I’ve been way out west in Northern Ireland this evening – further than the Wayside Pulpit at Hillhall Presbyterian Church where this month’s helpful message is ‘Forbidden fruit makes a lot of jam’; beyond the end of the M1 motorway; further even than that. And you get to the beauties of Fermanagh where I spent my childhood – in this case actually Clogher is in Co Tyrone. Beautiful Cathedral looking at its best for the installation of Kenny as the new Dean.
In the days when we were all struggling with the sectarianism of mid-Ulster, Kenny was in my view one of the clergy most to be admired. He has a gift of building relationships and encouraging people to move … and helping them to feel good about it at the same time. This is what I said.
You’ve taken me back to my childhood when we lived in Lisburn. My parents were married in Hillhall Presbyterian Church, (Hillhall had, of course Gracey’s jam making factory)and we often got the bus from Lisburn down past the church to walk up Jacob’s Ladder to Drumbo, or up to Ballymullan….happy days!
One of my uncles was organist in the other Clogher Cathedral, St Macartin’s in Enniskillen. I remember still his anxiety and preoccupation before playing for a service.
Goodness. I sang in the choir there as a child. Which organist was that?
George Parke, though not sure when or how long for.
Yes I think I just about remember hearing the name. But it must be pre- mid-’50’s. That’s when my recollection begins and that’s quite far enough back, thank you very much!