CATHEDRAL TOWER NEWS
As planned the AGM was held on the 2nd of Novenbmer . With a poor attendance, the business was conducted briskly and finished in good time for refreshments.
Here are the results of the elections ... (for a change, there is one small change from the last previous 5, or is it 6 years …!!!)
Result of elections are as follows:
- President : Dean Sirr,
- Vice President : Tom Marsden,
- Captain : Mike Pomeroy
- Vice Captain / Tower Keeper: Bryan Priestley
- Secretary/Treasurer : Kieron Brislane,
- Southern Dist. Rep. : Kieron Brislane
- Social Organiser : Stephen Holmes
Some Highlights of the Year/Notes from the meeting:-
- Noted the retirement of Ken Brislane from ringing, in January. He is missed from the tower by all the ringers.
- Noted the recent death of Florrie McCormack widow of Roy.
- Thank you to Mount St Alphonsus Ringers without whose assistance we would not be able to ring all 8 bells every Sunday.
- Thank you to Andrew and Noreen for their support, help and assistance during the year.
- Bell frame has reached its sell-by date; Bells require serious maintenance.
- CCTV, to allow the congregation to "see" the ringing as they enter the Cathedral, is now available, and will be installed “soon”.
Fred Bogan Memorial Trophy will be rung for on the afternoon of Sunday 15th November. Venue is Mt. St. Alphonsus, starting from 2pm
St. Mary’s will be defending their title against three (currently) other competing towers, ring plain hunt on 6 bells for 10 minutes.
Ringing over Christmas
Advent Carol Service : Sunday 29th Nov. ringing @ 6.30pm for 7.00pm service
Carols for the City : Sunday 20th Dec. ringing 7.30pm for 8.00pm service
Christmas Eve : Wednesday 24th Dec. ringing @ 10.30pm for 11.00pm service
Christmas Day : Thursday 25th Dec. ringing 10.45am for 11.15am service
New Year Eve in Tower : Wednesday 31st Dec. ringing @ 11.30pm for ringing at 12.00
Open Invitation to all – Ringers & non-Ringers – to attend.
Click for larger Version of Picture
St Mary’s Cathedral MINIBELLS
You Are Invited
If you are looking for something different to do with the evenings closing in….Read on. If you have looked into St. Mark’s Chapel in the Cathedral any time over the last few weeks you will have noticed an addition to the fabric in there - a mini-ring! A set of 10 small bells that are hung and function very similarly to the real tower bells - except in miniature. The heaviest is only a few pounds in weight versus the 24 cwt. of the “upstairs” bells. On the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month the Cathedral ringers will be practicing on the mini-ring instead of the “real” bells - and are extending an invitation to anyone and everyone to join them, from 8.30 p.m. onwards. After 5 minutes of tuition anyone aged 7 to 77 and beyond will be able to ring them. No question! If you have always wondered what went on “up the tower” but never ventured upstairs, this is the perfect opportunity. Come along and enjoy the camaraderie of the bell-ringing fraternity without the hassle of a long climb! More details from Mike Pomeroy (086 - 171 5791) or Kieron Brislane (086 - 0575 759)
Background
On Wednesday August 22nd, St. Mary’s saw a new ring of bells installed in St. Mark’s Chapel, albeit temporarily. There are 10 bells which are hung in a galvanised steel frame which can be reasonably easily dismantled and transported. The bells and frame were cast and built by Higby Bell Engineering in Somerset and the heaviest bell weighs 16 lb (about 7.5 kilograms). The bells have been acquired for Limerick ringers not only to practice on and more importantly to be able to show parishioners of St. Mary’s and visitors how tower bells are rung, because they are rung in exactly the same way. It is also hoped that those ringers who can no longer make it up the stairs will get back to ringing on the mini-bells. Because they are easy to learn to ring on and there is no danger in ringing them, it is hoped that children and young adults will have a go to see if they might like to learn bell ringing and to progress in change ringing far faster than they would on the tower bells. Already a six year old girl is able to ring one for a few minutes after about 10 minutes tuition. Of course the intended spin off is to get more ringers to ring the tower bells. Enquiries about the mini-bells can be made to Mike Pomeroy on michael.pomeroy@ul.ie.
Visitors are welcome both to join in service ringing and practice evenings. Contact the Tower Secretary, Kieron Brislane with requests for use of bells.
Ringers meet at 10.30am onwards for Sunday morning ringing
Practice evening is Monday, from 8.00pm to 10.00pm
(by prior arrangement, as a key is required
to enter the Cathedral).
Click
Here for the Bell Ringers Photo Page
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RELEVANT LINKS
Mt St Alphonus Bellrining Society, Limerick
St
Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Christ
Church Cathedral, Dublin
Committee/Contact
details
Captain : Mike Pomeroy
+353 (0)61 202200 (o); +353 (0)61 331693 (h); michael.pomeroy@ul.ie
Secretary:- Contact
Kieron Brislane
Telephone : +353 (0)61 396049 (home) and +353 (0)61 223757 (desk)
email: kieron_brislane@dell.com
Postal Address:
"Redwood",
Cloongownagh,
Kildimo,
Co. Limerick.
Ireland