30.04.2014
Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise Marks 100 Years of Promoting Irish Within the Church
Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise marked its centenary with a service of commemoration in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street, Dublin, yesterday evening (April 29). The service took place 100 years to the day after the Irish Guild of the Church held its inaugural meeting in St Ann’s Parish Hall.
The service was led by the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Revd Michael Burrows in both Irish and English using the Bilingual Book of Holy Communion and Other Services which was launched last year by the Cumann. It was filmed by TG4 and a piece will be broadcast this evening, Wednesday April 30, on TG4 at 7.00 pm which includes footage of the Cumann’s earliest minute books and related materials which were kept safe at the RCB Library.
In his sermon Bishop Burrows suggested that there had been a small resurrection in the Church of Ireland 100 years ago stimulated by a group of people who had a vision to enable its members to relish the Irish language.
He said that the Irish language needed to be incorporated into the Church because without it the Irish people could not connect fully with themselves. “A church which claims to be the Church of Ireland can’t authentically connect with itself without speaking a little of the language that nurtured it” the Bishop commented.
Speaking after the service in the parish hall, Cllr Mícheál Mac Donncha, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin, referred to Roger Casement’s assertion that a nation is made up of a river of different traditions and communities. But he said the Irish language belonged to everyone. He congratulated Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise on all they had achieved over the past 100 years and wished them well in the future.
The Cumann’s treasurer, Dáithí Ó Maolchoille, spoke of its inaugural meeting which was convened by George Ruth and chaired by the Bishop of Tuam. They adopted their objectives which included:
1. To promote all that tends to preserve within the Church of Ireland the spirit of the ancient Celtic Church and to provide a bond of union for all members of the Church of Ireland inspired with Irish ideals,
2. To promote the use of the Irish language in the public Services of the Church in Irish speaking districts and in other areas where the Language may be authorized.
3. To collect from Irish sources suitable hymns and other devotional literature,
4. To encourage the use of Irish art and Irish music in the Church, and whatever goes to enrich its national character.
Mr Ó Maolchoille spoke of the annual ecumenical service in Irish which has taken place for the past 35 years during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and said they had always been able to find a Church of Ireland preacher to preach in Irish. He said a new Hymn Book in Irish was soon to be published with the support of Foras na Gaelige and Aonghus Dwane’s book on former Archbishop of Dublin, Donald Caird, was also imminent. The Cumann will also be received at Áras an Uachtaráin this summer. He paid tribute to the Cumann’s development officer, Caroline Nolan, for all her hard work.
Photo captions:
Top: Members of the committee of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise laid a wreath in St Ann’s Church prior to the service marking the centenary of the organisation. Pictured are Aonghus Dwane, Caroline Nolan, Eileen McCracken, Dáithí Ó
Maolchoille, Cllr Mícheál Mac Donncha, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin,
the Revd Elaine Dunne and Hileáire Carey.
Bottom: Those present at the 100th anniversary of Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise in St Ann’s Parish Hall.