A NEW database recording stained-glass windows in Church of Ireland churches will be inaugurated next Monday evening in the Irish Architectural Archive.
The speaker will be Dr Nicola Gordon Bowe, from the National College of Art and Design, who is known for her studies of the iconic Irish stained-glass artist Harry Clarke.
Named Gloine (glass), the new database will allow users to search for windows by church or architect's name, geographical location, names of stained-glass artists and studios, dates, religious subject matter and other categories. The survey work, which has been carried out on a diocese-by-diocese basis, has been completed in six dioceses and will move on to the remaining six dioceses over the coming years.
The survey is the work of Dr David Lawrence, a historian and photographer of stained glass and a member of the Glaziers' Company of London. Some examples of his work are included in The Cathedral of St Fin Barre at Cork, which he wrote with Ann Wilson in 2006, and more recently in his account of 19th century stained glass in the dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe, which is published in the current issue of the Journal of the Irish Georgian Society.
The project, funded by the Representative Church Body and the Heritage Council, will provide a permanent historical art record and aims to be the most accurate and comprehensive account of any aspect of the visual arts in Ireland. Already it has revealed previously unknown examples of 19th century ecclesiastical art of exceptional quality from Irish, English and German artists and studios as well as recording better-known work by 20th century Irish artists.
The database will be accessible at the Representative Church Body Library in Churchtown, Dublin, and at the Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Square, Dublin.
This weekend in Dalgan Park, Navan, there will be an introduction to the foundation access course for the new M. Min. degree. The leaders will be Dr Christina Baxter from St John's College, Nottingham, and the Rev Dr Maurice Elliott, director of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute.
Today, Pipeworks will host an organ marathon day in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, to raise funds for its forthcoming organ festival.
Tomorrow morning, the centenary celebrations in St Colman's Church, Dunmurry, reach their climax. The Bishop of Connor will celebrate the early Eucharist and at a special Centenary Service the preacher will be Lord Eames. In the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the preacher at the Sung Eucharist will be Dr Lindsay Hall, lecturer in systematic theology in the Church of Ireland Theological College, while in St Mary's Church, Tipperary, the preacher at the Ecumenical Service, in association with the annual International Peace Convention, will be the Dean of Cashel, Dr Philip Knowles. At Evensong in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, a cross in memory of Canon Cecil Bradley, dean's vicar 1967-96, will be dedicated.
The Bishop of Down and Dromore will chair a seminar organised by the church's Council for Health and Healing in Ireland on Tuesday in the Church of St Philip and St James, Holywood, where the speaker will be the Rev Nigel Mumford, director of the Oratory of Christ the Healer in the Diocese of Albany.