PRESIDENT MCALEESE TO ATTEND 300TH ANNIVERSARY
SERVICE AT ST ANN'S CHURCH

Her Excellency, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland will be the guest of honour at a service to celebrate the Tercentenary of one of Dublin’s most prominent parishes, St Ann’s on Dawson Street on Sunday 30 September at 10:45am. Other distingushed guests will include the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Paddy Burke and the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr John Neill. The large congregation will include many people who were baptised or married in the church.

The address at the service will be given by Bishop Samuel Poyntz who was Vicar of the parish from 1967-1978 and subsequently became Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross from 1978-1987 and Bishop of Connor from 1987 until his retirement in 1995.

The parish of St Ann was formed in 1707 but it was some time before the building of the church began. The site for the church was given by Sir Joshua Dawson after whom the street is named and whose residence 3 doors from the church is now Dublin’s Mansion House. Many famous people have been associated with the parish including Thomas Barnardo, founder of Barnardos, art connoisseur Hugh Lane, Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, Wolfe Tone, Douglas Hyde and President Erskine Childers.

In more recent years, the church has become known for the annual 'Sit-out 4 Charity' by the present Vicar, the Revd Canon Tom Haskins in the lead up to Christmas. Modelled on the Belfast ‘Black Santa’ sit-outs it has raised over €125,000 for St Vincent de Paul, Third World Development and local charities.

The parish also hosts a senior citizen cyber café, lunchtime and evening concerts and recitals, healing services, daily Holy Communion, a Friendly Room, bereavement counselling and a wide range of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

For further information contact: Valerie Jones (087) 2145128/01-4946202

- ENDS –