This year marks the 900th anniverary of the first synod of Cashel, a momentous occasion in Irish history when the High King of Ireland, Muirchertach ╙ Briain, presented Cashel of the kings to the clergy of Ireland in an effort to create a national church .
A major conference to mark this event began in University College, Cork, yesterday and will continue in Cork today and in Cashel tomorrow. Entitled "Reform and Renewal - Ireland and Europe in the 12th Century", the conference will examine the profound political and cultural changes of the period and the central role of Cashel, the scene of the first great reforming synods.
As part of the programme of events the Dean of Cashel, Dr Philip Knowles, will conduct evensong in the Cathedral of St John the Baptist this evening. Tomorrow morning there will be a harvest celebration in the cathedral.
Hopefully also, many of the conference participants will visit the Bolon Library, which is one of the cultural gems of the Church of Ireland.
Today the diocesan synod of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh will be held in Rooskey, Co Leitrim.
In Dublin, Affirming Catholic Ireland will meet in the Theological College where the Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven Gordon Linney, and Dr Andrew Pierce, from the Irish School of Ecumenics, will be joined by representatives from the Baha'ai and Muslim communities to speak on "Religious Diversity and Toleration in Ireland Today".
At 8 p.m. in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, there will be a farewell concert and presentation to mark the departure of Mr John Dexter as organist and master of the choristers.
Tomorrow RT╔ will broadcast an ecumenical harvest service from Sandford parish church, Dublin, where the rector is Canon Desmond Harman. The bishop of Cork will preach in St Paul's Church, Lisburn, where he served his first curacy, while the Bishop of Tuam will visit Achill Island.
In the chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the first sung eucharist of Michaelmas term will be celebrated by the Chaplain, Dr Alan McCormack.
At evensong in Christ Church Cathedral, the Rev Nigel Dunne, rector of Blessington, will be installed as 12th canon and in St Patrick's as 12th canon. In St Patrick's Cathedral, the preacher at the annual Boys' Brigade service will be Mr Sidney Jones, general secretary of the BB.
In Portlaw the new organ will be inaugurated with a recital by the Dean of Cashel.
The second in the lunchtime lecture series on "2000 Years of Christianity" will be held in Christ Church, Dublin, on Tuesday, when Dr Michael Haren will speak on "The Development of the Medieval Papacy".
In Armagh, the diocesan synod will take in Church House. On Thursday, in Dublin, Ms Anne Carrigy, director of nursing in the Mater Hospital, will be the speaker at the "I Believe" lunchtime series of talks in St George and St Thomas' Church, Cathal Brugha Street.
In the evening the parish of St Bartholomew will host the annual Travers Smith lecture in the Knights of Malta Hall, Clyde Road.
The speaker will be the Rev Andrew Cunnington, Vicar of Midhurst, West Sussex, who will address the topic of "Spirituality and Aging" and the lecture will be held in association with Age and Opportunity.
In Lisburn Cathedral Canon John Bond, Rector of Skerry, will be installed as Dean of Connor.
At the same service the Rev Patrick Rooke, rector of Agherton, and the Rev Sam Wright, rector of Lisburn Cathedral, will be installed as canons of the chapter of St Saviour, Connor.