CHURCH OF IRELAND NOTES
For Saturday 11 July 1998
Christ Church Registers Published
The latest in the series of Christ Church Documents,
which is a prelude to the production of a full scale history of Christ
Church Cathedral, Dublin, has been published by the Four Courts Press.
This, the fourth volume in the series, is The Registers of Christ Church
Cathedral, Dublin, which has been edited by Dr Raymond Refaussé,
Librarian and Archivist of the Church of Ireland, and Dr Colm Lennon,
Senior Lecturer in Modern History in NUI-Maynooth. Like the other
volumes in the series this publication seeks to throw light not only on
the history of Christ Church Cathedral but also on the wider development
of the city of Dublin.
The Registers volume brings together three sources
from the Christ Church archives: the late medieval book of obits, now in
the Library of Trinity College, Dublin; funeral and burial entries from
the proctors' accounts from the 16th to the 18th century; and the
registers of baptisms, marriages and burials from the 18th century
onwards. Taken together, these sources provide a lengthy, and almost
continuous, record of the cathedral community from the late middle ages
until the dawn of the 20th century.
The Registers provides valuable insights into the
close association between the Priory of the Holy Trinity and the
citizens of Dublin; identifies the emergence of the post- reformation
cathedral as a centre for the colonial administration in Dublin; and
charts the departure of the rich and famous after the Act of Union. No
other Irish institution, with the possible exception of Dublin
Corporation, can trace its institutional membership over such a
protracted period.
The Registers of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin is
published by Four Courts Press, Dublin at IR£30. It is an invaluable
resource for historians and genealogists, for those interested in the
church in Ireland, and for the growing band of experts and enthusiasts
who are intrigued by the development of the city of Dublin.
In an admirable piece of synthesis Four Courts Press
published, on St Columba's Day, a new edition of a 16th century life of
the saint. The Life of Colum Cille by Manus O'Donnell has been edited by
Brian Lacey who until recently was one of the significant forces in the
cultural revitalization of Derry.
Tomorrow (Sunday) RTE will broadcast Morning Service
from Bantry, Co. Cork where the rector is the Revd Paul Willoughby. The
twelfth of July is also Sea Sunday when the Bishop of Cork, the Rt Revd
Roy Warke, will visit St Multose's Church, Kinsale.
The lunchtime organ recital in St Patrick's
Cathedral, Dublin on Wednesday will be given by Barbara Dagg. On Friday
in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin George Bayly will give a lunchtime
organ recital and in the evening in St Mary's Church, Killarney there
will be a concert by the Hershey Community Chorus from Pennsylvania,
USA.
The exhibition in the Dublin Civic Museum, South
William Street (beside the Powerscourt Town House), Rescuing the
Records, which is part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of the
death of the noted archivist, book collector and historian, Sir John T.
Gilbert, will continue until the end of July. The exhibition includes
material from the collections of the Representative Church Body Library
and chronicles the invaluable work of many Church of Ireland figures who
did much to ensure the survival of the archival heritage of Ireland.
Among those whose work is highlighted are Canon J.B. Leslie, of clerical
biography fame; Henry Swanzy, Dean of Dromore, and a prolific
genealogist; and Beryl Phair, widow of Percy Phair, Bishop of Ossory,
who undertook important work for the Irish Manuscripts Commission.
Church of Ireland Notes appear in the Irish
Times whose web site may be found at http://www.ireland.com/ |
