STORY:
World Record Bell Ring On New Year's Eve

Dublin Cathedral to set record for greatest number of swinging bells rung

The night air will be anything but quiet over Dublin Ireland New Year's Eve. Never before has the city heard the bells of its beloved Christ Church Cathedral sound so glorious.

The Cathedral is about to receive seven new swinging bells bringing the total to 19. When all bells ring for the first time on New Year's Eve, it will set a record of the largest "change ringing" anywhere in the world. Change ringing is where different "peals" or sequences of bells are rung out at the same time.

According to the Irish Times, 1999 will be rung out on an old octave of older bells. Once midnight hits, the Year 2000 will be rung in with all the bells setting the record at that time. Each bell weighs hundreds to thousands of pounds.

The new bells will be delivered in August and rung for the first time in September. Six of the new bells are inscribed with the opening words of psalms while one has peace to all men inscribed in Latin. The Peace Bell as it will be called, expresses the desire for the ending of strife in Ireland and across the world. The United States has a Peace Bell of its own. It will be the largest free swinging bell in the world and will also ring on New Year's Eve.

Bell ringing at the ancient church began nearly 1,000 years ago in 1038 when the Cathedral erected its first bell. The latest addition will give the church three 12-bell peals as well as the first peals of 14 and 16 bells in Ireland.

Source: The Irish Times

DATE: 8/03/99

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