It is a privilege to welcome you to the Knockadoon Music & Liturgy Course Website.
This adventure began when Fr. Fiontan O’Murchu OP along with members of the folk group from St. Mary’s Popes Quay, Cork decided to establish a course for young people involved in church music. They realised there was a great need to resource the growing number of “Folk” groups that were emerging across the country and give them access to quality liturgical music as well as giving people an understanding of liturgy.
The Dominican Camp in Knockadoon, Co. Cork was chosen as the venue for what became a week long residential course and the rest, well its not so much history as legend!
Choosing this beautiful spot on the Cork coast has added something special that is difficult to explain. A week spent in Knockadoon is something that will hold a special place in your heart forever.
The people involved have changed and the course has been renamed but our vision remains the same. We strive to give participants up to date resources so that they can return to their parishes better able to fulfill their role as music ministers. To that end we gather music from Ireland and across the world, giving our participants an experience of the many ways we can express our faith through song. From the modern to the traditional we highlight the very best of liturgical music making sure that our participants can return home and choose the ‘right music’ for the ‘rite time’.
During the week long course we live as a community and it is this as much as the music we sing and the prayers we say that make it such an amazing experience. Each year over 100 people take part in the course and apart from learning new music we offer tutorials that give participants the opportunity to learn a new instrument or develop an existing skill. Each day we come together in prayer and over the course of the week share Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and the Eucharist.
The course is delivered by a dynamic group of volunteers whose range of expertise underpin the quality of the participants experience.
We continue to have a very close relationship with the Dominican Family and you will find Dominican Brothers, Sisters and Priests amongst our team and course participants. This gives a real sense of the church in action, the people of God living, working, and praying together.
Our theme for 2024 is A Place At The Table
John Hurley & Sr. Eileen O’Connell OP
Co-Course Directors