 2009 at 7.30pm in aid of ALONE and Medecin sans Frontiere (Doctors without Borders). Tickets are €40 for a table of 4 which includes a raffle on the night and refreshments. All welcome.
12/01/2009	A number of photographs of the cathedral tiles and organ have been uploaded to Flickr by Katayla1220.
11/01/2009	Chicago's Daily Herald suggests Christ Church as a destination (€7 using the Dublin Pass) and recommends Dublin as a destination during economic recession, as also reported on Philly.com.
10/01/2009	The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 10 January 2009) reproduced in the Irish Times, focus the election of the new committee of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise and its aim to base much of its programme around Christ Church. Canon Comerford will give a lecturer to the Dearmer Society on Monday 12 January 2009 at 7.00pm at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Braemor Park entitled 'The Anglo-Catholic Movement: more relevant today than ever?'. A recent appeal by St Mary's Pro-Cathedral's for unwanted Christmas gifts generated 20 van loads of presents.
09/01/2009	The Irish Times reports that Father Michael Mernagh on his pilgrimage of atonement visited Christ Church on his way, as reported also on Clerical Whispers.
06/01/2009	The Friends' News for Autumn 2008 is belatedly now online. Many thanks to Scott Hayes, administrator of St Patrick's cathedral, who has supplied additional information for the photographs of the choir from 1978, having attended St Patrick's school with the Christ Church boys.
04/01/2009	The wonders of HDR photography have produced some wonderful images by Paul Holmes of the north aisle of the nave and the north aisle of the choir, amongst others. A range of good photographs of the cathedral, including the recently restored west door, also appear in a blog by mongoosenamedt.
03/01/2009	Suggested intercessions for Sundays 4 and 11 January 2009 are now online. The bell ringers have supplied details of a quarter peal rung yesterday 2 January 2009 of 1260 Doubles rung with eight methods: Reverse Canterbury, St Nicholas, St Remigius, Winchendon, St Osmund, St Martins, St Simons, Plain Bob, conducted by J Robert Jervis. Tim Goodbody blogs on his recent visits to Christ Church and St Patrick's cathedral's, while Factoidz glimpse at a day trip to Dublin recommends Christ Church as 'an awe-inspiring landmark'. The Church of Ireland notes (Saturday 3 January 2009) focus on the living worship course organised by the Dublin & Glendalough Church Music committee. Also noted is a new history of Carlow which features chapters by architectural historian, and member of the cathedral culture committee, Dr Michael O'Neill, and Canon Dr Adrian Empey, the former cathedral precentor. The Church of Ireland website reports Archbishop Neill's New Year message and reports on the new appointments on the committee of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (the Irish Guild of the Church).
02/01/2009	The diocesan website reports further details of services in Irish for the first half of 2009.
01/01/2009	A very happy new year to all visitors to the cathedral website. 'World bids a relieved adieu to a rocky year' is the headline of a story from the Associated Press syndicated to Breitbart and the ContraCosta Times, which notes bellringing at Christ Church and an interview with former ringing master, Gary McGuire. Details of the quarter peal of 1287 Stedman Caters rung in 53 minutes this New Year's Day, Thursday 1 January 2009 are now available online. Also, notice that the services this coming weekend will be sung by the choir of Balliol College, Oxford. The diocesan website also reports on a recent AGM of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (the Irish Guild of the Church) which elected Dr Kenneth Milne, Rev Eric Culbertson, Mrs Eileen McCracken, Mr Seathrún MacÉin, Mr Dáithí Ó Maolchoille (treasurer) and Mr Aonghus Dwane (Hon. Secretary) to the coiste (committee). The Cumann aims to link its programme with the Irish language initiatives based around the cathedral. Forthcoming services in Irish include an interdenominational service for Church Unity Week on 23 January, and evensong on 14 March 2009.