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St. Patrick’s Day Blessings

 


The choir from all over Ireland singing virtually.

The team behind the inspirational YouTube video, 'The Irish Blessing,' have said that as everyone approaches St. Patrick’s Day 2021, we find ourselves still in the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic a full year since it began.

We think of all our key-workers, exhausted now after a year of battling the virus, and of all those directly affected by Covid-19, whether physically, or emotionally, during this time. It is to them that The Irish Blessing is dedicated.

In the coming week, as we celebrate Patrick, the Patron Saint of our island, we encourage you to rededicate The Irish Blessing to all of them, by sharing one of The Irish Blessing videos with your friends, family, and anyone who might take comfort in a blessing at this time.

These videos include the original recording, the Irish Sign Language version, and a brand new live performance by our friends in New Irish Arts from St. Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, which will be launched on our YouTube channel later this week.

For those of you who would wish to use any of these versions in your online worship services or St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, we would encourage you to do so and give permission for their use in this context.

The production of The Irish Blessing was organised by Philip McKinley, a former chaplain at Dublin City University and now in training for priesthood in the Church of Ireland and Fr Martin Magill, parish priest at the Falls Road and Belfast.

Singers and musicians from over 300 churches from our island took part.

The Irish Blessing video can be seen at the following link;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TascsWZPj8U