22.12.2015
RCB Library Staff Marks Retirement of Long Standing Colleague
The staff of the Representative Church Body Library bade a fond farewell to one of their long standing colleagues last week. Mary Furlong had been on the staff of the library since 1994, having previously worked on the staff of the RCB from 1971 to 1983. A special reception was held at Church of Ireland House to mark her retirement.
Mary has, amongst many things, been a familiar and friendly face for generations of ordinands at Church of Ireland Theological Institute (previously College) cheerfully attending to their informational needs as well as those of the regular stream of clergy, genealogists, historians, researchers and assorted members of the public who use the RCB Library on a daily basis.
As well being a kind and loyal colleague, Mary’s responsibilities have included assiduously compiling an invaluable database of church plate, the indexing of the consents to alternations, entering well over half of the 50,000 books to the online catalogue, and efficiently managing the day to day operations of the Library.
She will be greatly missed by her colleagues and friends on the staff of the RCB, and in summing up her contribution both the Chief Officer, Adrian Clements, and Librarian and Archivist, Dr Raymond Refaussé, commended her invaluable and irreplaceable contribution.
Photo caption: Dr Susan Hood, Assistant Librarian and Archivist; Robert Gallagher, Library Administrator; Dr Raymond Refaussé, Librarian and Archivist; Jennifer Murphy, Library Administrator; and Mary Furlong.