All posts by quakersireland

Events

Rathfarnham Friends shine a light on climate justice

Rathfarnham Quaker Meeting invited members of the local community to join them in a candle-lit vigil to mark Earth Hour on 19th March.

Almost 20 people took part in the hour-long vigil, which included several contributions on the theme of the environment and the need for climate justice.

DSCN1587
Gillian Armstrong, Member of Rathfarnham Meeting and the Religious Society of Friends representative on Eco-Congregation Ireland, pictured after the Earth Hour vigil with Aubrey Flegg of the Dublin Unitarian Church

It is the third year in a row Rathfarnham Meeting has marked Earth Hour in this way and they were pleased to be joined once again by a number of visitors from nearby churches.

Earth Hour is the world’s largest global day of environmental action, which sees millions of people throughout the globe switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30pm local time. Lights are switched off at landmark buildings throughout the globe, including this year at Áras an Uachtaráin.

The Meeting was pleased to host a special Shine a Light on Climate Justice candle for their event. The three-foot tall candle, which was commissioned late last year by Eco-Congregation Ireland (an ecumenical environmental project of the Irish Inter-Church Meeting), is travelling throughout Ireland visiting a different church or faith community each week.

Events, News and Events

Fairtrade makes a huge difference, banana farmer tells Rathfarnham Friends

Buying Fairtrade products makes a huge difference to the lives of farmers and producers, a banana farmer from the Dominican Republic told  Rathfarnham Friends when she visited their Meeting on 6th March.

DSCN1572Maria Genao, who undertook a speaking tour of Ireland to mark Fairtrade Fortnight, said that the impact that Fairtrade had on the lives of small producers were many. “It ensures our work as producers by protecting the market throughout the year, by helping us in many ways to keep growing and by being there through tough times when we are in need,” she said.

Maria, who works on her mother’s 3.5 hectare farm, said that the premium Fairtrade farmers received gave them stability during fluctuations in the market, like when there was no rain for 18 months, which drastically impacted the amount of bananas produced. It also enabled communities to put money into health and education and allowed farmers to live with dignity.

Maria has also set up a handcraft business, which sees local women and young people making baskets and table cloths from banana fibres. She hopes to find an export market for these items in the near future and to explore the possibilities of making other products from banana fibres.

DSCN1579Rathfarnham Friends were pleased to be joined by Friends from other Meetings – adults and children – to hear their special speaker.

The twelve children present were interested to hear that Maria and her family eat bananas at every meal and that, as well as eating ripe yellow bananas and banana pancakes, they cook green bananas, which they mash like mashed potatoes.

Rathfarnham Meeting made a commitment some years ago to only buying Fairtrade tea and coffee. To find out more about Fairtrade, see www.fairtrade.ie.

 

Reports

Ulster Quarterly Meeting – Feb 2016

The theme for discussion at Ulster Quarterly Meeting, which took place in Frederick Street Meeting House, Belfast, on 20th February 2016 was ‘Are we sitting on our laurels?’

Prior to discussion on the topic, Stephen Moore, the recently appointed Principal of Friends’ School Lisburn, gave his first report to Ulster Q.M.

He said he was aware of the great responsibility he had taken on but thankful that the challenge had been entrusted to him. He reminded those present of the many past successes of the school, including the united aim of teachers and pupils to strive to achieve greater things.

A full report may be read here >> Ulster Quarterly Meeting Feb 2016 report.

 

Events

Report, Leinster Quarterly Meeting, June 2015

Leinster Quarterly Meeting Enniscorthy Wexford.

Saturday June 27th 2015.

Leinster Quarterly Meeting took place in Enniscorthy on the 27th June 2015. The meeting has become renowned for the strawberries and cream following the meeting. This year was exceptional as the tea, sandwiches cakes and strawberries and cream were wonderful and friends from all over would like to express their gratitude to the ladies who prepared the wonderful feast.

Meeting commenced at 11am with thirty friends in attendance. Business meeting followed. Minutes of LQM March 2015 and LQM November 2014 were accepted.  Nominations for elders were accepted for the period June 2015 to June 2018. Nominations for Leinster Quarterly Meetings Committee and the Educational Committee were sought. These are to be brought before LQM in November 2015.

Notice was given that Edenderry will meet on the second and last Sunday of the month at 11.30 am. This arrangement is on a trial basis. A new Meeting takes place on the second Sunday of the month in Highbrook Orchard which is on the Kilkenny / Callan road. While also on a trial basis, Friends noted that interest lay in this new Meeting. A notice was also given that on Sunday the 26th July a Meeting will take place in Mountmellick in the Old Meeting House at 11.30 am. This is part of the William Edmondson homecoming (http:/www.edmundsonhomecoming.com/allevents/4589289976) that is being organised by the family and the historical library. Following Meeting there will be a Commemoration Ceremony in Friends Burial Ground, Rosenallis, followed at 2.30 pm by a bar-b-que and picnic. This will be the first Meeting in Mountmellick in over forty years.

Friends in 1798 and its relevance to Friends experience today.

Glynn Douglas, John McKenna and Dermot Quirk gave the afternoon talks on the above topic. Glynn laid out the social background prior to the uprising. The population had increased causing competition for land, agrarian violence, the formation of secret societies and the formation of voluntary regiments by the most wealthy to protect their holdings. Friends at Yearly Meeting were concerned at the possibility of social unrest and advised Friends to dispose of any guns that they might have and to proceed in a non-violent fashion. Joseph Haughton did just that, breaking his gun in the street of Ferns but also refused to supply ropes to the militia for the purpose of hanging persons. Glynn spoke of the disturbance to Meetings but that in general Friends were left aside in the conflict. They were involved in mediation and refused compensation for any damage caused to their property. Quakers by their non-violent beliefs preserved their lives and their families.

John McKenna spoke of Ballitore and its witness to violence in 1798. Interestingly he dismissed a belief that Ballitore was a Quaker village. He noted that a community lived there prior to the Quakers arrival. They settled and developed the village and surrounding area. Mary Ledbetter was interested in the French Revolution and had acquaintances in the United Irishmen however her opinions appeared to change when she witnessed the brutality of the conflict. She became a liberal encourager and sheltered the homeless. John Bewley attempted to act as a mediator as had happened in Wexford. Quakers eventually disappeared from Ballitore and along with them went the industry. They were an emerging bourgeoisie.

Dermot Quirk spoke of the commemorations of the 1798 uprising and noted that it was John Redmond who in 1898, one hundred years after the uprising, employed commemoration as a nation building exercise. Commemorations are problematic for Quakers as they can be selective in remembering only the ‘glorious’ military dead and not the civilian casualties of war. Frequently the Religious Society of Friends in Wexford is asked to become part 1798 celebrations. Friends in Wexford accept invitations to celebrations provided there is no military aspect. Several 1798 events were in held in Friends Meeting House Enniscorthy during the bi-centenary of the Rebellion in 1998.

All three struggled to provide a relevance to the Friends experience of today. Quakers were an emerging bourgeoisie who believed in non-violence. Hence minutes from Yearly and Monthly meetings warned Friends not to join the militia regiments and to destroy their guns – a request that was only partly observed. Friends were excluded from the conflict but did suffer losses and their efforts at mediation and assistance did not go unnoticed. Perhaps Quakers are still living off the collective memory of their role in 1798 and the Great Famine. Are Quakers today still true dissenters or do we just have a soft attitude to social ills? This was the question poised by Dermot Quirk.

Report by Patrick Troy.

News and Events

World War I & the 21st Century “Have we learned anything about peace-building?” Conference 15th May 2015

Dublin Monthly Meeting’s Peace Committee, in conjunction with the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction at Dublin City University, are holding a Conference on World War I and the Twenty First Century
“Have We Learned Anything About Peace Building?”

An open conference for Friends, students, academics and interested non specialists.

The nine speakers include; Glynn Douglas (Monkstown Meeting,Dublin) and Edouard Dommen (Swiss Friend).

Friday 15th May 2015
The Helix, Dublin City University, Collins Avenue, Dublin
Registration from 9 am. Conference starts 9.30am to 4.30 pm

Admission is FREE, sandwiches, tea/coffee provided.
PLEASE REGISTER IN ADVANCE USING THE FOLLOWING LINK:  World War I conference

News and Events, Reports

Report on Ireland Yearly Meeting 2015

REPORT ON IRELAND YEARLY MEETING 2015

For the second time in three years Ireland Yearly Meeting [IYM] was held in a new venue. This year we met in Dromantine Conference and Retreat Centre, Newry, Co Down, in Northern Ireland. Set above a lake, surrounded by rolling grassy areas and woodlands, the building was a comfortable and compact centre. Many Friends enjoyed walking in the peaceful grounds, enjoying the summer-like weather which was with us for most of our stay. We welcomed Friends from Britain, German and France Yearly Meetings as well as eleven Friends from America. We were pleased to be joined also, by representatives from other churches, and the Baha’i Faith.

The theme for the weekend was ‘ Knowing God’s Creation – I have taught you wisdom and the right way to live. Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely and you will not stumble when you run.’ Proverbs 4:11-12. This was the inspiration for the daily readings, many of which were poems. Bible Study, Worship Sharing and Epilogue gave opportunities for exchange of thoughts and wisdom.

In the Ministry and Oversight Session on Truth, we heard the story of the wise man and Saint Peter. When the casket of Truth was dropped by the wise man at the gates of heaven, people rushed to pick up the pieces, but they didn’t realise that none of them had the whole truth….they only had a part of it. Early Friends were called the Friends of Truth, and the testimonies of honesty and integrity remain important to us. In journalistic circles, truth can be slippery! Do we really treat all people equally, even those we find difficult? Do we live as though God has the power to lead us? Can we accept our part if difficulties arise? Jury service is a time of seeking for the truth, and through prayer, searching for guidance to make the right decision. ‘The truth will set you free.’ John 8:14. The Bible was the source of truth for early Friends, but not the truth in itself. Love comes before truth. If all the world’s religions were placed in a circle, some would be opposite each other. With God in the centre, as the religions move closer to God, they move closer to each other.

Eco Congregation Ireland is now ten years old. The Christian calling is to nurture and care for creation. Coming from different churches to work together for the care of God’s creation, is natural ecumenism. The vision of the Foinse Project [meaning ‘source’], is to establish a field study and scientific research centre in Leitrim/Fermanagh/Cavan counties. By using tourism and accommodation centres out of season, they envisage a light footprint. There is pride in the local community that others want to study their area. It will involve three administrative authorities working together; from the North and South of Ireland and also America. Yearly Meeting agreed to support this project. A film made by young people in Fermanagh, showed what the consequences would be if fracking was allowed in their area. If the pastoral environment and current means of livelihood are to be conserved, this also requires co-operation between authorities North and South.

Irish Quaker Faith in Action [IQFA] is both a fund-distributing, and a service, committee. They are glad to hear of activities, both at home, or abroad, suitable for their support. Christian Aid is one of these. Established seventy years ago, they work to change an unjust world. Our actions fail to show a belief we realize we are equal. Three Planet Earths would be needed to sustain a world as consuming of fossil fuels as Ireland is. We must share the fruits of the earth. Every family has the right to be at the table. While we must give, act and pray, there is no point in giving a fisherman a net when there are no fish in the water, because of pollution from a foreign enterprise up stream, which is not paying proper wages or taxes. We heard of Christian Aid’s work in Kenya and saw a film of work in Brazil. People are asked what their requirements are, and then empowered to develop self-help community projects.

In 1693 William Penn wrote of a united Europe, but where states would maintain sovereignty over their own affairs. Quaker Council for European Affairs [QCEA] is thirty six years in existence. Though modern means of communication are used, our current representative gets up at two a.m. to reach Brussels in time for the three p.m. meetings; because of the value in making contacts, as well as the business carried out. The opportunity is there for Irish Friends to have much more input into QCEA, and its influence in European Union [EU] policies. Concern was expressed about the outcome of the pending trade agreement between Europe and America.

One of our ecumenical visitors said they were looking forward to the outcome of our discussions on Neutrality at YM…..We agreed to support Western Regional Monthly Meeting in their concern about the use of Shannon Airport by United States military aircraft. Limerick Friends try to have a representative present at the monthly Peace Vigils held at Shannon.

A film was shown called ‘Waiting and Silence’. Made by a member of Coleraine Meeting, it is aimed at ‘the curious’. Outreach was the subject for one of the Interest Groups and was led by two brothers. One said,’ IYM copes by being nice to each other. Do we have a united message?’ Christ’s message was ‘to go into the corners of the world transforming’. The other brother told us of many ways to get our message across. Some Meetings have a website, one has a Facebook page, but technology has its limitations.

Further discussion on Membership took place, following the setting up of the Purposes and Priorities Working Group [PPWG] to enquire into the spiritual life of our Religious Society. The outcome of considerations at Preparative Meeting level appeared to be that there was a need for commitment. While the ‘weighty Friend’ has a value, new Members should value their upbringing outside the Society.

The Public Lecture, given by Alastair McIntosh – which is to be available in due course on DVD – was a challenge to many, in many ways. ’To be the People of the Cross- Climate Change, Violence and some Meanings of Creation in Our Times’. Climate Change is one of the major concerns, is happening, is very serious, and is brought about by human actions. Too much greed, not too many people. Sustainable living allows for future generations to live.  ‘I have given them fountains of living water, but they build cracked cisterns that hold no water at all’ Jeremiah 2:13. Alastair referred to his Scottish Presbyterian upbringing on the Isle of Lewis, and to the abundance of spiritual mystical experiences. He led us through events leading to the death of Jesus on the Cross; how different people acted- Mary Magdalene, Peter, Simon of Cyrene, and Joseph of Arimathea- and the consequences of their actions. Jesus never taught a ‘just war’. God would rather die than kill. So Jesus accepted the Cross.

‘Living the Transformation – Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of God’s children.’ [Romans 8:19] will be the theme of the FWCC Gathering next January in Peru. As well as the 300 places for International Representatives, there will be 100 Open Places for any interested Friends, and 250 places for Friends from Peru and Bolivia to attend the open weekend. A lively video made by Peruvian Friends was shown. T shirts were for sale and donations were being sought to enable local Young Friends attend the Gathering.

We heard how meticulous Quaker minutes and certificates, census returns, tithe and tax records, had enabled the tracing of the Starr Quaker family, who left from near Dromantine in the 17th/18th century to settle in America. We were educated and entertained by a preview of a play based on the life of a Conscientious Objector during the First World War.

Our YM Youth Coordinator reported five years of lots of fun, while doing valuable work in building relationships, fellowship and leadership skills with our Young Friends. Some YFs are participating in discussions on ‘Preparing for Ministry in Meeting.’ Personal Bible study of early Friends helped to equip them to speak in Meeting. Early Friends read the books in Quaker libraries rather than just looking at them! As we rest in God’s spirit, so His spirit rests in us.  JYM attendances are rising and reports of their weekend were enthusiastic. They were encouraged to find nonviolent responses to challenging situations and in campaigns they might support. Revision of IYM Child Protection Guidelines is nearly complete and will now include a section on social media. It is hoped the Guidelines will be launched this June and they could become available on Kindle.

On Sunday we moved to Bessbrook Meeting for our closing session and Meeting for Worship. A short video gave us the history of the 19th century building and featured some of the current Members. The Recording Clerk was not to be seen as we settled for the session. A local Friend, she had driven a shorter way to Bessbrook, and on her way had spotted a ewe on its back in a field. Our Friend climbed over the field gate, twice pulled the sheep to its feet, but as the animal was too weak to stand or feed its lamb, she contacted the land owner; on her arrival, she then resumed her Recording Clerk duties! Another friend had driven through snow coming from his home, to Meeting!

One Friend was taken aback on seeing all the cars outside Dromantine and was dismayed with our carbon footprint. Another said they were uncomfortable, after reminding us of the struggle for others, to find enough food and water, in many parts of the world. He recalled the warm welcome given to him by a family in Kenya, when there for the Gathering in 2012. YM agreed to send a letter of sympathy to Kenyan Friends, who have lost some of their members in the recent terrorist attack.

In conclusion, while we had eaten 10 fruit cakes by Friday evening, the artichokes remained unsold on the IQFA stall! There were wood turned items for sale and lovely knitting and crotchet items too. ‘Quaker Service’ red carrier bags were eye catching and also for sale. The Quaker Books on sale looked colourful and attractive. We agreed we were ‘content’ with the minutes, and I think we were, also, with the Yearly Meeting as a whole. However, ‘I can’t hear what you are saying because of all the words’, said a Friend……… We must let our lives speak.

News and Events

Epistle – Ireland Yearly Meeting 2015

April 2015

To Friends Everywhere

Dear Friends,

We send loving greetings from Ireland Yearly Meeting, held from 9th – 12th April 2015 at Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre, near Newry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. We were pleased to welcome Friends from a number of Yearly Meetings from Europe and the United States. Our theme was “Knowing God’s Creation”, accompanied by the verses from Proverbs 4:11–12 , “I have taught you wisdom and the right way to live. Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run.” We explored this theme in our sessions and activities, including worship sharing, bible studies, special interest groups and the showing of two films made by Irish Friends.

In our Ministry and Oversight session, three Friends reflected on the nature of Truth and the meaning of Truth in their own lives. The earliest Quakers called themselves “Friends of the Truth”, and now we are challenged to faithfully seek the Truth, although finding absolute Truth is beyond us. In moving presentations about Christian Aid, particularly projects in Brazil and Kenya, Sheila Reaper-Reynolds and Caroline Simpson challenged us as stewards of God’s creation to care for all our brothers and sisters, and to dare to believe that it is possible to eradicate poverty with a more just distribution of resources.

Concerns brought by individual Friends and Meetings were considered and tested by the Yearly Meeting. In a session focusing on sustainability and respecting the Earth, we heard about a concern of a Cork Friend to develop the cross-border biological, ecological and geological Foinse Project, to which we agreed to give our support. Friends from the West and Southwest of Ireland brought their concern about the possible use of the Shannon Airport for military purposes, in contradiction with the official neutrality of the Republic of Ireland, and this concern was upheld by the Yearly Meeting.

A session dedicated to the nature of membership – something that is currently being discussed in many Yearly Meetings around the world – generated a wide range of thoughtful and creative ideas.

Our Public Lecture was given by the scholar and author Alastair McIntosh of Glagow Meeting, on the theme “To Become the People of the Cross: Climate Change, Violence and some Meanings of Creation in our Times”. Alastair argued that the consumerism that drives climate change exerts violence against God’s creation, in contradiction with our Peace testimony. He also proposed a vision for the meaning of the Cross: the love of God was so great that he preferred to allow himself to be killed than to kill, making the image of Christ on the Cross a supreme symbol of non-violence.

We come away from our Yearly Meeting ready to meet the challenge of learning to see God’s creation in everyone and everything, and to nurture all of God’s creation in whatever ways we feel called – through giving, action and prayer.

Signed on behalf of Ireland Yearly Meeting

Daniel H. Sinton

Clerk, Ireland Yearly Meeting