Denise C. Gabuzda, Cork Meeting

More than 100 Friends attended Ireland Yearly Meeting 2025, which took place during 25 – 27 April at Friends School Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and online. The sessions explored the theme “A Learning Community”. 

It was appropriate to meet at Friends School Lisburn, which recently celebrated its 250^th anniversary. Representatives of Friends School Lisburn, Newtown School Waterford and Drogheda Grammar School brought us up to date on their programmes and activities, and helped us understand what Irish Friends can do to support these schools.

We heard about the charitable work of Quaker Service in North Belfast, and projects around the world supported by Irish Quaker Faith in Action. Describing a recent visit to the Ramallah Friends School, Michael Eccles (Executive Secretary of the Europe and Middle East Section of FWCC) emphasized the importance of listening in building trust.

Other presentations touched on Quaker work being carried out in Europe. Loretta O’Brien informed us about the Quaker Council for European Affairs programmes on Migration and Peace, Climate Justice and Peace and Dialogues for Transformation; and Sophie Naeye and Lindsey Fielder-Cook told us about recent work in the Geneva Quaker United Nations Office’s programmes on Peace and Disarmament, the Human Impacts of Climate Change, Human Rights and Refugees and Sustainable and Just Economic Systems.

Alison Tarpey-Black described the Local Development Worker (LDW) programme being run by Britain Yearly Meeting. The programme aims to support Meetings, helping them thrive as lively and loving communities. The LDW’s are based at various locations around Britain, with an LDW now within reach of every Meeting in BYM. Alison related stories of Meetings that had become more vibrant by having the confidence to innovate – for example, changing their meeting time from Sunday morning to another time during the week or becoming more engaged with active outreach. Our Meeting communities are encouraged to remain open to New Light, from wherever it may come.

Emily Provance of New York Yearly Meeting provides an inspiring example of a modern-day Quaker traveling in the Ministry in a way very similar to early Friends – traveling from Meeting to Meeting with no more baggage than a rucksack. Her sojourns have given Emily a unique perspective on the wide variety of Meetings in the Quaker world, some called to shrink, some to grow, and some to do both. She called on us to “only do separately what we cannot in conscience to together”, stressing that “what we can learn from one another is how to be a better people”. Emily made a heartfelt plea for Irish Friends to consider what they can do to help and support American Quakers in these troubled times, drawing from the unique history, peacebuilding experience and diverse theologies within Ireland Yearly Meeting.

The Public Lecture was given by James Nelson, on the theme “Quakers, learning and education – using the future to rethink the present”. James discussed different ways of thinking about the future and how they impact our actions and decisions in the present. He challenged the assumption that school education must inevitably separate us – according to perceived intelligence, class, religion – rather than draw us together. In our Meetings, we have a responsibility to help each other to learn to discern the Truth. James referred to mystery and wisdom as two precious embers that keep our fire alight.

True learning should be transformative, and we must seek the courage to step through a doorway into a new way of being.

Creative sessions organised and led by Young Friends fostered a companionable, light-hearted, informal atmosphere that enabled Friends to discuss complex topics in an open and non-confrontational fashion. 

A Sustainability Policy was adopted by Ireland Yearly Meeting, which will make it easier for those carrying out various activities on behalf of the Society to do this in as sustainable a way as possible. This will have an impact across a range of areas, such as travel, purchasing and organisation of events.

Like other Quakers around the world, Irish Friends are challenged by the ongoing conflicts taking place in the Middle East, Europe, and other parts of the world. Special discussions are planned for later this year, in which we will work together to discern what we are called to do, ensuring that our actions manifest  Love that embraces all involved.

Marian Baker (New England Yearly Meeting) will speak on this topic via Zoom at a Churchtown Coffee Morning on Wednesday 4th June during 10.30-12.00.

You can find more information, including the Zoom link for joining online in this flyer.

The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA). would like to maintain a lively, open Quaker presence in Brussels. To that end, QCEA are looking for an experienced Quaker or Quaker couple to live in Quaker House Brussels and provide a Quaker presence in the House, as well as to work with the office manager to organise and administer lettings of the House.

For full job description and application details, please see the QCEA website.

Applications must be returned by 29 May 2025.

In 1937, the well known American Quaker Rufus M Jones wrote  “…I have become a good deal disillusioned over ‘big’ conferences and large gatherings. I pin my hopes to quiet processes and small circles, in which vital and transformative events take place.”

It is in the spirit of these words that you are invited to set time aside on the third Saturday of each month, when the Limerick Meeting House will be open for an hour from 2.00-3.00pm for those who wish  to join others silently “sitting for peace”.

The next of these monthly silent vigils for peace will take place on Saturday 17^th May from 2.00 – 3.00pm.

Please feel free to invite others to share this time of holding an intention for peace in silence together.

A Learning Day is planned to take place in Dublin (venue to be determined) on 1st November 2025.

This will give an important opportunity for those interested to explore the role of Ministry and Oversight and to support its effectiveness in all our Meetings.

We are also looking at another session on how we help our Meetings to thrive, following on from discussions at IYM 2025 in Lisburn and the Special Interest Group on this topic.

Details will be circulated in the coming months, but at this stage please put the date in your diary. We hope to have as many Friends attend as possible.

Will Haire, Clerk, Ireland Yearly Meeting.

Monkstown Meeting is hosting a discussion evening on this topic, which will be facilitated by Brian Nolan

We hope that Friends from other Meetings will join us.

Address : Pakenham Road, Monkstown, Co. Dublin. A94 H9D6.

Public Transport: Buses, 4, 7, 7A, S8, L25 and DART (Salthill Station)

Parking : Limited parking at the Meeting House; lots of on street parking.

Contact: monkstownpm@gmail.com

This year’s IYM Epistle is now available on the IYM Epistles page of the website.

Please speak with the Clerk or other appropriate Friends in your Meeting to ensure that it is read during or after Meeting for Worship, to give all a sense of IYM 2025.

The text of this year’s Public Lecture by James Nelson, ‘Quakers, learning and education – Using the future to rethink the present’, is now available on the Public Lectures page.

A link to the recording of this public lecture will be provided once it is available.

Jonathan P. Wigham and another Friend will reflect on their experience of IYM 2025 at a Churchtown Coffee Morning on Wednesday 7th May during 10.30-12.00.

You can find more information, including the Zoom link for joining online in this flyer.

Cork Meeting will be holding a Silent Vigil for Peace in Cork Meeting House, Summerhill South, T12 XW8R, from 1-2pm on May 11.

We request that no political symbols or political statements be displayed. We hope this will be the first in a series of such events.

Please feel free to spread the word among family and friends in the Cork area who may be interested in stopping by for any length of time during the vigil. Here is a leaflet about the vigil that can be distributed to those who may be interested.