Pew Sheet – 21st July 2024

The Rector writes

‘The Parish Barbecue is next Sunday 28th (more details inside) and will hopefully be as joyous an occasion as last year. Having it after the 11am service rather than at night is better I think. It just follows on naturally from our church services, like the tea and coffee each week.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who provide these refreshments after church.

In St John’s , the people gather in one or other of their homes after the Service and in St Mary’s, the people gather in the Parish Hall. These after church get-togethers are really so important, they provide a chance to properly chat to each other in a way that is just not possible in the confines of the actual church building during a service. Have a look inside at the details for the Barbecue event and I’ll look forward to seeing many of you there next Sunday’

Dates for your Diary

Sunday 28th July

Parish BBQ after 11am Service. Please let Hilary Dring 086-3680513 know if you are coming as we will need to order the right amount of food. It would be great if you could bring a dessert or a Salad on the day (let Hilary know this too!). €5 per Adult, children are free.

Sunday 25th August

This will be Síle Hunts last day with us before she heads out to the diocese as a fully fledged Lay Reader! We will make a little presentation to her t both services.

Sunday 1st September

The Sunday Club will now meet on the first Sunday of the month. 11am in the Parish Hall.

Sunday 29th September

United Animal Blessing Service at 11am in St Mary’s Church. (no 9:30am Service)

Service of Wholeness & Healing at 7pm in St John’s Church.

Random Notes CDLXIV

I recently met Marcia Dalton in the Garden Centre. She was buying plants for Passage West Tidy Towns. I told her it was a pity that she is no longer a Councillor, and she just said that she had “done her bit”, which is true. We were chatting how it is strange that Cobh is a completely different jurisdiction to the rest of the Cork Harbour area, and she said that in the 19th century, that was completely different. The whole harbour was one jurisdiction, both politically and socially.

The river was a tool, rather than the obstacle that it is today.

A lot of houses were painted the familiar “gunship grey” that was used by the Royal Navy based at Haulbowline. Women who lived in Passage West would “do” for the large houses in Cobh and Rushbrooke. There was a social cohesion around the whole harbour area and it is only in the last hundred or so years that this has changed. Merchant families who had businesses in Cork city, lived in large houses around Cobh and would use the train to get in to work. Many familiar names come to mind, like the Halls, Crosbie’s and McKechnies.

I think there are a few reasons why this came about. The decision to demolish St Mary’s Church of Ireland during the late 1960’s in Cobh town has never been properly explained to me. Although now closed, the Presbyterian and Methodist churches are still in situ, so why was St Mary’s actually demolished?

The little Church of Ireland school remains to this day.

Also, the move to Crosshaven of the Royal Cork Yacht Club from Cobh must have been a blow locally.

I love my Sunday’s when I play the organ in Monkstown, then Crosshaven before chatting to people about plants in Carrigaline. It’s like a journey through history!!!