Strong Irish roots of the Archbishop-elect of Canterbury; Cork Youth workers presentation; Room for Art?; Service marks 1953 ferry disaster; Media review – Millions spent on Northern Ireland’s education authority in waiting; Apprentice Boys: Display brings historic siege to life; TD: ‘Allow jobless to volunteer in Third World’; Talks to make Children’s Hospital an all-island facility; Students lash out at plans to change law on universities; 100,000 calls to SVP as Taoiseach says no child should go hungry; Principal hits back at writer who said pupils anti-Jewish
Strong Irish roots of the Archbishop-elect of Canterbury
The Archbishop–elect of Canterbury, Dr Justin Welby, has strong family links to Ireland, with ancestral roots that trace him back to the 1798 leader, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, according to new research by the Church Historian, Canon Patrick Comerford, published in the latest edition of the Church Review.
Recent research in Britain has traced the hidden story of Archbishop–elect Welby’s father, the late Gavin Bramhall James Welby, and his German–Jewish ancestry. However, the investigation by Canon Comerford reveals the new archbishop has strong Irish roots through his mother’s descent from a well–known County Kildare family whose ancestral home was Celbridge House, now known as Oakley Park and part of a special needs school.
Canon Comerford lectures on Liturgy and Church History in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute and is an Adjunct Visiting Professor at Trinity College Dublin.
“I knew Archbishop–elect Welby and his mother, Jane Gillian Portal, were related to the former Tory politician, RAB Butler,” Canon Comerford told the editor of the Church Review, the Revd Nigel Waugh. “However, when I traced RAB Butler’s ancestors, I was surprised to find that they had no verifiable connections with the Butler families of Ireland.”
He then went in search of Irish ancestors among the Portal family, ancestors of Archbishop–elect Welby’s mother, now known as Lady Williams.
“I found that the archbishop’s maternal grandmother was Rose Leslie Napier,” he says, “and then I realised that there had to be a strong Irish connection. I was familiar with the story of Sir Charles James Napier, an Irish general who was Governor of Kephalonia and who played a role in the Greek War of Independence. He was a first cousin of the 1798 leader Lord Edward FitzGerald, and I wondered whether Rose was descended from the same family.”
“After Christmas, I visited Celbridge, County Kildare, the home over 200 years ago of the three Lennox sisters,” he adds. “I can now confirm through my research that Archbishop–elect Welby is a direct descendant of Lady Sarah (Napier) Lennox, a sister of both Lady Emily Lennox, Duchess of Leinster and mother of Lord Edward FitzGerald and Lady Louisa Lennox, wife of Thomas Conolly of Castletown House, Co Kildare.”
Archbishop–elect Welby’s Irish ancestral home, Celbridge House, is now known as Oakley Park. It was built in 1724 by the Vicar of Celbridge, the Revd Dr Arthur Price, later Archbishop of Cashel. It became the home of the Napier family in 1785. Oakley House is now part of the Saint Raphael centre run by the Saint John of God order.
Professor Comerford’s fascinating story of Archbishop Welby and his Irish ancestral roots is told in the February edition of the Church Review, the monthly magazine for the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough.
Cork Youth workers presentation
The Bishop, the Right Reverend Paul Colton, joined youth workers for lunch at the Quality Hotel, Clonakilty on Saturday 26th January 2013 and afterwards thanked them for their work, before presenting certificates to those who recently completely FETAC training under the ‘Leaders in Training’ programme, and also to three youth workers who received Youthpass certificates under the European Commission Youth in Action Programme.
The youth leaders are : Conor Murray, Carrigaline; Richard Anderson, Ross; Jean Roche, Bandon; Peter Coughlan, Carrigaline; and Amy Howe, Bandon; Kristin Hollowell, Laura Jennings, Tracy Chambers,Pearl Beamish and Caroline Bradfield.
Room for Art?
Contemporary Christianity’s Faith and Arts Group are holding a series of events
Room for Art? – An interactive evening focusing on art and artists within our churches on Feb 19 ay 7.30 pm.
Not so much a talk about art as time spent looking at, and responding to, artworks brought in by members of the Faith and Art group – and, hopefully, you too.
Come and bring a piece of ‘art’ which speaks to you [not compulsory] and which may [or may not] be considered appropriate within our churches.
This will be an interactive evening focusing on the use of art/artists within our churches.
Art as Prayer is on March 19 at 7.30 pm
Exploring themes such as:
• God communicates to us through His creation; can we communicate to Him through our creations?
• Can God communicate to us through the work of a non-Christian artist?
Art: The Misunderstood Voice is on April 16 at 7.30 pm
This evening will explore the two way conversation between the world and the church.
These are open events. Please feel free to join the conversation and bring anyone else who might be interested. All these events will take place at 3rd Floor, 21 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast
info@contemporarychristianity.net
Service marks 1953 ferry disaster
A commemoration service will be held in Larne later for the victims of one of the worst maritime disasters to happen in British coastal waters.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21264790
MEDIA REVIEW
Millions spent on Northern Ireland’s education authority in waiting
Yesterday’s editions of the Belfast Telegraph and other news media resented the horrendous costs already incurred by a new body-in-waiting (for some considerable time) to oversee education.
Millions of pounds have already been expended, and a horrendous list of consultants fees are detailed. More at –
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/870k-paid-to-consultants-over-schools-body-that-still-does-not-exist-16267879.html
Apprentice Boys: Display brings historic siege to life
News Letter – From the original petition signed by the survivors of the siege of Londonderry in 1689 to the head of an original statue in the city blown up by the IRA in 1973, history is something you can see and touch in the museum at the Apprentice Boys of Derry Memorial Hall.
The News Letter yesterday had a most informative special inset on the history of the Apprentice Boys and the history of the Maiden City. More at –
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/lifestyle/features/apprentice-boys-display-brings-historic-siege-to-life-1-4734096
TD: ‘Allow jobless to volunteer in Third World’
Examiner – Unemployed Irish people should be able to work in underdeveloped countries and retain their unemployment payments from the State, Dáil Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett told fellow deputies from other EU member states. More at –
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/td-allow-jobless-to-volunteer-in-third-world-221198.html
Talks to make Children’s Hospital an all-island facility
Taking patients from Northern Ireland could help to lower the costs of building the facility at St James’s.
http://www.thejournal.ie/national-childrens-hospital-all-island-776109-Jan2013/
Students lash out at plans to change law on universities
Five students’ unions believe allowing the government to control pay rates will also mean controlled curricula.
http://www.thejournal.ie/students-unions-university-act-776430-Jan2013/
100,000 calls to SVP as Taoiseach says no child should go hungry
Examiner – The number of calls to the St Vincent De Paul broke the 100,000 barrier last year, it was revealed, as Taoiseach Enda Kenny said no child should be going to school hungry.
Calls made to St Vincent De Paul’s four main centres in Dublin, Cork, Galway, and the Mid-West amounted to 97,610, with calls made to its other nine regional centres pushing the figure above 100,000.
That is more than double the number of calls received by the charity in 2009 and comes as some of its offices spend record amounts of money trying to keep families provided with essentials such as warmth and heat.
In response to the findings, Mr Kenny said he recognised that more people were turning to SVP “in these strained economic times”.
However, he said, 40% of the State’s total spending is on social protection, adding that older people get a €230-a-week pension, and free fuel and electricity allocations.
Mr Kenny also said it was “very stressful for families” who find there is nothing left at the end of the month because they cannot restructure their mortgages and meet their requirements. More at –
Principal hits back at writer who said pupils anti-Jewish
Independent – at an Irish secondary school have been caught up in a diplomatic storm after being accused of anti-Semitism by a prominent Israeli journalist.
Sarah Honig, a columnist with the ‘Jerusalem Post’ who also writes a blog, claimed in an article last Thursday that pupils from Colaiste na Sceilge in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, made anti-Jewish remarks when she questioned them on why they had “Free Palestine” signs.
She said when she asked them from whom Palestine should be freed, she was told “The Jews” and “Jews were evil” because they “crucified Our Lord”.
School principal John O’Connor said he was shocked when he read the article. He said the students and the teacher who accompanied them “vehemently deny” the accusations.
See also CNI yesterday – Ruth Dudley Edward’s article
More at –
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/principal-hits-back-at-writer-who-said-pupils-antijewish-3371036.html