Presbyterian Easter dawn services: full list of times and locations

Ahead of Easter Sunday, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has compiled a list of upwards of 40 venues in its 19 presbyteries where services are taking place that have been organised by local congregations, or gatherings involving Presbyterian churches, and others in the local community.

The earliest of the services begins at 6am, with others following at 6.15, 6.30, and 7am. Depending on the weather, each service will vary in length and involve praise, prayer, scripture reading and a short address. Some even offer a cooked breakfast afterwards.

Presbyterian moderator, the Rev Dr David Bruce, said: “When we come together on Easter Sunday, to declare this singular truth: ‘Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!’

“We affirm that Jesus is risen bodily, physically actually, historically and truly. He is risen in a way that defies the laws of biology, chemistry and physics and because of what happened that day, nearly 2,000 years ago, the world is not the same and never can be again.

“Easter explains that God pushes back the frontiers of evil and death. Good Friday’s story of death gave way to Easter Sunday’s story of new life. We live, and then die – but Christ died, and then lived.

Here is the full list of Presbyterian Church in Ireland dawn services on Easter Sunday morning:

Ards Presbytery

6.00am: Car park on Seacliff Road before Ballyholme Yacht Club

6.00am: Ballywalter Beach

6.10am: Helen’s Bay Beach

6.15am: The Community Garden on Ballywalter Road

6.15am: Car park beside Shore Street Presbyterian Church, Donaghadee

6.30am: Ballyholme Beach at Ballymcconnell Road car park

6.30am: The Cross outside Conlig Presbyterian Church

6.30am: Scrabo Tower, Newtownards

7.00am: Car park, West Church, Bangor

7.00am: The beach car park, Cloughey

Armagh Presbytery

6.00am: On the hillside by South Lake Leisure Centre, organised by Portadown Churches Together

7.00am: Play park, Killylea, organised by Kanppagh & Lislooley Presbyterian Churches (breakfast afterwards in the band hall, Killylea village)

Ballymena Presbytery

6.30am: Slemish carpark

6.30am: Portglenone Forest Park

East Belfast Presbytery

6.00am: Belvoir Forest Park - hosted by Ravenhill Presbyterian Church

North Belfast Presbytery

6.00am: Belfast Zoo, Bellvue - organised by Glengormley Presbyterian Church and other local churches

6.45am: Carnmoney Presbyterian Church - meet in church car park followed by a short prayer service on Carmoney Hill

South Belfast Presbytery

7.00am: The Green, Dunmurry - in the centre of the village opposite James Brown funeral directors - organised by Dunmurry Churches Together

Carrickfergus Presbytery

6.30am: Bankheads, Town Park, Larne, hosted by First Larne, Gardenmore and Craigy Hill Presbyterian Churches. (Breakfast afterwards in First Larne halls)

7.00am: Ballygally at the slipway, hosted by Caincastle Presbyterian Church

Coleraine & Limavady Presbytery

6.00am: Portstewart Joint Sevice on the hill above the harbour (breakfast afterwards at Portstewart Presbyterian Church)

6.00am: Ramore Head (followed by a light breakfast in Ballywillan church hall)

7.00am: In the car park beside Aghadowey Presbyterian Church on Ardreagh Road. (Breakfast follows in the hall afterwards in aid of for their work in Romania)

Derry & Donegal Presbytery

6.30am: Magheramason, Dunalong Road (directions from the city) - pass the service station in Magheramason, turn right on to Dunlong and proceed for approx. 1 mile. Turn at crossroads down to the riverside. (Breakfast served afterwards in Magheramason Church Hall)

Down Presbytery

6.00am: Island Hill - a united Service with other Comber town churches

Dromore Presbytery

6.30am: At Legacurry Presbyterian Church

7.00am: Large Field at Hillsborough Forest Park

7.00am: At ‘The Mound’ Dromore

7.00m: Belshaw’s Quarry, Lisburn

Dublin & Munster Presbytery

6.00am: At the South Beach, Arklow

6.20am: Club House car park, Hermitage Golf Club, Lucan, organised by Lucan Presbyterian Church with other churches in the town

Iveagh Presbytery

6.00am: Spelga Dam car park, Mountains of Mourne, with (breakfast after in Clonduff Presbyterian Church)

Monaghan Presbytery

7.00am: Monaghan Collegiate School, Corlatt, Monaghan, organised by Monaghan Churches Together (with a cooked breakfast afterwards)

7.00am: Ballybay town park

7.00am: Haltons Park (followed by breakfast)

Newry Presbytery

6.00am: Cloughmore Stone, Kilbroney Forest Park, Rostrevor

Omagh Presbytery

6.00am: Slieveglass Windfarm, Bolaght Mountain, Castlederg

6.30am: Old Bridge Road (off the A5 north of Newtownstewart)

6.30am: Knockmany

Tyrone Presbytery

6.30am: Slieve Gallion, Tullynagee Road, Magherafelt, BT45 7SA