Category Archives: Members

Quarterly Meetings

Ulster Quarterly Meeting – February 2013

Ulster Quarterly Meeting

16th February 2013

 The annual report to UQM of Friends School Lisburn (2011-2012) was in the main extremely encouraging. Academic Achievement had been exceptional within the school and relative to Northern Ireland averages. But the amazing variety of ‘Community Relations’ projects, events and challenges was impressive and their value for  pupils and the community should not be underestimated. Serious concern with the recent effects of budget cuts and the possible new state involvement in governance was expressed by Meeting. The Archives Committee report was brief but with the expected tidbits that make it one of my favourites. The hours of work put in by its members on certain projects was emphasised.

 The afternoon session ‘Enough is Plenty’ was organised by the Testimonies and Witness Committee. The speaker was Anne B Ryan, author of the book of that title. She began by asking ‘what is enough’ and enlarged by suggesting that this involved not simply practical needs but ideas of resilience/sustainability, ecosystems, morality, spirituality, peace of mind, aesthetics and more. She then introduced the economic concept of ‘Universal Basic Income’  which was new to many. Discussion groups were formed to be guided by three questions: What is your immediate response; What is your deeper response; What are the challenges/opportunities ie personal, family, community, society? When we reassembled, brief summaries were read. Thoughts of  the Idealists and the Realists among us were represented. Basic human greed emerged as A or The stumbling block. The afternoon session was thought-provoking and fuel for further discussion.

 Lynn Benson

News and Events, Notices to Members

Dublin Quakers podcast

On Christmas Day Dublin South FM presented an hour-long broadcast entitled Our friends in Dublin.  Their presenter Mary Lavin had spotted the poster announcing the 150th anniversary of Churchtown Meeting and decided to investigate Dublin Quakersand their faith and practice.  During the previous summer she had interviewed a number of Dublin Friends  and this was the result.  To hear the podcast click on
www.dublinsouthfm.ie and scroll down to Our Friends in Dublin.

Events, News and Events, Notices to Members

The Palestinian/Israeli situation: talk by Ian Bell

Seeking Peace in a Difficult Place –
A hard task to follow

 Saturday 20th October, 2012
At Churchtown Meeting House
10.30am- 1.00pm

 Last May, Ireland Yearly Meeting Peace Committee co-operated with Dublin Monthly Meeting Peace Committee and Churchtown Meeting to arrange a seminar at Churchtown Meeting House.  We discussed the situation in Palestine and Israel.

 The four speakers there gave quite differing views on the subject.  It was important that this breadth of thinking was equally shared and respected. These talks were followed by a general discussion, followed by lively discussions in groups.

 Friends there made it clear that they would like to see this followed up by other meetings. To help us to address an often contentious and emotive subject, we all felt that the input of qualified information and experience was vital.

 With this in mind, we are arranging a further meeting, again in Churchtown Meeting House, for 20th October, 2012.

 Ian Bell, a non-resident-in-Ireland Friend of Lisburn Meeting, with wide experience of the Palestininian/Israeli situation and other international problem areas, has been asked to speak to us.  Ian has spoken widely on the subject to many people in many places throughout the British Isles and beyond. 

 He was an ecumenical accompanier in EAPPI [The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel].

 As well as talking about his own experiences, he will put them in the context of what EAPPI seeks to achieve, why, the rationale of its methods and their effectiveness and its selection process. He has wide international experience in his career. Why did EAPPI seem a good project for him to become involved in?

 Yourquestions and your part in the open discussion are absolutely central to this event. So please put Saturday 20th October into your diary.

 The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) brings internationals to the West Bank to experience life under occupation. Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) provide protective presence to vulnerable communities, monitor and report human rights abuses and support Palestinians and Israelis working together for peace.

The World Council of Churches set up this programme in 2002 in response to requests from Palestinian Christians to people of goodwill around the world who wish to see the realities of occupation for themselves.

It is managed by the Religious Society of Friends from Friends House in London.

10.30-11.00am – coffee
11.00 a.m. – Ian Bell
12.00 – open discussion and questions. Finishing at approximately 1.00 p.m.

Tea and Coffee will be provided.  Please bring your own lunch.

Events, News and Events, Notices to Members

Science and Spirituality: a talk by Linda Hoy

Prior to the business of Dublin Monthly Meeting at Monkstown Meeting House on 17th October Linda, a Quaker at Sheffield Meeting, will be speaking at 7.15 for 30 minutes on Science and spirituality.

What happens when we die? Does life have a purpose? Does God exist? Linda’s book The Effect explores time-travel, parallel worlds and life-after-death to show how cutting-edge science validates what mystics and spiritual leaders have been telling us for centuries.

Linda will be in Dublin because she has been invited by the Science & Medical Network to speak at their week-end event (18-21 October) at An Grianan, Co Louth.

 

News and Events, Notices to Members

Building Communities with Dignity in Nicaragua – Public Talks in April

Nicaragua is ranked 129th in the UN Human Development Index (2011) and is one of the poorest countries in the northern hemisphere.

A series of public lectures will be held over the next two weeks describing the daily challenges faced by ordinary Nicaraguans and highlighting the work of the Center for Development Central America (CDCA) in Nicaragua.

Irish Quakers Becca and Paul Mohally Renk of CDCA will give a a 30 minute presentation entitled ‘Beyond Survival: Building Communities with Dignity’  at various locations in April.

In their presentation,  they describe their work with CDCA in Nicaragua, supporting farming and light manufacturing cooperatives – and how the work of these cooperatives promotes long term, sustainable human and economic development.

Dates and locations for the presentations are as follows:

Sunday April 1st
12:00 PM Cork Quaker Meeting House, Summerhill South, Cork City

Wednesday April 4th
6:30 PM Bishopstown Rotary Club, River Lee Hotel, Western Road, Cork City

Wednesday April 11th
8:30 PM North Cork Organic Group, Nano Nagle Retreat Centre, Killavulle, County Cork

Friday April 13th
4:30 PM, Ireland Yearly Meeting (Quakers), Quaker House,Stocking Lane, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
If you are not a Quaker and are interested in attending this meeting, please request permission by writing to The Clerk, Ireland Yearly Meeting, Quaker House, Stocking Lane, Dublin 16.

Monday April 16th
1.00 PM Portadown Rotary Club, Seagoe Hotel, 22 Upper Church Lane, Craigavon, N. Ireland

Tuesday April 17th
6.00 PM, Banbridge Rotary Club, Belmont Hotel, Rathfriland Road, Banbridge, Co.Down, N.Ireland

Wednesday April 18th
7.00 PM Galway One World Centre, 76 Prospect Hill, Galway

Thursday April 19th
6:15 PM Courtyard Cafe, Letterfrack, Connemara, Co. Galway

 

Notices to Members, Youth Events

Junior Yearly Meeting 9th-13th of April 2012 in Ovoca Manor, County Wicklow.

Junior Yearly Meeting (JYM) of The Religious Society of Friends in Ireland will be heald this year from Monday 9th to Friday 13th April 2012 in Ovoca Manor, County Wicklow.

Junior Yearly Meeting is a gathering for young friends and other young people from throughout the island of Ireland who are interested in Quakerism.  Please login to the members section for more details on cost, programme and application form.

Continue reading Junior Yearly Meeting 9th-13th of April 2012 in Ovoca Manor, County Wicklow. →

News and Events, Notices to Members

Peace Vigil at Shannon Airport on 11th March

Limerick Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) invites you to join them at the Peace Vigil at Shannon Airport on 11th March 2012.

Shannonwatch and PANA have been organising peace vigils at the entrance of Shannon Airport every 2nd Sunday of the month for some time.  They speak on behalf of all in Ireland who are unhappy with the US military use of the airport.

A special effort is being made to meet on Sunday 11th March to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the US war against the people of Iraq.  Denis Halliday is one of the people who will be marking this event.

Limerick Meeting invites all Friends in Ireland to join us on 11th March to consider the peace testimony and its place amongst Friends, and then to join the peace vigil at Shannon Airport.

Join us for:

  • Meeting at 11am
  • Soup and sandwiches at 12pm
  • 12.30pm – Denis Halliday and others will share their experiences of the Quaker peace testimony and its place today
  • 1.30pm – to airport for vigil at 2pm.

For further information please contact Anne Goggin – anne@wordwrights.ie