In March 1856, the first issue of The Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette was published. Its purpose was simple: to give the Church of Ireland a unified, reliable account of itself.
For 170 years, the Gazette has done that work — through famine and war, disestablishment and independence, change, conflict, and reform.
It has endured because people believed it mattered. Today, that belief is being tested.
We need to be honest with our readers. For several years, the Gazette has operated at a loss. That position cannot continue.
For a while now, we have been unable to pay our bills. Necessary operational changes have affected our service to our readers.
Every possible saving has been made. There is no simple fix. This is a moment of real risk.
If the Gazette were to disappear, it would not happen suddenly. There would be less reporting. Less record. Less accountability. And then silence. In a digital age where information is instant and memory is fragile, a paper of record still matters.
We exist so that the Church of today can learn from yesterday and be understood tomorrow.
We are not writing to sell anything. We need help.
The Gazette will survive only if enough people decide that it is worth sustaining. We need donations, large and small. We need new subscribers. We need support from grant funders and institutions. Every contribution helps. Every subscription helps.
The Gazette does not belong to its editor or its board. It belongs to all of us — and to those who come after us. What happens next depends on what is done now.
If you believe this work matters, please stand with us.
To help, get in touch with Clark:
editor@coigazette.ie | 028 (NI) / 048 (RoI) 9266 7580
