01.09.2026
Church of Ireland Centre at DCU Marks 10th Anniversary – ‘The baby has flourished’
The first decade of the Church of Ireland Centre at Dublin City University was celebrated yesterday (Monday August 31) with a special gathering at DCU’s All Hallows’ Campus in Drumcondra.
The gathering recognised all the centre’s achievements over the last 10 years and honoured everyone who had supported its work. It also marked the final day of the Church of Ireland Centre’s first Director, Canon Professor Anne Lodge, whose term of office came to an end yesterday after 10 years. The appointment of the new Director, Dr Jacqui Wilkinson, was announced today.
The Church of Ireland Centre (CIC) was established as part of the DCU Institute of Education in 2016 as a result of the incorporation of the Church of Ireland College of Education into DCU in line with changed State requirements. It provides an agreed pathway within the DCU Bachelor of Education programme for the CIC intake.
To mark the milestone anniversary, a report on the first decade of the CIC, complied by Canon Prof Anne Lodge, was launched. (You can read that report here.)
Launching the report the Bishop of Clogher, the Right Revd Ian Ellis, noted that it tells the story of the centre since the incorporation of CICE into DCU in 2016. “That transition was not simply administrative or institutional; it was a pivotal moment for a community with a long and distinctive educational heritage stretching back to the early days of national education in Ireland. It posed some fundamental questions about identity, service and trust,” he commented.
Bishop Ellis recalled that at the time this transformation of CICE was subject to much debate and noted that the report points out that this airing of views assisted in clarifying priorities for the incorporation.
“At times it seemed like a very difficult birth. Thankfully the baby has flourished!” he said. “That incorporation courageously brought together the tradition of the Church of Ireland College of Education with the life of a modern, pluralist university. It required great care, imagination and commitment on all sides. Above all, it required relationships — and as a bishop, I know how deeply relationships matter in the life of the Church, in the life of education, and in the common life of society.”
Bishop Ellis added that the ethos of Church of Ireland national schools and its expression in the centre had been maintained and was achieved through the lens of the Anglican Five Marks of Mission. He noted that Professor Lodge had developed an ethos assessment tool which correlates the Five Marks and the characteristic spirit of the centre.
“Faith based schools in Ireland are of course under some attack in the media following the published results of the recent Primary School Survey. We may question the motivation and methodology of that survey, but it should cause us to review that characteristic spirit in our schools and celebrate the educational difference they bring. We must ensure that schools under our patronage are indeed places of high–quality education but also where inclusivity is real and where parents of all faiths and none feel supported and are happy with their children’s development in a faith–based setting,” he stated.
The Bishop also commended the research by Dr Jacqui Wilkinson on the ethos of Church of Ireland schools which he said had been very useful to the General Synod Board of Education. He highlighted her ongoing contribution to the Follow Me programme for the delivery of RE in schools.
On behalf of the Church he expressed appreciation of the staff of the centre and particularly Professor Anne Lodge as its first Director for her work in the early years. He also thanked colleagues across DCU and the Institute of Education and the Church of Ireland, Methodist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends and wider Protestant communities, patrons, diocesan boards of education, post primary schools and the network of primary schools that welcome student teachers.
Speaking on behalf of DCU and the Institute of Education, Professor Martin Brown, associate Dean for Research and Professor of Education, noted that report describes the centre as ‘a place of education and for education, a place of diversity and for diversity, a place of community and for community’.
“This captures very well what the Centre has brought to DCU,” he said. “Its contribution to the Institute of Education has been immense. The Centre has ensured that the Church of Ireland tradition has a clear, active and respected place within our teacher education provision. Its pathway provides specialist preparation in religious education, ethics, professional placement, small–school leadership and multigrade teaching.”
Professor Brown acknowledged the centre’s work with small schools and its extensive body of research. He added that the centre had made an important contribution to the university. “Its presence demonstrates that a secular and pluralist university can provide a recognised place for a distinctive faith tradition while remaining open, inclusive and respectful of all. It enriches the intellectual, cultural and community life of DCU. Indeed, the rich heritage of the former Church of Ireland College of Education has also become part of DCU’s life and memory,” he commented.
The CIC has also established a strong presence in the public square bringing policy makers, researchers, teachers, clergy, school leaders, children and community organisations into conversation, he noted.
Drawing the gathering to a close, Professor Lodge acknowledged the contribution of all the staff of the Church of Ireland Centre and those who teach on the pathway. She described the All Hallows’ campus as a place with a great sense of community and welcomed a number of principals and school patrons. She expressed gratitude to the General Synod Board of Education, the Church Education Society, past students of CICE, the Church of Ireland Historical Society and CITI and all the bodies that had partnered up with the centre as well as those who provided funding.
As the final principal of the Church of Ireland College of Education, she commended her predecessors in the Church of Ireland College of Education, including Dr Ken Milne who was in attendance. She also warmly welcomed Dr Jacqui Wilkinson to her new role as Director of the Church of Ireland Centre.
