Birr resident appointed Language Development Officer for Church of Ireland

Birr resident Dr Rita Kelly has been appointed as the Irish Language Development Officer for Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise (Irish Guild of the Church of Ireland.)

Rita is known for her work as an acclaimed poet and writer in both Irish and English. She has been involved in many Irish language developments and activities, both culturally and literary for the past 50 years.

The Galway native has lived in many different places such as Germany, Manhattan, Waterford and along the River Barrow near Carlow.

She now lives in Birr, which is an ideal location for travelling to all corners of the country. In her new position as Development Officer, she will be working with the Church of Ireland community nationwide to promote the use of Irish.

Rita is very active in her own Birr Group of Parishes. Last year she was commissioned as a Lay/Parish Reader, and she is a member of the Birr Parish Select Vestry. This new position allows Rita to bring people together, to connect people to each other, people who speak wonderful Irish, people who are members of the Church of Ireland since childhood but don’t often get the opportunity to use it or the opportunity to worship in Irish.

This position of Development Officer is funded by Foras na Gaeilge. Rita hopes that people will contact her to seek whatever help she/The Cumann can provide to support them in the promotion of the use of Irish within the Church of Ireland community.

The Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise was founded in 1914 to promote the use of Irish within the Church and to collect from Irish sources, hymns and suitable devotional literature.