The Church of Ireland General Synod 2025 was held in Lawlor’s Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare from Friday, 8th May, to Saturday, 9th May 2025, and the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross was well represented again this year. Day 3 and 4 of General Synod will be taking place remotely on the evening of Tuesday 13th May and, if required, the evening of Thursday 15th May.

The beginning of the General Synod was marked as every year with a service at St David’s Church, in the town centre of Naas. At the invitation of the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Rev. John McDowell, Bishop Paul Colton was the preacher this year. His full sermon can be read here. 

Following the service, members walked to Lawlor’s Hotel and Archbishop John McDowell, delivered his Presidential Address. You can find the full speech here. 

On Day 1 a total of eight Bills have been presented for consideration by the members of General Synod. All bills have passed their first and second stages and will receive their third reading when General Synod meets online on Tuesday 13th May. Each Bill is outlined in full in the Bills pamphlet available here.

This year a total of 13 motions have been received by the Honorary Secretaries of the General Synod. An outline of all motions can be found here. Later in the afternoon, members of General Synod heard the reports of the Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue, the Board of Education, the Commission on Ministry, and the Council for Mission.

Day 2 focussed on the reports of the Standing Committee of General Synod, the Liturgical Advisory Committee, the Covenant Council (proposed by the Very Rev. Nigel Dunne), the Pioneer Ministry Council, and the Representative Church Body.

In addition to the Members of General Synod, some other members of the Diocese also travelled to Naas to attend General Synod as visitors. A full list of the General Synod proceedings can be found in the General Synod Website News section.