The Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend and Right Honorable Stephen Cottrell, will make a visit to the Church of Ireland United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross this week, at the invitation of the Bishop, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton.

Bishop Colton said

I have been trying to set this up for some time but diaries were not always cooperating and then when we had it sorted, Stephen Cottrell, then Bishop of Chelmsford, was appointed Archbishop of York, so that changed everything again. I am thrilled now that it is happening at last.

There have been connections in previous times between Cork and York. In my own youth I remember the visit to us in Cork of Archbishop Stuart Blanch who was Archbishop of York from 1975 to 1983.

Long before our time, a former Dean of Cork – William Connor Magee (1821 to 1891) – a key protagonist in the public debates about the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland – was appointed Bishop of Peterborough, and then was elevated to the Archbishop of York, but died only 4 months after his appointment.

Archbishop Cottrell will arrive on Wednesday morning and will make a brief tour of parts of Cork Church of Ireland before travelling to West Cork where he will be the speaker at the annual Cork, Cloyne and Ross Clergy Away Days. The overall theme of the Archbishop’s addresses to the clergy during the two-day event will be ‘How to lead in a world without maps: four images that may help.’

On Friday, before returning to the UK, the Archbishop will attend a lunch for lay ministers in the Diocese, which is being hosted by the Bishop and Mrs Colton at their home, after which the Archbishop will address the guests in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.