THE intake of Irish candidates for theological training for the begin­ning of the current training year re­veals that twice as many ordin­ands have begun their studies for priesthood in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, in Dublin, as have Roman Catholic semin­arians at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

Twelve students, two of them women, have started at the C of I college at Braemor Park in the city, while six men have begun at May­­­nooth, in Co. Kildare. It is believed that the Maynooth intake is the lowest since it opened in 1795.

The C of I population in the Re­­public was recorded in last year’s of­­ficial census as 126,400, amount­ing to 3.4 per cent of the overall popu­lation, whereas RCs accounted for 78 per cent, or 3.7 million. There are 34 Anglican ordinands in train­ing at the C of I institute, of whom ten are women; a total of 41 men are study­ing at Maynooth.

The RC Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, said last year that he would stop sending students to May­nooth, because of allegations of in­­appro­priate sexual behaviour at the seminary.