Here is a link to the Epistle of the FWCC World Plenary, which took place online and in the Vanderbijlpark near Johannessburg, South Africa during August 5 to 12, 2024.

This year is the 250th anniversary of Friends’ School Lisburn, which was established by the Religious Society of Friends in 1774.

In order to acknowledge and reflect on God’s goodness to us over the last 250 years and to begin a year of celebration, Ulster Quarterly Meeting is holding a Meeting for Worship in the manner of Friends in the school on Sunday 1st September at 7pm.

For more information, see this flyer.

The Minaun Community Theatre Group will be performing this 90-minute play at the Ballymaloe Grain Store in Shanagarry, Co. Cork on Saturday September 7 at 8.00pm.

The play depicts the life of Mary Strangman – an extraodinary woman from a Quaker family in Waterford who was one of the first female doctors in Ireland and the UK, Waterford’s first female councillor, and a campaigner for social reform, equal rights for women and affordable medical care for the poor.

You can find further information and a link to book tickets at

https://www.ballymaloegrainstore.com/events/a-medical-woman—the-life-and-times-of-dr-mary-strangman

Please spread the word to others who may be interested!

Limerick Fun with Friends is planning for an outing to Elinor Hitching and Feidhlim Harty’s home and conservation area in Ennistymon, County Clare, on Saturday September 7th, 2024. All are welcome

The destination is Knocknaskeagh, Lahinch, Co. Clare V95 W6N4. Google Maps may bring you to the wrong farmhouse at the end of the road. Instead, take the boreen to the left hand side and up the hill to the pink cottage. Phone 087-7599112 (E) or 087-1411498 (F), if you get lost.

Itinerary:
12.00 – 12.30pm: Meeting for Worship
12.30 – 1.30pm: Shared lunch
1.30 – 3.00pm: Walk around the conservation area and Conservation Talk
3.00 – 3.30pm: Tea/Coffee
3.30pm: End of outing

There will be transport from the Limerick Meeting House for any Friend requiring transport. Please remember to bring a dish of vegetarian or vegan or regular food for the shared lunch. Please let FwF’s know in advance at wrmmclerk@quakers.ie if you will be joining us on this trip.

Dawn Marie Rafferty and Stephen Winder-Baggot give a day-by-day account of their experience at the Friends World Committee for Consultation World Plenary in South Africa – you can see what they are up to on their world plenary blog.

Here is a link to the FWCC World Plenary Epistle.

A new network is launching ‘Quaker Peacebuilding Network’ for Quakers who are interested and active in local peacebuilding efforts in Britain and Ireland. The online meetings will provide an informal and supportive space to share experiences, difficulties and dilemmas, to identify emerging common challenges and develop ideas.

Given the violence witnessed on our streets the past few days, the Peacebuilding in Britain team in cooperation with Northern Friends Peace Board, will be holding an online space open to Friends from across Britain & Ireland 10am-12pm on Wednesday 7^th August on Zoom. It will be a space for worship, for sharing and thinking together. If you would like to join the network and participate in this online space, please email peacebuildinginbritain@quaker.org.uk

Friends are invited to visit Inchcleraun, also called Quaker Island, Co. Longford on Friday 23 August 2024.

Further information is available on this flyer about the visit.

Numbers are limited so book early! Please contact either Tim Coughlan (Monkstown Meeting) or the Office (office@quakers.ie) to register – no later than Monday 12^th August please.

Eustace Street Friends invite you to join Friends at the FWCC World Plenary in South Africa, along with others joining online from around the world, for a worldwide Meeting for Worship led by African Friends on Sunday August 11.

9.00 am  “All In Worship” led by African Friends

10.00 am Tea, Coffee and Snacks

11.00 am Regular Sunday Meeting for Worship

All are welcome to join for some or all of the morning. Other activities from the FWCC World Plenary may be incorporated into the morning as more details of the programme become available.

Registration with Bernard Quinn (baquinn@gmail.com) is desirable, to help Eustace Street Friends get an idea of numbers.

You can learn more from this flyer about the DAQC Gathering on August 11.

The section of the Quakers in Ireland website called “Friendly Reflections” (https://quakers-in-ireland.ie/friendly-reflections/) aims to make available a wide variety of reflective, thought-provoking pieces. 

Do you have any Friendly Reflections to share? New submissions would be very welcome. You can submit pieces for consideration by emailing them in either Word (.doc, .docx) or text format to editors@quaker.ie.

Texts and videos of some of the talks given at Ireland Yearly Meeting will be made accessible once they are available. This IYM2024 Follow-up page gives links to those available so far, along with the final IYM 2024 programme and some artwork from the IYM2024 Children’s Programme.