Julia McKinley is the recently appointed Development Officer for the NBSI, (National Bible Society of Ireland), which has global as well as local links in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The United Bible Societies are a historical network of biblical societies which traditionally focus on bible translation and making the biblical texts accessible and available to all, and have a range of exciting current national and international projects. See unitedbiblesocieties.org.

The National Bible Society in Ireland (then the Hibernian Bible Society) was founded in 1806, and was originally located on 10 Upper Sackville Street (O’Connell Street), before it moved up to Dawson Street in 1922 following extensive damage sustained during the Irish Civil War.

In recent years the well-known and loved bookshop Bestseller at 41 Dawson Street closed, leading to speculation that the Society as a whole was no more. However the recent appointment of a Development Officer is indicative of fresh vision and a hopeful future for the Society. On January 24th, 2019, the NBSI commissioned Julia into the new role, with a short Service of Dedication held in St. Ann’s Dawson Street, kindly facilitated by Canon David Gillespie. Gillian Kingston, the Society’s President, referred to the event as marking a new season in the Society’s ongoing journey to fulfil its original vision. Julia’s role primarily will involve collaborating with other biblically-based organisations, partnering with the Bible Society in Northern Ireland on all-Ireland projects, and facilitating group engagement with Scripture at local levels and national levels. You can reach the NBSI at julia@nbsi.ie or 0873844990, or alternatively by post, to 42 Dawson Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.