A vision for a new spiritual awakening on Achill Island

Saint Thomas’s Church, Dugort … Edward Nangle’s lasting legacy on Achill Island (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

Last week I was invited to speak at the launch in Limerick of Patricia Byrne’s new book on Edward Nangle and the Achill Mission, The Preacher and the Prelate.

But the debates stirred up by Nangle and his Achill Mission and their protagonists often detract from the good news and developments that are taking place around Saint Thomas’s Church in Dugort, which is Nangle’s lasting legacy on Achill Island.

At the General Synod in Armagh earlier this month, Maedbh O’Herlihy shared with me her vision for the Sacred Path, a Centre for Spirituality that is an initiative of the Church of Ireland in the Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry.

Maedbh, who is the co-ordinator of the Centre for Spirituality, says the ‘Sacred Path offers place and time to reconnect with nature in all its magnificence, and through this re-connection, come to a deeper awareness of the divine presence within each individual which is, in turn, a true gift to all creation.’

As a centre for spirituality, the Sacred Path is planning to offer a programme of retreats, workshops and pilgrimages.

In her promotion of the Sacred Path, Maedbh says the centre is offering ‘the quiet space, the hospitality of welcome, the meditative atmosphere, the friendship in the practice of the Anam Cara – the Friend of the Soul, and the opportunities to both reawaken, and refresh, the spiritual within each of us.’

She continues: ‘These quiet encounters with Christ through prayer, reflection, workshops, pilgrimages, meditation – both indoors and out in the beauty of nature, and in retreats are stepping stones of opportunity.’

‘The retreats may be silent, individual or group, facilitated, or simply accompanied through gentle direction,’ she promises.

So something new is coming out of Achill this summer. It promises to be a new spiritual awakening in a way that Edward Nangle could have imaged a century and half ago, and a blessing reaching far beyond the parish and diocese in the Church of Ireland.

Four days of voting and four days of listening and a test for democracy

Saint Matthias in a roof boss in Saint Helen’s Church, Bishopsgate, Norwich

Patrick Comerford,

Sunday 13 May 2018, The Seventh Sunday of Easter

11.30 a.m.: Morning Prayer, Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale, Co Limerick.

Readings: Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; I John 5: 9-13; and John 17: 6-19.

May I speak to you in the name of God, + Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. It is a sort of in-between day. This day comes between Ascension Day and the Day of Pentecost, it is a day of doubt and deliberation for the disciples, caught between awe and wonder, the wonder of the Ascension the previous Thursday, and the awe of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Sunday next, the Day of Pentecost.

In this in-between time, the remaining 11 disciples have to vote. They have to choose a successor to Judas, who is now dead. None of us would like to be counted as the successor of Judas. But this reading from the Acts of the Apostles recalls the successor to Judas as one of the Twelve, the Apostle Matthias. Indeed, his feast day falls tomorrow [Monday 14 May 2018.].

I sometimes wonder whether Saint Matthias saw the humour in being second choice. After all, he was the second choice – not the first choice, but the second choice – to succeed Judas among the Twelve.

Imagine how Saint Matthias might have felt: the first time round, he was not good enough to be among the Twelve, but Judas was. The second time round, his name is not mentioned first; instead, the first name to come forward is that of Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus. But nobody ever remembers him, and his saintly life has passed into oblivion. I hear very few boys being called Barsabbas, as in: ‘Hey Barsabbas, pass the ball over here.’

And then, to compound matters, nobody has the foggiest idea who Saint Matthias was, before or after his election. His name, identity and life story have been forgotten, apart from making him the patron saint of alcoholism and smallpox, and of a few small towns. We are not even sure where or how he died, or where he is buried.

This reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us that Saint Matthias is the Apostle chosen by the remaining 11 of the 12 to take the place of Judas following his betrayal of Christ and his subsequent death (Acts 1:15-26).

The 120 assembled believers come forward with two nominations: their first choice is Joseph Barsabbas, or Joseph Justus. It may only be an afterthought that someone suggests the name of Matthias.

And then, they cannot make up their minds. Instead, they cast lots, and the lot falls to Matthias. I doubt any of us would be happy to hear we have been elected to any role in life by tossing a coin, drawing straws or rolling a dice as others pray about whether we are suitable or qualified.

But it seems I have spent the last four days doing nothing but vote: a full day of voting in London at a meeting of the trustees of the Anglican mission agency USPG on Wednesday, and three days of voting at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The voting in London was important in terms of the future of USPG, which has a new general secretary, the Revd Duncan Dormor, and is about to confirm the appointment of a new chair of trustees, John Neilson, at a council meeting in July.

The voting in Armagh directly affects the life and future of this diocese. We voted on proposals that prepare the Church for the possibility of amalgamating the Diocese of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert with the Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry.

We have not been amalgamated, yet. But this vote means that when one or other of our bishops resigns, retires, moves on or dies, the electoral college for that diocese will be suspended.

How we have a say in electing our new bishop or bishops is now going to be more complicated.

But last week’s voting at the General Synod also involved proposals to change how we vote for and elect members of the General Synod, including representatives of this diocese.

When we vote we must be careful and informed. It is not always a straight choice between Barsabbas and Matthias, certainly not a choice between Barabbas and Jesus, in front of a crowd on Good Friday.

Nor should it ever be by lot: tossing a coin, rolling a dice, drawing straws, or, like Grand National Day, sticking a pin into paper with eyes blindfolded.

Being careful and being informed means that before last week’s meetings I read all my papers in advance of the meeting of the trustees of USPG in London and in advance of the meeting of the General Synod in Armagh.

But being informed did not mean I was necessarily going to be wise. I also needed to seek God’s will, and prayed each morning before each meeting, before each day’s voting.

That does not mean I got it right each day. And even if I was right, it does not mean that I was on the ‘winning side’ in each vote. But it does mean I had to respect the vote, the process, and the views of those I disagree with, even if I think they are thoroughly wrong – and I expect them to respect me and to respect my conscience too.

If that mutual respect breaks down, then the whole process of voting, of democracy, loses the confidence of all involved.

I have good reason to suspect that Barsabbas is named in our reading this morning because he respected and accepted the choice of Matthias. I cannot imagine he would be named if he had gone off in a huff, if he had bad-mouthed Matthias afterwards, if he had decided to return to the synagogue and the Pharisees or another Jewish tradition.

We are faced with a major vote on the future direction of Irish society later this month [25 May 2018]. It is a vote not just about private ethics but also about public morality.

Everybody agrees – and this is not meant to be a pun – that this referendum is going to be life-changing and life-altering.

Let me say immediately that I am (1) not going to tell anyone how to vote; and (2) not going to tell anyone how I am going to vote. I am not being evasive; I am not avoiding the thorny issues; and I am not trying to abdicate my responsibility to speak with a moral and ethical voice at this time .

But there are some things that sadden me about the referendum campaign. I think it is fair to say that many campaigners, on each side, are not listening to each other. There has been a paucity of debate. Debate involves both speaking and listening, hearing and being heard. However, it seems that the argument on each side is often characterised by people rehearsing pre-referendum positions, characterising the other side in the debate by the most extreme arguments put forward on each side rather than listening to the more rational argument put on each side, and by trying to paint people into corners.

It is not extreme to want to protect all human life, from conception to death. Nor is it extreme to argue that a woman’s life needs to be protected and that every child should be a loved child.

But at the extremes, we have people who think human life begins at conception, but who have no problem with being proponents of the death penalty or sympathising with Donald Trump’s nuclear madness; and people who vegans and pacifists, but who think the conceived child’s life has no value until the infant is born.

These are extreme positions, and I too may be in danger of exaggerating.

During this referendum campaign there are many hurt people who are too hurt to allow their voices to be heard publicly. They are living once again through moments from the past that continue to hurt, and for which there is no healing.

But after this referendum, there are going to be many hurt people, who feel they have not been listened to, and many triumphant people who will all too easily forget the hurt and divisions that referendums like this inevitably create.

Be informed. Read all the material that comes your way, especially the impartial material from the Referendum Commission. Do not end up on the day rolling a dice, or using your pen like a pin on Grand National Day.

Be respectful. Remember that other people, including people in your own family or your own workplace may vote differently, but for very good moral and ethical reasons.

Be prayerful. It is not just enough to think and ponder on the issues. These are major ethical and moral issues that are going to effect Ireland for a full generation. Pray for God’s guidance on 25 May. Indeed, sometimes we hear the voice of God in what others have to say.

Be a voter. Democracy comes at a price, and there is no point in me moaning about the present state of society if I am not willing to vote, even when I consider none of the choices being offered reflects my hopes. Second best is always better than what is going to be the worst.

Continue to have hope. Things are never as they should be, as they ought to be. This time between Ascension and Pentecost is a reminder that we always live in the in-between time. Nothing is going to be perfect until the Kingdom comes. But in the meantime we try to be signs of what the kingdom is going to be like in how we show our love for one another.

And so, may all we think, say and do be to the praise, honour and glory of God, + Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

This sermon was prepared for Sunday 13 May 2018.

‘The lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles’ (Acts 1: 17) … Christ and the twelve apostles in the East Window in Saint Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

John 17: 6-19

[Jesus said:] 6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Peter stood up among the believers … and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled’ (Acts 1: 15) … Saint Peter depicted in a window in the north nave in in Saint Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Liturgical Colour: White, or Gold.

The Greeting (from Easter Day until Pentecost):

Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Penitential Kyries:

God our Father,
you exalted your Son to sit at your right hand.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you are the way, the truth and the life.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Holy Spirit, Counsellor,
you are sent to be with us for ever.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

The Collect (Easter 7):

O God the King of Glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Mercifully give us faith to know
that, as he promised,
he abides with us on earth to the end of time;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Introduction to the Peace:

Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives (John 14: 27, 28)

Blessing:

Christ our exalted King
pour on you his abundant gifts
make you faithful and strong to do his will
that you may reign with him in glory:

Dismissal: (from Easter Day to Pentecost):

Go in the peace of the Risen Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Hymns:

461, For all thy saints, O Lord

518, Bind us together, Lord

527, Son of God, eternal Saviour

Saint Peter depicted in one of the paired east windows in Saint Brendan’s Cathedral, Clonfert, Co Galway (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

‘I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy’

‘The lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles’ (Acts 1: 17) … Christ and the twelve apostles in the East Window in Saint Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford,

Sunday 13 May 2018, The Seventh Sunday of Easter

9.30 a.m.: The Parish Eucharist (Holy Communion 2), Castletown Church, Kilcornan, Co Limerick.

Readings: Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; I John 5: 9-13; and John 17: 6-19.

May I speak to you in the name of God, + Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Today is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. It is a sort of in-between day. This day comes between Ascension Day and the Day of Pentecost, it is a day of doubt and deliberation for the disciples, caught between awe and wonder, the wonder of the Ascension the previous Thursday, and the awe of the descent of the Holy Spirit on Sunday next, the Day of Pentecost.

In this in-between time, the remaining 11 disciples have to vote. They have to choose a successor to Judas, who is now dead. None of us would like to be counted as the successor of Judas. But this reading from the Acts of the Apostles recalls the successor to Judas as one of the Twelve, the Apostle Matthias. Indeed, his feast day falls tomorrow [Monday 14 May 2018.].

I sometimes wonder whether Saint Matthias saw the humour in being second choice. After all, he was the second choice – not the first choice, but the second choice – to succeed Judas among the Twelve.

Imagine how Saint Matthias might have felt: the first time round, he was not good enough to be among the Twelve, but Judas was. The second time round, his name is not mentioned first; instead, the first name to come forward is that of Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus. But nobody ever remembers him, and his saintly life has passed into oblivion. I hear very few boys being called Barsabbas, as in: ‘Hey Barsabbas, pass the ball over here.’

And then, to compound matters, nobody has the foggiest idea who Saint Matthias was, before or after his election. His name, identity and life story have been forgotten, apart from making him the patron saint of alcoholism and smallpox, and of a few small towns. We are not even sure where or how he died, or where he is buried.

This reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us that Saint Matthias is the Apostle chosen by the remaining 11 of the 12 to take the place of Judas following his betrayal of Christ and his subsequent death (Acts 1:15-26).

The 120 assembled believers come forward with two nominations: their first choice is Joseph Barsabbas, or Joseph Justus. It may only be an afterthought that someone suggests the name of Matthias.

And then, they cannot make up their minds. Instead, they cast lots, and the lot falls to Matthias. I doubt any of us would be happy to hear we have been elected to any role in life by tossing a coin, drawing straws or rolling a dice as others pray about whether we are suitable or qualified.

But it seems I have spent the last four days doing nothing but vote: a full day of voting in London at a meeting of the trustees of the Anglican mission agency USPG on Wednesday, and three days of voting at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The voting in London was important in terms of the future of USPG, which has a new general secretary, the Revd Duncan Dormor, and is about to confirm the appointment of a new chair of trustees, John Neilson, at a council meeting in July.

The voting in Armagh directly affects the life and future of this diocese. We voted on proposals that prepare the Church for the possibility of amalgamating the Diocese of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert with the Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry.

We have not been amalgamated, yet. But this vote means that when one or other of our bishops resigns, retires, moves on or dies, the electoral college for that diocese will be suspended.

How we have a say in electing our new bishop or bishops is now going to be more complicated.

But last week’s voting at the General Synod also involved proposals to change how we vote for and elect members of the General Synod, including representatives of this diocese.

When we vote we must be careful and informed. It is not always a straight choice between Barsabbas and Matthias, certainly not a choice between Barabbas and Jesus, in front of a crowd on Good Friday.

Nor should it ever be by lot: tossing a coin, rolling a dice, drawing straws, or, like Grand National Day, sticking a pin into paper with eyes blindfolded.

Being careful and being informed means that before last week’s meetings I read all my papers in advance of the meeting of the trustees of USPG in London and in advance of the meeting of the General Synod in Armagh.

But being informed did not mean I was necessarily going to be wise. I also needed to seek God’s will, and prayed each morning before each meeting, before each day’s voting.

That does not mean I got it right each day. And even if I was right, it does not mean that I was on the ‘winning side’ in each vote. But it does mean I had to respect the vote, the process, and the views of those I disagree with, even if I think they are thoroughly wrong – and I expect them to respect me and to respect my conscience too.

If that mutual respect breaks down, then the whole process of voting, of democracy, loses the confidence of all involved.

I have good reason to suspect that Barsabbas is named in our reading this morning because he respected and accepted the choice of Matthias. I cannot imagine he would be named if he had gone off in a huff, if he had bad-mouthed Matthias afterwards, if he had decided to return to the synagogue and the Pharisees or another Jewish tradition.

We are faced with a major vote on the future direction of Irish society later this month [25 May 2018]. It is a vote not just about private ethics but also about public morality.

Everybody agrees – and this is not meant to be a pun – that this referendum is going to be life-changing and life-altering.

Let me say immediately that I am (1) not going to tell anyone how to vote; and (2) not going to tell anyone how I am going to vote. I am not being evasive; I am not avoiding the thorny issues; and I am not trying to abdicate my responsibility to speak with a moral and ethical voice at this time .

But there are some things that sadden me about the referendum campaign. I think it is fair to say that many campaigners, on each side, are not listening to each other. There has been a paucity of debate. Debate involves both speaking and listening, hearing and being heard. However, it seems that the argument on each side is often characterised by people rehearsing pre-referendum positions, characterising the other side in the debate by the most extreme arguments put forward on each side rather than listening to the more rational argument put on each side, and by trying to paint people into corners.

It is not extreme to want to protect all human life, from conception to death. Nor is it extreme to argue that a woman’s life needs to be protected and that every child should be a loved child.

But at the extremes, we have people who think human life begins at conception, but who have no problem with being proponents of the death penalty or sympathising with Donald Trump’s nuclear madness; and people who vegans and pacifists, but who think the conceived child’s life has no value until the infant is born.

These are extreme positions, and I too may be in danger of exaggerating.

During this referendum campaign there are many hurt people who are too hurt to allow their voices to be heard publicly. They are living once again through moments from the past that continue to hurt, and for which there is no healing.

But after this referendum, there are going to be many hurt people, who feel they have not been listened to, and many triumphant people who will all too easily forget the hurt and divisions that referendums like this inevitably create.

Be informed. Read all the material that comes your way, especially the impartial material from the Referendum Commission. Do not end up on the day rolling a dice, or using your pen like a pin on Grand National Day.

Be respectful. Remember that other people, including people in your own family or your own workplace may vote differently, but for very good moral and ethical reasons.

Be prayerful. It is not just enough to think and ponder on the issues. These are major ethical and moral issues that are going to effect Ireland for a full generation. Pray for God’s guidance on 25 May. Indeed, sometimes we hear the voice of God in what others have to say.

Be a voter. Democracy comes at a price, and there is no point in me moaning about the present state of society if I am not willing to vote, even when I consider none of the choices being offered reflects my hopes. Second best is always better than what is going to be the worst.

Continue to have hope. Things are never as they should be, as they ought to be. This time between Ascension and Pentecost is a reminder that we always live in the in-between time. Nothing is going to be perfect until the Kingdom comes. But in the meantime we try to be signs of what the kingdom is going to be like in how we show our love for one another.

And so, may all we think, say and do be to the praise, honour and glory of God, + Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

This sermon was prepared for Sunday 13 May 2018.

Saint Matthias in a roof boss in Saint Helen’s Church, Bishopsgate, Norwich

John 17: 6-19

[Jesus said:] 6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Peter stood up among the believers … and said, ‘Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled’ (Acts 1: 15) … Saint Peter depicted in a window in the north nave in in Saint Flannan’s Cathedral, Killaloe (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Liturgical Colour: White, or Gold.

The Greeting (from Easter Day until Pentecost):

Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Penitential Kyries:

God our Father,
you exalted your Son to sit at your right hand.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Lord Jesus,
you are the way, the truth and the life.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Holy Spirit, Counsellor,
you are sent to be with us for ever.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

The Collect (Easter 7):

O God the King of Glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
Mercifully give us faith to know
that, as he promised,
he abides with us on earth to the end of time;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Introduction to the Peace:

Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
I do not give to you as the world gives (John 14: 27, 28)

Preface:

Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who after he had risen from the dead ascended into heaven,
where he is seated at your right hand to intercede for us
and to prepare a place for us in glory:

Post Communion Prayer:

Eternal Giver of love and power,
your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world
to preach the gospel of his kingdom.
Confirm us in this mission,
and help us to live the good news we proclaim;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing:

Christ our exalted King
pour on you his abundant gifts
make you faithful and strong to do his will
that you may reign with him in glory:

Dismissal: (from Easter Day to Pentecost):

Go in the peace of the Risen Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Hymns:

461, For all thy saints, O Lord

518, Bind us together, Lord

438, O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray

Saint Peter depicted in one of the paired east windows in Saint Brendan’s Cathedral, Clonfert, Co Galway (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick’s Fold and the site of Saint Patrick’s first church in Armagh

Patrick’s Fold … said to stand on the site of Saint Patrick’s first church in Armagh (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford

Walking to and from the General Synod of the Church of Ireland each day, walking between the Charlemont Arms Hotel and the City of Armagh Hotel, I passed along English Street and Scotch Street and by Patrick’s Fold, which is said to stand on the site of Saint Patrick’s first church in Armagh.

In early rentals Scotch Street was known as Ferta Street, which was derived from the Irish Teampail na Ferta, said to be Saint Patrick’s first church in Armagh.

At one time, this street was also known as Newry Street, as this was the main route out of Armagh to the south-east.

The name Scotch Street, which also appears as Scottish Street in 1661, probably derives from the number of settlers from Scotland who lived in this area by the mid-17th century.

Today, the buildings lining Scotch Street are all shop premises, with the visible and noticeable exception of Patrick’s Fold, which is set back from the street front, with a colourful garden at the front with two lawns.

Patrick’s Fold, formerly the Bank of Ireland, is said to stand on the site of Saint Patrick’s Teampail na Ferta.

The house was built in 1811-1812 and was designed by Francis Johnson as part of Leonard Dobbin’s planned commercial development. At the time, Dobbin was the Sovereign or Mayor of Armagh, and the agent for the Bank of Ireland. Later, he was MP for Armagh from 1833 to 1838.

This is a very handsome three-bay, three-storey house with a basement. It is built in ashlar stonework, with blocked, chamfered quoins, a fine cornice and a blocking course. At either side there are screen walls with doorways, each with an oculus over the door. There are sash windows with glazing bars and gabled, stone chimney stacks.

The house has a splendid doorway with sidelights, four engaged Tuscan columns and a segmented fanlight with an integral lantern. The flight of steps leading up to the doorway fans out at each side, with railings to the basement area.

The side walls of the adjoining houses form part of the composition, and there are finely carved urns adorning the gables.

The building was converted by GP and RH Bell in 1979-1981 for sheltered accommodation and it is well maintained. In 2013, it was named as ‘Best-Kept Sheltered Housing Area.’

Patrick’s Fold … designed by Francis Johnson in 1811-1812 for Leonard Dobbin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Ecumenical guests and divisive debates at the General Synod in Armagh

With ecumenical guests from the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Revd Patrick Burke, editor of the ‘Diocesan Magazine’ (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) at the General Synod in Armagh

Patrick Comerford

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland is coming to an is coming to an end in Armagh and I hope to be back in Askeaton, Co Limerick, later this evening.

One of my pleasant tasks at the General Synod this year, as in many previous years, was being one of the hosts for the ecumenical guests from other churches.

This week, I was asked to be the host for three groups of special guests: the Revd Sarah Groves of the Moravian Church of Great Britain and Ireland; Ms Miriam Weibye, Church Relations Officer, the Scottish Episcopal Church; and the Revd Father Rouies Anba Bishoy of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and Dr Sherif Kelada.

The other ecumenical guests this week included Archbishop Emanon Martin of Armagh, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick and Mr Tommy Burns from the Roman Catholic Church; the Very Revd Frank Sellar and Mrs Sadie Somerville from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland; the Revd Lawrence Graham and Mr Kenneth Twyble from the Methodist Church in Ireland; Dr Nicola Brady of the Irish Council of Churches, and the Revd Brian Anderson, the new President of the Irish Council of Churches; and Bishop Dirk Jan Schoon of Haarlem, representing the International Bishops’ Conference of the Old Catholic Church.

Sometimes I wonder what they make of our way of debating, and how we often fail to listen to each other. But that is an ‘Anglican-centric’ way of looking at ecumenism. They probably care little, but in equal measure probably wonder what we think of their internal debates.

In all our debates these days, as we worry about maintaining our own unity and at times have been less than charitable about our differences as we feigned hurt about those we differed with in the debates at General Synod, I wondered if all these were ‘first world’ problems that we had the luxury to wallow in while representatives from the Coptic Orthodox Church know at first hand what it is truly like to suffer as a minority in Egypt.

‘Thy Kingdom Come’ (2): Thanks, Luke 17: 11-19

Patrick Comerford

‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ which was launched at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in Armagh this week by the two Archbishops of Armagh, is an invitation to pray with Christians around the world during the nine days between Ascension and Pentecost, using art and scripture.

‘Changed Lives → Changing Lives’ is the guiding theme this year as people are invited to pray afresh for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

In doing so, people are joining thousands of others around the world as part of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ – an initiative encouraging people to explore through prayer how they might courageously witness to God’s life-changing work.

As the Apostles prayed together following Christ’s Ascension, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come at Pentecost, we too are invited to wait and pray today. They prayed in obedience, trusting that the way ahead would be revealed. May we, like the disciples, pray anticipating that the Spirit will show us new ways of living and loving. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ asks that we may we be open to where God leads us, to be the change God wants to see in the world – whatever that might require.

As God is at work in us, he is also at work through us changing the lives of others. Please join with us as we pray together: ‘Come Holy Spirit: thy kingdom come’ and may our waiting and praying this Novena open our hearts afresh to God’s possibilities.

The ‘Pocket Prayers’ for 2018 for these nine days invite readers each day to:

LOOK at images and meet the characters caught up in life-changing moments, where the future is shaped by their encounter with God. They suggest letting those images reveal new possibilities for God’s Word to transform us and others.

WAIT prayerfully for the Holy Spirit. Pause, creating a space into which God can speak.

READ the Bible text, allow it to enliven your heart, stir your soul and spark your imagination.

LISTEN for insight through idea or image, through recollection or curiosity. Let that Word dwell within you, as you listen for yourself and your community.

RESPOND to the prompting of the Word, with an action that leads to life-giving change. Let the words of the collect gather up and bless these moments of prayerful waiting upon God, so his Kingdom might be seen more fully in you.

Saturday 12 May: Thanks

LOOK… and be curious.

WAIT … with prayerful expectation.

Come Holy Spirit: Thy Kingdom Come.

READ … the text with an open mind.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’ (Luke 17: 11-19)

LISTEN … for a word with a willing heart.

RESPOND … with prayer and action.

Oh God of pity and of the pitiful, help us to recognise ourselves in this story and to weigh the gratitude in our hearts. As we throw ourselves at your feet, heal us, and be a wellspring of thankfulness rising up in us for change and transformation. Amen.

‘What is imperfect with peace is often better than what is … more excellent without it’

Cherry blossoms at the City of Armagh Hotel during a break at the General Synod this afternoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford

The 1878 Preface to the Book of Common Prayer declares: ‘And now, if some shall complain that these changes are not enough, and that we should have taken this opportunity of making this Book as perfect in all respects as they think it might be made, or if others shall say that these changes have been unnecessary or excessive, and that what was already excellent has been impaired by doing that which, in their opinion, might well have been left undone, let them, on the one side and the other, consider that men’s judgements of perfection are very various, and that what is imperfect, with peace, is often better than what is otherwise more excellent, without it.’

Bishop Harold Miller of Down and Dromore has said the ‘theme song’ of the 1878 Preface ‘is very much part of the psyche of the Church of Ireland’ when it states: ‘What is imperfect with peace is often better than what is otherwise more excellent without it.’

The General Synod of the Church of Ireland come to an end today with making decisions that some would have seen as perfect but that would have left us without peace.

Our judgments of what might be a perfect make of the General Synod are very various, as was obvious from the debates over the past few days.

A private members motion proposing the withdrawal of the Bill tahat sought to establish a proportional and representative formula for the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives and reduce its membership was passed in Armagh today [11 May 2018] after a very difficult debate on the Bill yesterday afternoon.

A private members motion, proposed by Sam Harper (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) and seconded by Mrs Eithne Harkness (Armagh), was passed so that Bill No 7 was withdrawn. Standing Committee has been asked to consider the contents of the Bill and the proposed amendments and ‘with that focus return to the 2019 General Synod with a report and legislative proposals for decision by the Synod.’

Sam Harper said the decision was too important to make in a matter of minutes. The motion gives a year for the bill and the amendments to be considered by Standing Committee, and to come back next year to the Synod.

Eithne Harkness said there had not been time to reflect on ‘the consequences and unintended consequences and if the Bill goes forward today we will be denying ourselves that time. This Bill is in danger of being destroyed by weight of amendments.’

Lady Brenda Sheil (Down and Dromore) said that consultation and a sharing of views were important in a caring Church. This motion would allow Standing Committee to come back with carefully considered proposals with time to reflect and to consult.

Archdeacon Wayne Carney (Limerick and Killaloe) said the motion would help deal with the unintended consequences of the Bill. He said the Church of Ireland was balanced and there was a balance in General Synod, but he was worried that the Bill would reduce the balance of General Synod.

The Bill, as proposed by Andrew Brannigan and Canon Alison Calvin, would reduce the membership of the General Synod. Their proposed formula would have allocated the number of representatives according to the number of cures within respective dioceses subject to 2:1 laity/clerical representation. Six additional seats would be allocated to each diocese to proportionally increase the representation of smaller dioceses.

The move would have reduced the House of Representatives by 117 seats from the current 648 to 531.

Archdeacon Andrew Orr opposed the first reading of the Bill. He said that while few would argue that Synod did not need change, the Bill was passed it would be the most dramatic change to be introduced in the Church of Ireland since 1870 and yet there had only been a few short weeks to consider it.

He said there had been no consultation and that it had been dropped on members, with the smaller dioceses bearing the brunt. ‘We have not had the time to scrutinise them or see what the implications will be for any of the dioceses affected. Are we really going to change the governance of the diocese on the hoof, on a whim?’ he asked.

Bishop Patrick Rooke of Tuam said there was already a 60:40 balance weighted towards the northern dioceses. But he said over the last 10 years there was a greater attendance from southern dioceses. However, the southern dioceses would lose a far greater number of representatives. He feared that if passed, southern representatives may not feel it would be worth attending as the representation was weighted too heavily against them.

He said the question was ‘What is equitable?’ He argued that the principal should be not to move beyond a 60:40 split between the two provinces and holding the Church of Ireland together was important.

During the debate, I asked the proposers to withdraw the Bill considering the division it was causing. I said they had not consulted widely with the wider Church. Time was needed for Tuam, Killala and Achonry and Limerick and Killaloe to continue their discussions, and I said representation at General Synod was designed to allow voices from the smaller regions to be heard, and that it was not intended to be proportional representation.

Robin Newman (Cork, Cloyne and Ross) said the Bill would make the Church of Ireland partisan. He said General Synod should be pared down and suggested that as 40% of those elected do not attend so proposed reducing the house by 40% across the board. He added the Bill should come from Standing Committee rather than individuals.

Roger Boyd (Cashel, Ferns and Ossory) said that he came from a quiet church with a quiet voice. He said it was the same church as in Dublin and Armagh. ‘The proposal here today is that some of those quiet voices shouldn’t be heard and I worry about the why of that,’ he said.

Dean Maria Jannson of Waterford pointed out that the General Synod is not representative of people who could not afford to be at Synod, or immigrants, or people under 30. She urged members to look to the edges and to see those who are not represented and have no voices, to look at social integration and Christian outreach. ‘I want an imaginative Gospel led, brave Synod which looks to the future. There’s more to this Synod than numbers,’ she said.

George Woodman (Connor) warned that a smaller, tighter General Synod could be too easily controlled by lobby groups and parties wishing to put forward a slate. He said he had come to value the larger baggy Synod and suggested there was greater democracy. He said the Church of Ireland was divided and the Anglican Communion’s unity was under threat.

Now the debate goes back to Standing Committee. But, of course, that means another debate next year. Any proposal that comes to general Synod next year ought to be sent from there to the Diocesan Synods so that there is the fullest amount of consultation throughout the Church.

‘Radiant Faith’ in the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe

‘Radiant Faith’ … report on mission launched at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in Armagh this week (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford

One of the resources launched at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in Armagh this week is a report edited by Ruth Garvey-Williams and published by the Church of Ireland Council for Mission, Radiant Faith: Living out the Five Marks of Mission.

The report includes descriptions of mission work in all 12 of the dioceses of the Church Ireland, including this report of mission work in the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe:

Working with a
community in need
of healing

Rathkeale was once the largest market town in West Limerick. Today, this is the town with the largest proportion of the population identified as Travellers. The number of Travellers and the communal tensions associated with Rathkeale have drawn extensive media attention, giving rise to headlines that fail to express many positive aspects of life in the town.

Travellers assert that they are often the victims of racism and discrimination, at both an institutional and a communal level. On the other hand, many residents of Rathkeale mourn the loss of character of the town they knew and still love.

The Rathkeale Pre-Social Cohesion Project is an unusual and unique example of mission in the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe. The project was set up with the support of the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church.

Supported by West Limerick Resources and the local authorities, the project seeks to be the voice of faith communities on issues of justice in a place of division that has yet to recognise or accept the need for healing and reconciliation.

‘We need to listen to all parts of the community and all parts of the community need to listen to each other, explained Canon Patrick Comerford, the priest-in-charge of the Rathkeale and Kilnaughtin Group of Parishes.

This long-term project meets two of the five marks of mission in the Anglican Communion: to respond to human need by loving service; and to seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.

Launching ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ at the General Synod in Armagh

Archbishop Richard Clarke and Archbishop Eamon Martin launching ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ at the General Synod in Armagh (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford

Yesterday was Ascension Day. And at the end of a busy opening day at the General Synod in Armagh yesterday, the two Archbishops of Armagh, Archbishop Richard Clarke and Archbishop Eamon Martin launched ‘Thy Kingdom Come,’ an invitation to pray with Christians around the world during the nine days between Ascension and Pentecost, using art and scripture.

‘Changed Lives → Changing Lives’ is the guiding theme this year as people are invited to pray afresh for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

In doing so, people are joining thousands of others around the world as part of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ – an initiative encouraging people to explore through prayer how they might courageously witness to God’s life-changing work.

As the Apostles prayed together following Christ’s Ascension, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come at Pentecost, we too are invited to wait and pray today. They prayed in obedience, trusting that the way ahead would be revealed. May we, like the disciples, pray anticipating that the Spirit will show us new ways of living and loving. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ asks that we may we be open to where God leads us, to be the change God wants to see in the world – whatever that might require.

As God is at work in us, he is also at work through us changing the lives of others. Please join with us as we pray together: ‘Come Holy Spirit: thy kingdom come’ and may our waiting and praying this Novena open our hearts afresh to God’s possibilities.

The ‘Pocket Prayers’ for 2018, from today for the next nine days, invite readers each day to:

LOOK at images and meet the characters caught up in life-changing moments, where the future is shaped by their encounter with God. They suggest letting those images reveal new possibilities for God’s Word to transform us and others.

WAIT prayerfully for the Holy Spirit. Pause, creating a space into which God can speak.

READ the Bible text, allow it to enliven your heart, stir your soul and spark your imagination.

LISTEN for insight through idea or image, through recollection or curiosity. Let that Word dwell within you, as you listen for yourself and your community.

RESPOND to the prompting of the Word, with an action that leads to life-giving change. Let the words of the collect gather up and bless these moments of prayerful waiting upon God, so his Kingdom might be seen more fully in you.

The Ascension depicted in the East Window in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Friday 11 May: Praise

LOOK… and be curious.

WAIT … with prayerful expectation.

Come Holy Spirit: Thy Kingdom Come.

READ… the text with an open mind.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall never be moved.’ By your favour, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed. To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: ‘What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!’ You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever. (Psalm 30: 6-12)

LISTEN … for a word with a willing heart.

RESPOND … with prayer and action.

Oh God, maker of mountains, present in our highest heights and lowest depths, as we recognise all that you have saved us from, help us also to see the life you lead us to. Drawn from the pit of despair may we stir up dust to sing and make it our delight to dance in praise of you.

Amen.

An Armagh hotel that commemorates the ‘Volunteer Earl’

The Charlemont Arms Hotel ... three and a half centuries of history in Armagh (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

During these three days in Armagh, while I am attending the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, I am staying once again at the Charlemont Arms Hotel in English Street, a third-generation, family-run hotel in the centre of this cathedral city.

The motto on the coat-of-arms of the Earls of Charlemont, over the hotel front door, which gives its name to the hotel, proclaims boldly: Deo Duce Ferro Comitante, ‘God is my leader, the sword is my companion.’ The first part of the motto may be appropriate for synod members staying in Armagh – but I have serious problems about the second part.

The hotel, which has thrived throughout the centuries, was originally home to a Dr Atkinson. By the 1760s, it had become a hostelry known as ‘The Caulfeild Arms.’ It was renamed in 1763, when James Caulfeild (1728-1799), fourth Viscount Caulfeild, was given the title Earl of Charlemont.

In 1746, at the age of 18 year, he was sent on a Grand Tour of Europe, accompanied by the Revd Edward Murphy as his tutor. During his Grand Tour, which lasted nine years, he travelled to Holland and Germany, and spent a year in Rome and Naples before travelling on to Greece, where he was totally fascinated by the Parthenon in Athens and made drawings of the building long before it was destroyed by Lord Elgin.

He visited Turkey and Egypt too before returning to Rome in 1750, where he met many famous people, including the architect William Chambers, the sculptors Simon Vierpyl and Joseph Wilton and the artist and decorator Giovanni Battista Cipriani. He spent vast sums of money collecting paintings, sculptures and books and shipping them home.

He returned to Ireland in 1755, and went on to build both the Casino in Marino and Charlemont House in Dublin, now home to the Hugh Lane Gallery of Modern Art.

Although bestowed with titles and honours, he disregarded court favours and formed a political alliance with Henry Flood and Henry Grattan. In 1780, as Lord Charlemont, he became the commander-in-chief of the Irish Volunteers and in 1783 he presided at the Volunteer Convention in Dublin. From then on was known as the Volunteer Earl.

In the heyday of the Volunteers, there was a Charlemont Arms in every Irish town of note. However, this hotel may be the only one to survive – something that makes the current proprietors very proud.

Records show that John Hughes became the proprietor in 1852. He retained ownership until 1892, when a JH Mann was listed as its owner. Two years later, it was known as ‘Mann’s Hotel and Hydropathic Establishment,’ and the facilities on offer included Turkish, plunge and other baths.

The hotel had a number of different proprietors from 1906 to 1933. Then, in 1934, it passed into the ownership of Robert and Elizabeth Forster. Their son, Robin Forster, and his wife Gretta were also at the forefront of the family business for many years and now the third generation is involved in running the hotel.

As owners, the Forster family has made a significant investment in the hotel. It was largely rebuilt in 1976-1979 after bomb damage, and major renovations in May 1999 incorporated two adjacent derelict buildings. These renovations have enhanced the hotel, providing 18 more bedrooms and a larger foyer and reception area.

According to William Makepeace Thackeray, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, is ‘too complete ... not the least venerable. It is as neat and trim as a lady’s drawing-room.’

This hotel is perfectly located between the city’s two cathedrals and close to the beautiful Mall, the theatre, city centre shops, the Armagh Planetarium and Observatory, the Armagh County Museum, the old Armagh Women’s Gaol.

And, of course, it is a short stroll from the synod venue and many synod members are staying here – once again, this may be where a lot of the synod work is going to be done.

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh ... ‘As neat and trim as a lady’s drawing-room’ according to Thackeray (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Three days in Armagh at the General Synod of the Church of Ireland

The Ascension depicted in an Oppenheimer mosaic in Saint Mary’s Church, Listowel … the General Synod of the Church of Ireland opens in Armagh this morning (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford

Today is Ascension Day. After a long day in London yesterday for a meeting of the Trustees of the Anglican mission agency, USPG (United Society, Partners in the Gospel), I am travelling to Armagh this morning [10 May 2018] for the General Synod of the Church of Ireland.

The General Synod begins in Armagh City Hotel this morning and continues until Saturday [12 May 2018]. The preacher at the Synod Service in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral this morning is the Bishop of Clogher, the Right Revd John McDowell, and the Synod’s chaplain is Canon Shane Forster.

In addition to reports from the Standing Committee and the Representative Church Body, the Synod is considering proposed legislation for an order for Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer for use on Sundays, for adult safeguarding, and for ecumenical and lay canons in Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.

Of particular interest in my own diocese and parish are the bills to provide for the future unification of the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe and the Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry, and to amend the diocesan representation at General Synod.

In the context of the report of the Standing Committee, a new ‘prayer app’ will be launched today. This is an initiative of the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Bishop Pat Storey, and has been developed through the Central Communications Board.

A book of reflections by Bishop Michael Burrows of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory, on the subject of the empowerment of women through literacy, is being launched today too. Over seven days last September, Bishop Burrows visited 66 churches and schools giving a short sermon at each venue related to one of the 66 books of the Bible.

The Council for Mission is hosting a Mission Breakfast tomorrow morning [11 May 2018] at which the guest speaker will be the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland.

The Revd John Bell, a member of the Iona Community, Presbyterian minister, broadcaster and hymnwriter, is the speaker at lunchtime event organised tomorrow by Changing Attitude Ireland. He is speaking on ‘God, Delight and Diversity’, and promises to explore problematic approaches to Scripture, the created order as diverse by design, and the need for the laity to have their intelligence, experience and aspirations inform the Church’s deliberations on sexuality.

The Church of Ireland Bishops’ Appeal is launching a limited edition calendar for 2019 at General Synod to support community initiatives in the developing world throughout next year. The calendar also marks the 150th anniversary of the Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, and each month provides a reflection from the 12 bishops on issues or projects that have been supported by Bishops’ Appeal over the years.

Bishop Patrick Rooke of Tuam has said: ‘Throughout those 150 years, this Church has worked to support the disadvantaged in some of the poorest parts of the world. The calendar is both a celebration of that partnership but also a reminder of how life is for so many. Those who purchase a calendar will be supporting this ongoing work as we seek to bring relief to disaster situations as well as supporting health, education and rural development projects.’

Next year, General Synod will take place in the Millennium Forum, Derry, on 16-18 May 2019. General Synod 2020 takes place in Croke Park on 7-9 May 2020.

A reluctant high flyer recalls bowler hats and leafy suburbs

Waiting for the flight to Stansted at Dublin Airport this morning (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

Patrick Comerford

I am on my way back to Stansted Airport after a working day in London. I no longer stay over on working visits like this, thanks to the efficiency of Ryanair, and the need to be more efficient in my own time management.

This is going to be my seventeenth flight in six months, and I need to be back in Dublin tonight so I can travel to Armagh tomorrow for the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, which is meeting for three days until next Saturday.

Ryanair, for all its efficiency, has taken the glamour out of air travel. But thanks to Ryanair, I can now get from Knocklyon in south Dublin to a meeting in London or to the doorstep in Lichfield in far quicker time than it takes me to get by public transport from the same house in Knocklyon to the Rectory in Askeaton.

Members of my family have good reason to be thankful to Ryanair not only for its efficiency but for their helpfulness and courtesy of its staff. And Ryanair’s pricing has opened up Europe to everyone in Ireland and Britain, which was not possible when the air routes were monopolised by the big names in the 1960s and 1970s.

I remember how, as a child in the 1950s and 1960s, a day trip to the airport seemed like a glamorous and exciting occasion. But I could never imagine myself as a ‘high flyer’ or one of the ‘jet set.’

These are phrases we used in the 1960s and 1970s, but they have been redundant for a long time. I was thinking during absent-minded moments today of other phrases from the past that have been consigned to the recesses of my memories.

The Jet Set: This concept from the 1960s and the 1970s has faded from popular use as Ryanair has made air travel accessible to all. Indeed, all planes on Ryanair routes are what we used to call ‘jets’ and the equivalent of the ‘jet set’ today may be the people who can afford to travel in or even own their own private planes.

High flyers: Most people can afford a package holiday in the sunshine. The truly expensive holidays are enjoyed by the ‘staycationers’ who stay at home in expensive hotels in the west, whether that’s West Cork or Devon and Cornwall. The television comedy series Benidorm explains precisely why all-inclusive hotels in the Mediterranean are no longer attractive.

There were no bowler to be seen in the sunshine in the City this morning (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)

The Bowler Hat Brigade: One of my stereotypical but slightly comic images surviving from the 1960s and 1970s is of tube carriages on the London Underground crowded with men in bowler hats and pin-striped suits, carrying The Times, neatly-rolled brollies, and polished briefcases. They must have been bankers, stock brokers, estate agents, accountants or surveyors. All in serried ranks, with clipped moustaches and old school ties. I haven’t seen one brolly or one bowler hat on the Underground or in the City today – indeed, the last bowler hats I saw must have been in Monty Python comic sketches or in a news reports of Orange Order marches. There must be some association with the Ministry of Silly Walks.

Leafy suburbs: Flying over Dublin and East Anglia this morning, I realised how we live in a ‘green and pleasant land,’ whether it is Ireland or England. The vast amount of green space in the Greater Dublin and Greater London areas is still a pleasant sight to behold. There are leafy suburbs in Tallaght and in Essex, and there are leafy streets in the inner city in both Dublin and London.

Millionaires: Those houses in the leafy suburbs, in many cases, are worth anything between 400,000 and 1 million (place a € or £ sign in front of the appropriate figure, Brexit makes no difference to these numbers). We have uncountable numbers of millionaires on these islands today. Sadly, for most of them, these are fixed assets rather than liquid assets, and to realise their worth most people would have to make themselves and their stay-at-home adult children homeless.

Working mothers: The now-forgotten phrase shows how women were usually forced to leave the workplace when they married in the 1960s, 1970s, and sometimes even later. Now the people who are being forced to leave work inequitably are the ‘Windrush Generation’ – or EU citizens living and working in Britain who are thinking about leaving because they feel insecure with Brexit and fear for their future.

Works like clockwork: Public transport in Britain is unimaginably efficient compared with public transport in Ireland. Despite frequent complains by my English friends about ‘leaves on the line,’ you would realise how little you had to complain about if you realised there is no direct train between Dublin and Limerick, the first and third cities of Ireland, and if you had to change trains frequently at Limerick Junction, which is not in Co Limerick but in Co Tipperary, which is near no known town, where there are no facilities, where inevitably you have to wait in the rain surrounded by smokers. I was going to say public transport in England ‘works like clockwork’ – but no-one knows how a clock works anymore, and we all check our phones to what time it is, in digital formatting without hour hands, minute hands, and second hands. Indeed, ‘second hand’ has a different meaning these days.

It’s not rocket science: Those mobile phones and wrist watches owe everything to rocket science. Retired astronauts seem to turn up at every second school science fair. I too can reach for the stars. I know the benefits of rocket science … even if I still do not understand it. It all reminds me how was ‘prepping’ for a radio debate a few years ago on the connection between the nuclear arms race and the nuclear industry. The presenter of the show wanted to tell me I was making a very technical argument, but instead told me I was being theological. I reminded him that I am a theologian … of course, Thomas Aquinas regarded theology as the queen of the sciences, probably just future planning to annoy Richard Dawkins and others who think science contradicts religion.

To these I could add a number of oxymorons that have become redundant.

I used to joke about both ‘British cuisine’ and ‘Irish cuisine.’ But eating out in both countries has become a true delight in the past decade too. The Guardian reported yesterday that Ireland is among eight countries in Europe, alongside Spain and Greece, promoting the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Not that that’s the sort of food they seem to eat in Benidorm.

Travelling through Essex this morning … the trains run like clockwork, and England remains ‘a green and pleasant land (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2018)