“Forever Mine” Stage Play at The Carraig Centre

2023 marks the 250th anniversary of “Amazing Grace” – the world’s best-loved hymn and one of the most recorded songs of all time, and The Carraig Centre is delighted to host a performance of the brand-new stage play “Forever Mine” as part of its all-island tour.

Thursday 23rd March 7.30pm

Price 10 Euro + 1.70 booking fee

For Tickets see – www.carraigcentre.ie

At its heart, Amazing Grace tells the dramatic story of its author John Newton. The original stage play and costume drama, Forever Mine, explores this powerful story through the lens of the two great loves of John Newton’s life – his love for God and his love for “Polly” (his nickname for his wife Mary).

Based on Polly and Newton’s love letters and on letters, diaries and authentic historical writings, Forever Mine is a true story of separation and reunion, death and new life, love, loss and redemption. Although set in the 18th century, this moving narrative will resonate with modern audiences.

The drama also looks honestly at John Newton’s role in the slave trade. It traces his slow journey to repentance and his later work supporting the campaign for abolition as mentor to William Wilberforce. Forever Mine also elevates the lesser-known voices of the abolition movement such as former slave and writer Olaudah Equiano and the poet William Cowper.

Forever Mine is brought to life by a stellar cast of professional actors starring Ellis Wells as John Newton, Susie Garvey-Williams as Polly Newton, Gideon Assuming as Olaudah Equiano and Ryan Moss as William Wilberforce.

With venues in Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster, the debut tour of Forever Mine will have its finale in Buncrana, on the shores of Lough Swilly, in County Donegal, where John Newton’s ship The Greyhound, dropped anchor after a ferocious Atlantic storm in 1748 – the Irish connection to this global story that inspired the play.

For more information please contact the Rev. Robert Ferris.

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St Mary’s Church, Carrigaline launched their Bicentenary Celebrations

On Tuesday, 7th January 2023, St Mary’s Church marked the beginning of their 200th Anniversary Celebrations with an Opening Service at which the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross preached. St Mary’s has curated a Programme of Events for the coming year as part of these celebrations.

The Rev. Canon Elaine Murray, Rector of Carrigaline Union, said:

On behalf of Carrigaline Union, I am delighted to launch the celebrations for the Bicentennial year of St Mary’s Church. We decided to spread out the celebrations across a 12 moths for two reasons; firstly while the stone above the entrance door of St Mary’s Church is inscribed 1823, the building was not actually consecrated until 7th February 1824, and secondly, we felt there was so much to be grateful for, coming out of our recent socially distanced Covid years, that no single event would suffice. We would be truly delighted to welcome you to any of our events and to our parish community.

A list of events can be found below, or in the Diocesan Diary on our website. For more information please contact Carrigaline Union.

February 2023

  • Saturday 18th: Parish Auction in Canon McCrea Hall, St Mary’s School, Waterpark
  • Friday 24th to Sunday 26th: Parish Retreat to Mount St Anne’s, Laois

March 2023

  • Friday 10th to Sunday 12th: Photo Exhibition/Competition of 200 photos of St Mary’s Church in Parish Hall

April 2023

  • Friday 14th to Sunday 16th: Dorothee Roberts Exhibition of Paintings with wine&cheese in St Mary’s Parish Hall

May 2023

  • Saturday 27th: Parish Fête in St Mary’s School, Waterpark

June 2023

  • Saturday 24th: Mid-Summer Garden Part with St Nicholas Band at St Mary’s Church, Carrigaline

July 2023

  • Friday 14th to Sunday 16th: Flower Festival in St Mary’s Church

August 2023

  • Sunday 27th: Family BBQ after the Service in St Mary’s Church grounds

September 2023

  • Saturday 23rd: Musical Evening in St Mary’s Church, Refreshments in Parish Hall
  • Sunday 24th: 11am Animal Blessing Service in St Mary’s Church, with outdoor pen for farm animals

October 2023

  • Saturday 7th: Harvest Supper and Ceilidh in Canon McCrea Hall, St Mary’s School, Waterpark

November 2023

  • Friday 24th to Saturday 25th: Play/Pageant in Canon McCrea Hall, St Mary’s School, Waterpark

December 2023

  • Friday 15th: Community Carol Service at St Mary’s Church, with mulled wine and mince pies afterwards
  • Friday 15th to Sunday 17th: Crib Festival in Parish Hall

January 2024

  • Friday 19th: Launch of History Booklet, Talk, and Raffle in St Mary’s Church Parish Hall

February 2024

  • Wednesday 7th: Closing Service. Preacher: Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Rev. John McDowell. Dedication of the Reredos and the Bicentenary Patchwork Quilt, Refreshments in the Parish Hall.
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Morning Vigil at Cloyne Cathedral

On Saturday, 28th January, Bishop Paul Colton held a Morning Vigil at Cloyne Cathedral to pray for the vacant parishes in the Diocese, and also for vocations to lay and ordained ministry.

The Bishop led the Vigil in the Quire of Saint Colman’s Cathedral together with the Dean of Cloyne, the Very Rev. Susan Green, and the prayer stations set up in the two chapels provided a space for private prayer. Parishioners of Cloyne Union served refreshments throughout the event. The varied opportunities for guided prayer, private prayer and mingling with people from all across the diocese resulted in a prayerful yet lively occasion.

The vacancy in Douglas Union has now been filled, and the parishes of Fanlobbus Union, Moviddy Union, and Cobh and Glanmire Union remain in our prayers.

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The Reverend Dr William Olhausen is to be the new Incumbent of Douglas Union of Parishes with Frankfield in the Diocese of Cork

The Reverend Dr William Olhausen, who is currently Incumbent of St Matthias’ Church, Killiney, in the Diocese of Dublin, has been nominated to the Bishop of Cork, by the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Committee of Patronage, to be the new Incumbent of Douglas Union of Parishes with Frankfield, in the Diocese of Cork.

The Reverend Dr William Olhausen

Expressing his delight at the nomination and making the appointment, the Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, said:

I am delighted that the Reverend Dr William Olhausen is returning to Cork and that he has accepted this position. William served here before in Carrigrohane Union of Parishes and we all very much valued his ministry and friendship at that time in this Diocese. He and his wife Tanya, and their family, were a blessing to us all when they were last here, so it is exciting that William and Tanya will now be returning to live and work among us in Cork.

I’ve no doubt that Douglas Union of Parishes with Frankfield, the most populous of the parishes in Cork, Cloyne and Ross, will continue to flourish under William’s leadership, and that we, in the Diocese, will be greatly enriched also by his many and considerable gifts.   

Speaking about his appointment, William said

I am delighted to have been invited to be the next Incumbent of the Douglas Union of Parishes with Frankfield. I am conscious of the rich history of the life and witness of the parish and am excited to be joining the journey in this new season.   At the same time, Tanya and I will be very sad to be leaving our church family here in Killiney.  We are very grateful to God for the 12 years we have enjoyed in Dublin.

Having trained for ordination at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford (1995-1998), William served his first curacy at Greyfriars Church in Reading (Diocese of Oxford). He went on to serve as Associate Vicar at Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge (Diocese of Ely).   He served his first incumbency in Cork’s Carrigrohane Union of Parishes from 2004-2008.  From 2008-2011 he was chaplain to Monkton Combe School in Bath. 

Since 2011 William has been Incumbent of St Matthias’ Church, Killiney, in the Diocese of Dublin. He serves the Diocese of Dublin and the wider Church of Ireland in several capacities, and since 2015 he has been theological adviser to the Archbishop of Dublin. William was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1993 as a member of Middle Temple and he was awarded a PhD in biblical hermeneutics from Liverpool University in 2007. He is married to Tanya, and they have three adult children.

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Drama in Carrigaline!

Saint Mary’s National School in Carrigaline Union of Parishes are hosting the Carrigaline Drama Group for two nights in a row at the end of January. Keep an eye on their Facebook Page for more information.

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