Dear parishioners and friends,

Village Day:     Last weekend saw the Tidy District Harvest Village Day take place on Sunday. It was a wonderful day of music, food, entertainment with the Pet Blessing Service and the Art Exhibition in the Knox Hall. Feedback has been fantastic, and many people complimented us on the service in the church and also the quality and professionalism of the art exhibition. A very sincere thank you to all who helped with the organisation of the two events. Special thanks of course to Tom and Gillian Aplin for all their help with the pet blessing service and to Liz Neill-Watson for all her hard work in connection with the art exhibition.

The Faithful Departed: We extend our sincere sympathy to the family of the late Gerard Dalton, formerly of Monkstown, and late of Carlow. Gerard’s funeral was held in Monkstown on Thursday 5 September, followed by burial in Glasnevin cemetery. We also extend our sincere sympathy to the family of the late Elsie Roberts who lived for many years in Carrick Manor and latterly was resident in a nursing home in Northern Ireland. Elsie was a much-loved resident of Carrick Manor. Her funeral has taken place in Northern Ireland and her ashes will be buried in Mount Jerome next Tuesday morning.

Congratulations:     Our congratulations to Gerda Archer, well known to all involved in the annual pet blessing service, on the publication of her recent book of poetry entitled ‘If a cloud could talk’. Gerda was born in Alsace, occupied by Germany in 1942 and moved to Ireland in 1946. She started writing poetry at the age of 16. She was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentos at the age of 21 and she is often seen in the company of her faithful guide dog Urney. Gerda is a poet who feels her poetry gives expression to the leaning curve her life presents. She aspires to be inclusive in the world she inhabits and feels she is neither German, French nor Irish but a person of the universe. Her book of poems is published by Boland Press, the ISBN is 978-1-907855-41-2 and it costs €10.

Music in Monkstown:     On Friday 6 September the evening concert will take place at 7.30pm and will include Johannes Brahms Fantasien, Op.116 No’s 1,3,4 & 7, Piano Trio No.1 and Robert Schumann, Piano Quintet, Op.44. The Saturday afternoon concert will take place at 3:00pm with ‘Beyond the Pale – Carolan and his world’ with Aisling Ennis (harp) and David Adams (harpsichord). The Saturday 7.30pm concert will include Krysztof Penderecki’s Sextet for clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello and piano. On Sunday 8 September Classical Kids will meet in the Knox Hall at 11:00am. The 3:00pm afternoon Piano Concert will be a performance by Rowel Friers, winner of the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year 2023. The 7.30pm evening concert will feature works by Francis Poulenc including Sonata for clarinet and piano and Cesar Franck’s Cello Sonata (arr. Delsart). Tickets are available on Eventbrite or on the door. Evening concerts €25 / €15 concession and afternoon concerts  Tickets are available on Eventbrite or on the door. Evening concerts €25 / €15 concession and afternoon concerts €20 / €10 concession.

Culture Night: Monkstown Parish Church will be open for Culture Night on Friday 20 September from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. This architecturally unusual church in the centre of Monkstown Village dates from 1789 and was radically extended by John Semple & Son in 1830. Semple also designed churches at Whitechurch, Kilternan, Tallaght, St Mary’s Chapel of Ease (Black Church), Abbeyleix and Killeshin. When opened on Christmas Day 1831, the Dublin Penny Journal claimed that ‘there was not a spot in the church where the eye can rest without pain’! One hundred years later Sir John Betjeman described it as ‘a cheerful Irish castle with a seaside rather than a fortress flavour’. We invite you to come and visit the church and decide for yourself whether the above descriptions adequately describe this extraordinary building. The church is partially wheelchair accessible, and free guide leaflets, quizzes for adults and treasure hunts and quizzes for children will be available.

Schoolhouse Garden:    . Parishioners and friends may like to help us purchase plants for the garden at this stage. Donations for this project may be left with the staff in Howbert & Mays in Monkstown. The subscriptions raised will be used by the gardening team to purchase suitable plants for the garden. Thank you for your continued support of the schoolhouse project. 

The Sick:  We continue our prayers in the parish for all who are unwell and the recently bereaved. We also remember those who are in hospital currently and those who are recovering at home from serious illness. Our hearts go out to all who are in need of our continued prayers and support, and we pray that you may have a real sense of the love that surrounds you.

On-line Banking: It would greatly assist our parish treasurer if you would please fill in the line describing what your donation is for and your name also. Sometimes donations are given online without any information provided and it is very difficult to work out who the donor is.

Cabinet of Curiosities: The glass cabinet at the back of the church contains antique and collectable items and we are selling these in aid of the schoolhouse restoration fund. New items are added as they are donated to us, so please keep an eye out, as the stock changes frequently. Please ask one of the churchwardens or Liz if you would like access to the cabinet. Money from the sale of items should be placed in the wooden schoolhouse donation box.

Schoolhouse Restoration:    Parishioners, friends and well-wishers may like to contribute to the fundraising appeal for the Schoolhouse restoration. Our bank details are as follows: Account Name: Monkstown Parish Church Business Current Account. Account no:   86014381. IBAN  IE 17 BOFI 9011 8386 0143 81. You may prefer to send a cheque, made payable to ‘Monkstown Parish Church’ and send it to Winton Lodge, 62 Monkstown Road, Monkstown, Co Dublin. Please indicate that your donation is for the Schoolhouse Restoration Fund.

General Financial Support: Thank you for your continued financial support of the parish and for remembering that our work of ministry continues week after week and year after year. We appreciate your generous and supportive giving. There is a collection at every service in the church. Donations to parish funds may also be posted by cheque made payable to ‘Monkstown Parish Church’ to me here at Winton Lodge if you do not have access to online banking. Our Bank of Ireland bank details are: Account Name: Monkstown Parish Church Business Current Account. Account no: 86014381. IBAN IE 17 BOFI 9011 8386 0143 81. If any of our envelope subscribers wish to talk to Ruth Carnegie, she may be contacted at 087 4339367. We now have a direct payment button on the parish website for those who would like to utilize this facility

With love and prayers  Roy