Mayoral reception sings the praises of city’s bell-ringers

THE ancient art of bell- ringing, which goes back 700 years in Limerick, still fills the Sunday morning air.

And Limerick’s campanologists were saluted at the weekend when Mayor Maria Byrne hosted a reception for the city’s 35 bell-ringers.

There are two bell towers in Limerick. The eight bells at St Mary’s Church of Ireland Cathedral have been ringing for over 700 years.

At Mount St Alphonsus Redemptorist Church, 10 bells have been rung since 1876.

Fr Adrian Egan, rector of Mount St Alphonsus Redemptorist Church, said: “It takes about a year to learn how become a bell-ringer.

“It’s quite dangerous as the bells are up to a ton weight. They are hanging on a pulley so when you pull the rope the bell falls over and then it has to be stopped before it gets to the top on the other side and pulled back, so there is a whole rhythm attached.

“People can start from when they are 14 or 15. It’s a bit like learning how to drive a car, learning how to get your accelerator and clutch in tune.

“Because if the bell falls over and you lose control then the bell, which is a ton weight, falls over and the rope flies. You let go because otherwise you will be pulled through the ceiling.”

In a move to attract new bell-ringers, people can go along on Monday nights and see how it works and if they are interested they are given full training.

Fr Egan said: “It develops into an art form of change ringing. It’s not just a question of ringing one bell after another — there is an absolute language and a music to it.”

Patrick Hanley, Limerick’s most senior campanologist, has been bell-ringing for the past 63 years.

The 79-year-old Rosbrien man started in 1946 after hearing the sound of hand bells being rung in his local church. His wife Frances was one of the first women bell-ringers in Limerick in the mid-1950s.

Patrick said: “I’m very fit because you would have to be, going up checking out the bells. It’s all the ringers that carry out the maintenance. There are about 63 steps that we climb in Mount St Alphonsus. We would love to get young people in there.

“We’ve been all over Ireland ringing and we have gone abroad on ringing tours. Between both towers, since 1952 we have won a total of 46 southern district championships and 36 All Ireland titles in The Irish Association of Change Ringers competitions.”

Kieron Brislane from Adare is a third generation bell-ringer and has been ringing for 40 years.

He said: “There are 32 bell towers in Ireland. It’s not an insular thing; we are always going elsewhere. There are competitions every year.

“You can travel the world with it. I’ve rung in bell towers in Australia, South Africa and the United States. You don’t know anyone when you go to any of these countries and you walk into a bell tower and all of a sudden you have a bunch of friends”

Hugh O’Brien, 77, from Greystones, Limerick rang his first bell in October 1951.

“Most of the groups have known one another for many, many years so there is a common bond,” he said.