Coptic Cultural Centre
Welcome to the official website of the Coptic Cultural Centre, a hub for the conferences and spiritual activities of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Scotland, Ireland, North-East England and Affiliated Regions under the patronage of His Grace Bishop Antony the Bishop of the Diocese and Abbot of the Monasteries of St. Athanasius in Scarborough, England and Waterford, County Tipperary and St. George’s Abbey for the Nuns in Delvin.
About us
Our mission at the Coptic Cultural Centre is to cater for all the needs of our Coptic community.
We aim to share the ancient faith and traditions of the Orthodox Church of God as applied to today’s contemporary society.
Situated in the picturesque Southern Irish countryside town of Cahir, the Centre provides a comfortable and spacious venue for conferences, seminars and ceremonies. The main church within the centre can accommodate up to three-hundred worshippers and is well-equipped with audio-visual equipment and translation headsets. The thirty-eight bedrooms can accommodate up to one hundred and fifty delegates. The Centre’s tranquil grounds are characterised by peaceful greenery, scenic farmland as well as spacious parking.
Conferences
The Centre hosts both youth and family-oriented conferences, both in summer and winter. We invite world-class speakers the globe-over to speak at our conferences, chosen because they’re the best to specifically cater for our conference’s subject.
Previous guest speakers who have graced us include H.G. Bishop Abakir of Scandinavia, H.G. Bishop Bernaba of Rome, Fr. Dawood Lamei, Fr. Boules George and Prof. George Basillios.
We’re also blessed at our conferences with the attendance of large delegations of priests, monks and nuns, ready to both answer all your spiritual questions and play a game of football with!
Prayers
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)
One of the beautiful things about being at a spiritual conference is taking the opportunity to switch-off from our busy lives with it’s distractions and re-connect with God. There’s plenty of opportunity for quiet contemplation and Bible study, to sit with a spiritual father for confession and to partake of the Holy Communion in the Liturgy. Even if you’ve never really had the time to discover the mysteries of the Church, this is time to share in fellowship, to try attending the Midnight Praises, to praying from the Agpeya.
Take the opportunity to recharge your spiritual battery, “being filled with the Spirit.” (Eph 5:18).
Activities
We think it’s important to balance both the spiritual and the social side of our conferences. Our servants work hard to put on a range of activites to ensure you have fun; from wolf & devil , to sports, to watermelon-eating contests, we’ll make sure you enjoy yourself. And we’re always keen to learn, so you’re encouraged to come and tell us all about your favourite games!
Social
It’s no exaggeration to say that life-long friendships and relationships have started at our conferences. You’ll meet strangers who will become friends, and you need never fear being lonely. We make it our responsibility to make sure everyone feels comfortable at our conferences, and we want nothing more than for all to come together in friendship and fellowship. Whether it’s meeting someone new in the dinner queue, staying up till five am having lively debates (or sleeping soundly of course), or staying an extra few days touristing around the country, we promise you’ll want to come back for the next one!