The inaugural conference – a residential meeting in the Charleville Park Hotel, County Cork, opened on Friday night by the Archbishop of Armagh – came to a close on Saturday afternoon with the election by the four new working groups of their chairpersons.

These chairpersons, will lead the working groups in the four principal tasks of the Charting A Future with Confidence process in Cork, Cloyne and Ross.  With the Bishop of Cork, Dr Paul Colton, as President, the four chairpersons will, with him, constitute the steering committee.  Those elected – two clerical and two lay – are:  Mr Melvin Beamish, Mrs Sandra Giles, the Very Reverend Nigel Dunne, and the Very Reverend Christopher Peters.

The newly elected steering committee of Charting A Future with Confidence l-r Melvin Beamish, Dean Nigel Dunne, the Bishop, Sandra Giles and Dean Christopher Peters, photographed at the conclusion of the inaugural meeting on Saturday, 22nd November.

The Bishop of Cork described the meeting as very encouraging and positive.  ‘It was also greatly enhanced’, he said, by contributions from people who had been involved in earlier programmes of renewal and review in the Diocese in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s:  Archdeacon Robin Bantry White, Bishop Michael Mayes, Mr Wilfred Baker and Mr David Bird.

Three of the ‘retired officers’ from Cork, Cloyne and Ross who assisted with a retrospect at the Charting A Future with Confidence launch, l-r Robin Bantry White, Michael Mayes and David Bird.

Here is a gallery of other photos from this inaugural meeting of Charting A Future with Confidence: