Boyle Church of Ireland hosted the Agricultural Chaplaincy Harvest Celebration on Sunday October 18th last, offering wonderful hospitality for an evening of harvest thanksgiving, lively conversation, music, good company and, of course, burgers!
The church provided a lovely setting for an event that combined familiar harvest traditions with something a little different. The evening included singing and a lively panel discussion featuring Michael Fitzmaurice, John O’Hanlon, Thomas Duffy, Adam Woods (chair), Sarah Kelly and Patrick Donohoe. The conversation ranged across farming, rural life and the experiences of those who live and work in the countryside. Tea, coffee and a tempting selection of traybakes provided time to catch up, before the evening concluded with burgers in the car park.
For anyone who missed the evening, or who would like to revisit the discussion, a recording of the Harvest Celebration is available to watch on YouTube on the Agricultural Chaplain Ireland channel.
A huge thank you goes to Boyle Church of Ireland for its generous hospitality and for helping to make the celebration so welcoming and enjoyable. The warmth of the occasion showed what a church can offer its wider community, and anyone who has not visited before would be warmly encouraged to come along and experience that welcome for themselves.
The celebration was an opportunity to give thanks for the harvest, but also to recognise the people behind it. Farming is about far more than producing food: it is about families, livelihoods, communities and a way of life that brings both great satisfaction and real challenges. Having the opportunity to talk openly, listen to one another and share different experiences is an important part of keeping rural communities connected.
That is at the heart of the Agricultural Chaplaincy. Chaplaincy is not just about being there when things go wrong or when someone is struggling. It is also about being available for an ordinary chat, sharing good news, celebrating achievements and knowing there is someone who will listen when needed.
The Harvest Celebration is just one part of this developing work. Online drop-in sessions are being planned for mornings and evenings, giving people the opportunity to say hello and have a chat, without needing a particular reason or problem to discuss. To request the link, contact Rachel on 085 212 7139 or email [email protected]. Further in-person events are also being planned, creating more opportunities to meet, talk and celebrate rural life together.
The idea is simple: sometimes people need support, sometimes they have something to celebrate, and sometimes they would just like a chat with someone. The Agricultural Chaplaincy aims to make space for all three.
Grateful thanks go to Boyle Church of Ireland, the panel and everyone who contributed to making the evening such a welcoming celebration of farming and rural community.
