Bellringers are being sought to help in a record-breaking ringing in of the new millennium at Dublin's Christ Church.
Mr Leslie Taylor, Christ Church's master ringer, made the appeal at the unveiling of the cathedral's seven new bells in Dublin yesterday.
The seven bells will be added to the nine already there, making Christ Church's 16 bells the largest number of hand-rung bells in one place in the world.
On December 31st the old millennium will be rung out with the nine old bells, and the new rung in with all 16.
"It will give Dublin a world record-breaking peal," Mr Taylor said. "With 16 bells we will be able to have a whole range of music not possible anywhere else - we'll have different combinations of eights [eight bells] and three separate 12s [combinations of 12].
"We'll ring out the old millennium for at least an hour. Then on the strike of 12 the big tenor bell will ring 12 times and then there'll be a rolling peal of all 16 bells for about half an hour. Anyone who comes up to Christ Church, we'll throw plenty of music at them." The task will require at least 22 ring-changers and though there are about 30 changers on the cathedral's books, not all are available.
"It's a big challenge to ring the bells and I'm asking anyone who might be interested to contact me at the cathedral."
Men or women of average strength may apply, though Mr Taylor warns that training is necessary and people should contact him as soon as possible.
The bells were unveiled yesterday at an event attended by Minister of State Mr Seamus Brennan, chairman of the millennium committee, to mark the beginning of the last 100 days to the end of the century.
The newest bells at Christ Church will be heard for the first time during a demonstration run at 10 a.m. on Sunday, November 7th.
