Hundreds of people have been gathering in Ennis for the Merriman Summer School 2010.
This year’s theme is Faith: Beyond Belief and the school continues in Ennis until Sunday, with a wide range of seminars, poetry readings and musical performances.
The event was opened by Bishop Willie Walsh last night and in one of his final public engagements before he retires next week, Bishop Willie told those gathering to discuss the current and possible future role of religion in Irish society that he doubted that the bishop at the time of his ordination 51 years ago would have accepted the invitation to open such a Summer School.
If he had, he remarked that he’d probably have told the audience to go home and mind their own business as Faith and Belief were his domain and not an appropriate subject for discussion amongst lesser mortals!.
But the retiring Bishop said he was pleased to be part of the maturity that Ireland has attained in terms of its understanding and acceptance of creative artists like Brian Merriman, and of and those who are not necessarily in line with the accepted Church view.
