Our Archbishop
Profile of the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin.
Early Life and Education
The Most Revd Dr Michael Geoffrey St Aubyn Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Glendalough, was born in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, on 24 May 1956. He was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh (1967–1975); Trinity College, Dublin (1979–1982: First Class BA in Classics, Moderatorship with Gold Medal; 1982 – MA); St. John’s College, Cambridge (1979–1981: First Class BA in Theological and Religious Studies; 1985: MA; 1986: PhD awarded for a thesis on ‘Prayer and Miracle in the Spirituality of St. Augustine of Hippo’); The Church of Ireland Theological College, Braemor Park, Dublin (1986); Christ Church, Oxford MA, DPhil by incorporation (1989–1997); Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford (1993–1997).
Prizes and Awards
Trinity College Dublin: Louis Claude Purser Entrance Scholarship and Brooke Prize; Foundation Scholarship in Classics, Junior Freshman Year; Bishop Berkeley Gold Medal for Greek, Senior Freshman Year; Vice–Chancellor’s Gold Medal for Latin, Junior Sophister Year; First Class Moderatorship Part I and Mullins Classical Exhibition, Junior Sophister Year; First Class Moderatorship Part II with Gold Medal, Senior Sophister Year.
St John’s College, Cambridge: Foundation Scholarship in Theology and Religious Studies; First Class Tripos Part II in Theology and Religious Studies; Nowell–Rostron Prize for Theology; Bishop Lightfoot Prize for Theology; Wordsworth Scholarship in Theology.
The Church of Ireland Theological College: Downes Essay Prize; Moncrieff–Cox Sermon Prize; Elrington Theological Prize.
Family
Dr Jackson is married to Inez, a doctor, and they have one adult daughter, Camilla.
Ministry
Dr Jackson was deaconed in 1986 and ordained a priest in 1987. He served his curacy in Zion Parish, Dublin, and lectured at Trinity College and the Church of Ireland Theological College (now Institute) before taking up the post of College Chaplain at Christ Church College, Oxford, from 1989 to 1997. From 1997 to 2002, he was Incumbent of St Fin Barre’s Union and Dean of Cork. Archbishop Jackson has held many notable positions in the Church of Ireland, including chairmanship of the Church in Society Committee and, currently, chairmanship of the Board for Social Theology. Dr Jackson also plays an active role in the wider Anglican Communion, especially in the areas of ecumenism and inter–faith dialogue. He was elected Bishop of Clogher by the House of Bishops on 21 November 2001 and consecrated on 6 March 2002 in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh. On 2 February 2011, he was elected Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Glendalough and was enthroned in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin on 8 May 2011, succeeding the Most Revd Dr John Neill.