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United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough

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29.05.2008

Installation of the Very Revd Dermot Dunne as Dean of Christ Church

The new Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne was installed in his new post today in a service attended by civic and religious leaders from across the city.

Amongst those to attend the service were the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Paddy Bourke, Cmt Michael Tracey, ADC to, and representing, An Taoiseach, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Diarmuid Martin and the administrator of the Pro-Cathedral, the Very Revd Canon John Flaherty. Also present were representatives of the Romanian and Greek Orthodox Churches, the Methodist Church, the Lutheran Church, the Salvation Army, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Jewish Community. The address at the service was given by the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Revd Michael Burrows.

During the service the new Dean was presented with a badge of office and a silver verge and escorted to his stall in the Cathedral by the Chancellor, the Revd Canon Neil McEndoo.

The Very Revd Dermot Dunne was born in 1959 and was educated in the Pontifical University in Maynooth where he graduated with a Diploma in Philosophy in 1980 and a Diploma in Theology in 1983. He also holds a Certificate in Psychotherapy from the Chiron Centre for Integrative Psychotherapy, London. He also graduated with a BA from Dublin City University in 2004. He was ordained a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in 1983 and a Priest in 1984. After serving in various capacities from 1983 to 1995, he returned to lay life. He was licensed as a Church of Ireland priest in 1998 (see note below) after study in the Church of Ireland Theological College. He served as Dean’s Vicar in Christ Church Cathedral from 1999 to 2001. Since 2001 he has been Rector of the Crosspatrick Group of Parishes in the Diocese of Ferns (part of the United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory). He was appointed Archdeacon of Ferns in 2007 and Warden of the Cashel and Ossory Guild of Lay Readers in the same year. His appointment as Dean of Christ Church was announced on 25 February 2008.

As well as being installed as Dean, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne was also instituted as incumbent of the Christ Church Cathedral group of parishes which include several of Dublin’s most historic parishes, St Andrew's, St Werburgh's, All Saints (Grangegorman) and St Michan's, St Paul and St Mary. As the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough and the Metropolitan Church of the Southern Province of the Church of Ireland, the Cathedral holds many important Church events including the Citizenship service (which alternates every year with St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral), the consecration of Bishops, the ordination of clergy and the enthronement of newly elected Archbishops of Dublin.

In addition to his pastoral and liturgical duties, the new Dean will be responsible for the overall management of one of Dublin’s most popular and historical landmarks which was begun in 1038 by the Viking King of Dublin, Sitric Silkenbeard. Throughout its long history, Christ Church has had an excellent reputation for music which is maintained today by the Christ Church Cathedral Choir and the Christ Church Cathedral Girls’ Choir. The Cathedral is also famous for its Bell tower which with 16 bells, is one of the largest in the world. As a result, the Cathedral is the site in Dublin where many hundreds of revellers come to ‘ring in the new year’.

He succeeds the Very Revd Desmond Harman who died in December. As Dean, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne is the thirty-fifth Dean of Christ Church Cathedral since 1539, when the last Augustinian Prior, Robert Paynswick was made Dean under reforms initiated by King Henry VIII.

The Very Revd Dermot Dunne is married to Celia (nee Burl), who also trained as a psychotherapist in the Chiron Centre.

The newly installed Dean with the Archbishop of Dublin.
The newly installed Dean with the Archbishop of Dublin.

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