Superbly designed and produced, The Church of Ireland: an illustrated history will be officially launched in Belfast on Tuesday 3 December and in Dublin on Friday 5 December (details below). The 400-page book presents the rich heritage and history of the one-time established church in full colour, making it as much a coffee table publication as a serious collection of essays.
Edited by Professor Brian Walker and Dr Claude Costecalde, the book comprises the work of over sixty historians, editors and photographers from all over Ireland with a diverse range of interests and approaches.
'Each tells the story of the Church in his or her own way,' say the Archbishop of Armagh and Archbishop of Dublin in their foreword. 'The variety of this material reflects the diversity within the Church itself. This volume achieves the remarkable task of covering every parish or union/group of parishes, with illustrations of over two thirds of all the churches.'
Dr Costecalde describes the book as 'a record of the past with an invitation to reflect on the life of the church in the 21st century'.
A preview of the book, in all its glorious colour, can be enjoyed on the publisher's website: Booklink. It can be ordered (price £30) from BooksIreland.*
The Belfast launch on 3 December will be at St Anne’s Cathedral 6.30pm. The Dublin launch on 5 December will take place at Church House, Rathmines, Dublin 6 at 7.00pm.
*The book is offered at a special reduced price of £25 over Thanksgiving Weekend. Offer ends Monday 2 December.