27.06.2014
St Patrick’s Church Greystones Set to Bloom on 150th Anniversary
This July, parishioners of St Patrick’s, Greystones, will celebrate 150 years of continuous worship in their church by holding a fabulous flower festival. The beautiful landmark building will be the setting for 35 themed floral displays containing over 1,500 blooms arranged by 43 flower arrangers.
The Flower Festival will be officially opened on Thursday July 17 at 8.00 pm and will run until 4.00 pm on Sunday July 20. The celebrations will conclude on Sunday at 5.00 pm with Archbishop Michael Jackson will join the 10th Rector of St Patrick’s, the Revd David Mungavin, for a Thanksgiving Service.
The festival is being masterminded by Flo Fennell and organ music will be played in the mornings and evenings by the organist and choir director.
Running alongside the Flower Festival will be an Art and Photography exhibition by the Greystones Art Group and a History Exhibition curated by Church Warden Sarah Murphy who has trawled through the Select Vestry minutes, old letters, newpapers and photograph albums to create this fascinating display. An exhibit of photographs of Old Greystones compiled by Derek Paine over the years will also be on show. A commemorative DVD presented by Peter Murtagh documenting the history of the church and parish has been produced, copies will be on sale for €10.
Refreshments will be available throughout Friday and Saturday when there will be a Wire Sculpture Demonstration, a Craft Display by Delgany ICA and a Bee Keeping Demonstration. Entrance to the festival will cost €5.
In 1864 the American Civil War was nearing its end, recently widowed Queen Victoria was in deep seclusion mourning the death of her husband. The newly opened National Gallery of Ireland was a popular destination and Granville Proby, Lord Carysfort was the Liberal MP for Co Wicklow. Closer to home, in Greystones on July 19 1864, St Patrick’s Church was consecrated by Archbishop Richard Chenevix Trench.