The most westerly Russian Orthodox church in Europe was consecrated in Dublin this morning to serve a growing number of worshippers in Ireland.
"We are very happy. We are making history. It will be an outpost of the church in the last European country before the (Atlantic) ocean," said Fr Michael Gogoleff, who has been appointed Dean for Ireland.
The 10,000-strong Orthodox community in Ireland is drawn from 12 nations, including Russia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova and Kazakhstan.
This morning's consecration at a former Church of Ireland buildingin Harold's Cross was attended by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Dermot Lacey, ambassadors and other church leaders.
While Fr Gogoleff works for half his time in Ireland and half in Britain, a priest from Russia, Fr George Zavershinsky, has been appointed to minister full-time in Dublin.
AFP