Our Parish:
In the spring of 1994, Serbs in Ireland gathered for the first time at a Greek Orthodox church in Dublin. They were a small group: two or three long-standing residents and a handful of refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, whom war and sorrow had brought far from their homeland. The Greek community welcomed them with open arms, and their parish priest, Father Irineu, a Romanian by birth, showed great kindness and care towards the newcomers. He celebrated services for them at Christmas, St George’s Day and Vidovdan, whilst at Easter they worshipped together, united in one voice and one prayer.
This continued until 2008, when, with the blessing of Bishop Dositej, Father Žarko Nedić was appointed administrator of the mission parish. He would travel to Dublin on Saturdays every few weeks, and, like a sower scattering seed, he also extended his ministry to Cork, Athlone and Galway. In 2010, a parish council was established. St George was chosen as the patron saint of the Dublin parish, Vidovdan was designated for Cork, and St Sava for Athlone, ensuring that each community had its own feast day.
When the Greek community could no longer offer them hospitality, the Serbian faithful, like travellers without a home, carried their faith from one hall and institution to another, wherever they could find a roof under which to pray. This continued until 2016, when Father Mladen Gardović arrived. With his arrival, the small community began to grow spiritually, and the Parish of St George was formally established.
In time, the goodwill of the Bishop of Dublin led to the Catholic church of Artaine Oratory being made available to the Serbian Orthodox community for permanent use. Through the hard work and generous contributions of the faithful, the building was transformed into a beautiful Serbian Orthodox church, complete with a parish hall and a well-kept courtyard for fellowship and gatherings.
Today, divine services are held in eight locations across Ireland: Dublin, Athlone, Galway, Limerick, Ennis, Cork, Waterford and Tralee. In 2026, the Very Reverend Protopresbyter Aleksandar Vujko took up his appointment as the new parish priest.
