West Cork, Ireland, February 19, 2026
Photo: corkbeo.ie
The Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Britain and Ireland has launched a GoFundMe campaign to purchase a former Church of Ireland chapel near Enniskeane, County Cork.
The campaign, which has so far raised 19% of its €90,000 target, aims to establish a second permanent Serbian Orthodox place of worship in Ireland.
The church in question is the former St. Mary’s Church in Knockmacool, located roughly 25 miles from Cork city center and 50 miles from Killarney. The fundraiser was launched with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Nektarije of London and Britain and Ireland.
Fr. Mladen Gardović, the only Serbian Orthodox priest in Ireland, currently travels 930 miles per week from his base in County Meath to lead services in eight Irish cities. In Cork, he serves around 100 Serbian families, using a room at the Ascension Presbytery in Gurranabraher.
The Serbian Orthodox Church purchased its first Irish chapel in Mornington, County Meath for €135,000 last year. Fr. Gardović said that securing a second location in Cork would be a significant step forward, and that the doors would be open to everyone. He noted that 20 people in Dublin are currently preparing to convert to the Orthodox faith.
In his appeal, Fr. Gardović wrote that “every contribution, whether small or large, represents a stone in the foundation of our shared spiritual home.” He also noted that cash contributions could help reduce the overall purchase price. If the purchase goes ahead, a second Serbian Orthodox priest would come to serve in Ireland.
Learn more and donate at the the GoFundMe campaign.
In September, the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Ireland and Iceland purchased a former Anglican church in Dublin that now serves as its cathedral.
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