‘The Religious Society of Friends’ is our official title. Members first began to be called ‘Quakers’ soon after the foundation of the Society; this is really a nickname, but is now more commonly used than the official title. The words ‘Friend’ and ‘Quaker’ are interchangeable.

In some ways, modern Quakers are very similar to the early Friends who lived some 350 years ago. At the same time, some details of our beliefs and the way we express our faith have evolved since the start of the Quaker movement in the 1650’s.

Our guiding principles are our belief in the intrinsic spiritual equality of all, and in the need to live simply, with integrity,  in peace. Quakers believe that violence is not an acceptable way to resolve conflict. We believe that there is “that of God” in every person. Some Friends see Jesus as the key religious figure in their lives and rely on the Bible for guidance, while others may look to a variety of spiritual texts and writings for inspiration.

The Religious Society of Friends in Ireland has about 1500 Members  throughout the island of Ireland, as well as many Attenders – those who attend a Quaker Meeting but have not yet applied for Membership.

The centre of Quaker spiritual life is the Sunday Meeting for Worship, and the best way of finding out about Quakers is to go to one.  You may be sure of a warm welcome. This website lists the various Quaker Meetings throughout Ireland, where you can find details of the Meetings nearest to you. 

You can get more information about what happens in Meeting for Worship, what Quakers believe, what sets the Religious Society of Friends apart from other churches, how we make decisions etc. by looking at the various topics in this section and the ‘Quakers Today’ section.