Iconic Shandon Church Tower Lights up in Green for Saint Patrick’s Festival

The iconic Cork landmark – the tower of Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon – joined Cork City Hall and 690 other buildings in 66 countries around the world in ‘going green’ to mark Saint Patrick’s Day 2021.

‘I had a great view of it on Saint Patrick’s night from the chapel in my home’ said Bishop Paul Colton ‘and then, this morning I spotted that Midleton-based photographer, Cathal Noonan, had taken a photograph of the ‘green Shandon’ and posted it on Instagram. So I emailed him and he kindly gave his consent for the photograph to be used here. You can find more of Cathal’s photographic work on his website at http://www.cathalnoonan.com

On top of this pepper pot church tower is a weather vane in the form of a salmon (known locally as ‘de goldie fish’) which represents the salmon fishing industry on the River Lee; it is 4 metres long and is covered in gold leaf.

From ground level to the very top the tower is 51.5 metres. The church is also noted for its famous bells, for its clock (known locally as ‘the four-faced liar’), and for a baptismal font dating to 1629.

In 2005, when Cork was European Capital of Culture, the House of Bishops met in Cork, and all climbed the tower (using the internal staircase, lest there be any doubt, and ringing the bells on the way up) to take in the view of Cork City.

Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon © 2021 Cathal Noonan (by kind permission)
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Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise marks St Patrick’s Day in Cork with Service in Irish, Welsh and English

Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise hosted a multi-lingual Service to mark Saint Patrick’s Day in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. This Service has been a feature of Saint Patrick’s Days in Cork since 2012. This year the Service was hosted in Saint Mary’s Church, Carrigaline where the rector is Canon Elaine Murray.

While mainly in the Irish Language, the provision of a bilingual edition of the Book of Common Prayer and a bilingual element allowed those with little or no Irish to participate in and follow the Service. The celebrant was the Reverend Tony Murphy.

The popularity of the service over a number of years prompted the organisers to make it a Diocesan- wide Service rotating around the Diocese in a 4 year cycle. In 2019 the service was held in Fanlobbus Union and arrangements were fully made in 2020 to hold a service in Douglas. This service was cancelled  due to the Coronavirus pandemic and along with all other Services it has not been possible to hold a regular Service in Irish this year.

To mark the connection with St Patrick’s homeland in Wales, this year the Reverend Meurig Williams, Rector of Mallow Union of Parishes, was invited to do a reading and prayer in Welsh. Also participating were the Reverend Hazel Minion and Michelle Woodworth.

The service can be viewed on the Carrigaline YouTube page by clicking HERE

Posted in Anglicanism, Church Services, Churches in Cork, Corona Virus, COVID-19, Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise, Diocese, Irish Language, Liturgy, Saint Patrick's Day, Saints Days | Comments Off on Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise marks St Patrick’s Day in Cork with Service in Irish, Welsh and English

Festival and Civic Service for St Patrick’s Day from St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork

One of the highlights in the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Calendar is the annual Festival and Civic Service held each year in Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral at the start of Saint Patrick’s Day. This is the second year that the Service cannot be held in person at the Cathedral and that Bishop Paul and Mrs Colton will not be able to welcome the Lord Mayor, the City Council, members of the Oireachtas, and representatives of civic life and voluntary work to their home afterwards, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

However, the Service has been recorded in parts and may be viewed on the Diocesan YouTube Channel. The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Joe Kavanagh, like Lords Mayor of Cork in previous years, will take part. You may prefer to watch the Service at its usual time of 9.15 a.m. but it will be available from 7 a.m. and will continue to be available throughout Saint Patrick’s Day and afterwards.

The link to view the Service is HERE

The Order of Service may be downloaded below:

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Joe Kavanagh and the Lady Mayoress Mrs Stephanie Kavanagh with the Dean and Bishop Colton at the 150th anniversary of the consecration of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral on 30th November 2020  Picture Gerard McCarthy Photography
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Catch up with recent events in Cork, Cloyne and Ross on the Diocesan YouTube Channel

You may have missed out on some recent events in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross or not been able to ‘attend’ online at the time. However, recordings of recent events have now been uploaded to the Diocesan Youtube Channel and you are invited to view them.

The Institution of the Reverend Robert Ferris

The Institution of the Reverend Robert Ferris to the incumbency of Carrigrohane Union of Parishes was on 17th December 2020, and you can view that by clicking HERE

Bishop Paul Colton’s Christmas Sermon

Bishop Colton’s Christmas Day Sermon preached online from St Fin Barre’s Cathedral during the Coronavirus pandemic is also available and you can view it by clicking HERE

Epiphany Eucharist and Institution fo the Reverend Meurig Williams

The Epiphany Eucharist on 6th January 2021 was broadcast online from St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork, during which the Bishop instituted the Reverend Meurig Williams to the incumbency of Mallow Union, and you can view that by clicking HERE.

The Institution of the Reverend Ivan Ruiters

The Institution of the Reverend Ivan Ruiters to the incumbency of Kinneigh Union took place in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork on Thursday 4th February 2021 and was broadcast online. You can view it by clicking HERE

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Mothering Sunday Flowers and Blessings at Gates of Cork Churches

Churches find themselves in lockdown like everyone else, and they are closed for public worship, but there are still open hearts of kindness and generosity. The ministry of the Church continues and a host of ways have been found to keep in touch with parishioners and to reach out to local communities.

Two Cork churches – St Mary’s, Carrigaline and St John’s Monkstown – brought Mothering Sunday gifts of daffodils to the gates of the churches for passers-by to take away as a reminder of all this.

Carrigaline Union of parishes would,  in normal times,  give out posies of daffodils to every woman in the congregation at Services on Mothering Sunday. For the second year running the churches were closed and so bunches of flowers, picked locally by parishioners,  were placed outside the gates of both St John’s church in Monkstown and St Mary’s church in Carrigaline. Colourful posters encouraged passers by to take some flowers, with the blessing of the Parish, home with them on this special day.

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