Ireland Yearly Meeting meets for first time in Cork

For the first time, Ireland Yearly Meeting meets in Cork

Ireland Yearly Meeting was held last week, for the first time ever, in the city of Cork.  The event attracted Friends from all over Ireland and visitors also came from America, England, Scotland and several European countries to experience worship and fellowship.

The venue was St John’s Central College, a further education college located near the centre of the city.

Subjects and concerns raised between Wednesday 24 July and Sunday 28 July ranged from ethical investment and sustainability to Quakers’ witness in the world and the use of the internet for outreach and communication.

The public lecture, ‘Reclaiming the Christian message’, was given by Julia Ryberg of Sweden Yearly Meeting on Friday evening. Julia reflected on her journey to a Quaker Christian identity and talked about the influence of early Swedish Friends.

Rex Ambler, author of A Light to Live By: An exploration in Quaker spirituality, was one of a number of English visitors. Rex gave a talk on ‘Living in the Light’.

The clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting, Chris Skidmore, also attended.

Outings were taken to interesting and historic locations in the Cork area, including Ballymaloe House, a leading Irish centre of cookery, the historic port of Cobh, which was the final departure point of the Titanic, and Blarney Castle.

The traditional venues for Ireland Yearly Meeting are Dublin,  Lisburn and Waterford. The event in Cork was widely regarded as a very successful new initiative for Friends in Ireland.

(There will be reports and photographs of Ireland Yearly Meeting in next week’s issue of the Friend.)

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