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Irish Buddhist Union
Irish Buddhist Union

The Irish Buddhist Union (IBU) is a union of Irish Buddhist Sanghas (Buddhist communities) that came together in March 2018 to represent the Buddhist faith in Ireland. The IBU intends bring Buddhist ideas and principles to the attention of wider Irish society.

The founding members of the IBU are: Zen Buddhism Ireland, Sunyata Buddhist Centre, Soka Gakkai International Ireland, Kagyu Samye Dzong Dublin, Dublin Buddhist Centre, and Jampa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre.

The founding board of the Irish Buddhist Union are: IBU founding president Rev Myozan Kodo Kilroy of Zen Buddhism Ireland; IBU secretary Kieron Lawlor; IBU treasurer Alison Lopez, of Kagyu Samye Dzong Dublin; IBU trustee Maitrikaya of the Dublin Buddhist Centre; and IBU trustee Robert Hensey of the Jampa Ling Tibetan Buddhist Centre.

Buddhism is among the fastest growing faiths in Ireland, showing a 12.1 per cent increase, to 9,758, from the previous census in 2011.

Apart from the growth of interest in Buddhist meditation techniques, especially “mindfulness” in recent years, Buddhism as a faith tradition has also seen a generation of Irish-born Buddhist teachers and leaders coming to the fore for the first time.

In an increasingly diverse Ireland, the IBU says it "hopes that the many Irish people who identify as Buddhist will become visible and active in Irish public life, with the IBU acting as a conduit for this."

The IBU says it aims to have an input on the national debate as Ireland develops to accommodate its growing diversity for the first time.

See Also www.ibu.ie

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