General Synod 2002: Website Competition winners

The President's Speech at the General Synod

CHURCH OF IRELAND PRESS OFFICE
Church of Ireland House, 61 - 67 Donegall Street, Belfast BT 2QH
Tel Belfast: (028) 90 232 909
Press Officer Brian Parker (M): 07775 927 807

PRESS RELEASE

16 May 2002

WEBSITE COMPETITION WINNERS

The first Church of Ireland Website Competition attracted a diverse set of entries from every corner of Ireland. The judges for this first competition were Rev Michael Graham, Rector of Drogheda and Church of Ireland Internet Co-ordinator, Mrs Janet Maxwell, Director of Communications, and Ms Michelle Carter, webmaster of the General Synod website.

Entries were divided into two main categories - Diocesan and Parish. One additional entry was received from the Church of Ireland Gazette and this was evaluated separately.

The winner of the Diocesan competition was the website for the United Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough (www.dublin.anglican.org), designed by web editor, Stuart Kinsella with content by Dr Valerie Jones, Diocesan Communications Officer.

The Primate presenting 1st prize in the diocesan website competition to Dr Valerie Jones

The website for the diocese of Down and Dromore (www.down.anglican.org) was Highly Commended.

The Primate presenting Rev Michael Parker with 1st prize in the parish website competition

The Parish competition was won by Carnalea Parish (www.carnalea.down.
anglican.org), from the diocese of Down and Dromore, edited by the Rev Michael Parker. The judges unanimously felt that Carnalea Parish website managed to express a sense of spirituality that would stimulate reflection on the part of visitors, with a wealth of information about the parish based on a well constructed design.

The judges also gave Highly Commended awards to the following parish websites:

St Clement's Belfast (content) - www.stclementsbelfast.com
Dalkey, Dublin (Content) - www.dalkey.dublin.anglican.org
Holy Trinity, Killiney (content, design and outreach) - www.htkilliney.dublin.anglican.org
Leixlip and Lucan (outreach) - www.leixlip.glendalough.anglican.org
St Macartin's Cathedral (stimulates reflection) - www.enniskillen.clogher.anglican.org

A further parish received a Commended award:

Kilglass, Killala - www.kilglass.killala.anglican.org

The Church of Ireland Gazette (www.gazette.ireland.anglican.org) website was the only online magazine to enter the competition. The judges acknowledged the high standards achieved by the website and the benefits that flow from providing access to the Gazette to Church of Ireland members and the wider community. The webmaster, Mr Craig McCauley was highly commended for his work.

Rev Michael Graham, Church of Ireland Internet Co-ordinator said: "I am delighted by the response to this new competition. The Church of Ireland's webmasters are taking the internet and finding a wide range of ways to use it as a tool for building the Church community and Christian outreach. Later this year we will host a workshop to share and develop some of these ideas - the Christian website is an exciting new tool and we are only beginning to explore its possibilities."

Prizes were presented to the winners today by Archbishop Robin Eames at the Church of Ireland General Synod in Dublin.