Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, John Street, Sligo

This impressive Catholic cathedral is one of the largest and most significant churches in the west of Ireland. Dating from the 1870s, it is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary and is the cathedral church of the diocese of Elphin. The diocese was formally established in the twelfth century at the Synod of Rathbrasil, but its Christian heritage is significantly more venerable, St Patrick first appointing a bishop there in the fourth century. Under this first bishop, St Asicus, the monastic community at Elphin earned a reputation as a great centre of learning, and became renowned for its promotion of arts and craftsmanship. For centuries this monastic community was the centre of the life of the Church in the area. In the wake of the Synod of Rathbrasil, which reformed the Church along Roman lines, a new mother church of the newly created diocese was built. This first cathedral was erected around the year 1200, and continued to serve the diocese until the late seventeenth century. In the wake of the Protestant Reformation the cathedral passed into the hands of the newly formed Church of Ireland, and remained in use in its medieval form into the eighteenth century. 

From its suppression as a Catholic place of worship until the erection of a new cathedral in the 1870s, the Catholic diocese of Elphin was essentially deprived of a cathedral for over two hundred years. As the political climate for Irish Catholics improved in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries new chapels and 'pro-cathedrals' were built. Many were temporary buildings, often devoid of architectural embellishments. By this stage it had been decided that the Catholic bishops of Elphin would reside in Sligo Town, and not in the village of Elphin. Therefore, a new pro-cathedral was erected there sometime in the 1820s. Dedicated to St Patrick it served as the diocese's mother church until 1871. As the nineteenth century progressed, the hopes and desires of the Catholic community grew, longing for a more befitting and noble cathedral. Their wishes were realised when the foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid on 6 October 1868 by Bishop Laurence Gilhooley.

The style chosen for the new cathedral was Norman. This was a somewhat unusual choice: by and large Irish churches tended to be built in the Classical or Gothic styles. In fact the cathedral at Sligo is the only standing Irish cathedral in the Norman style. The architect chosen to build it was none other than George Goldie. An Englishman, Goldie designed Catholic churches throughout Ireland and England, and is considered one of the most important ecclesiastical architects of the period. At 275 feet in length, and just over 200 feet at its highest, the cathedral makes a dramatic impact on the local landscape. It was officially opened in 1874, although work continued on it until 1882. Goldie's cathedral comprised of an aisled nave, transepts, and a semi circular apse. Its most imposing addition was of course the great west tower.

St John's, John Street, Kilkenny

The medieval city of Kilkenny boasts a number of historic churches. The most famous is of course the Church of Ireland cathedral, St Canice's. One of the lesser known, but equally historic buildings is St. John's. While the present day church is itself early nineteenth century, it stands on the site of a medieval priory dating back to the 1200s. The original priory belonged to the Canons Regular of St Augustine. Long since extinct in Ireland, the Augustinian Canons were once spread throughout the island; at their height in the thirteenth century they had over 100 houses. The priory at Kilkenny was founded largely thanks to the efforts of the first earl of Pembroke, Sir William Marshall, a leading figure in the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. Long since abandoned, the remains of this priory were partly incorparted into the nineteenth century church and are clearly visible to visitors. 

Henry VIII's dispute with Pope Clement VII over his marital situation with Queen Catherine ultimately led to Henry founding two national churches (the Church of England and the Church of Ireland), of which he was supreme head of both. Henry's reformation in England was largely successful, while in Ireland it was on the whole unsuccessful in converting large numbers of the native population. Many confiscated Catholic churches soon became derelict and unused. Funds were generally not forthcoming to erect new Protestant churches, apart from in towns and cities where the Protestant population was larger. This remained the case until the early nineteenth when the Board of First Fruits embarked upon a wide scale programme of church building in the 1810s. Thus many towns and villages received a new church, including Kilkenny, whose rebuilt St. Johns was a typically 'First Fruits' church: a plain gabled hall with a square tower built on the west end.

St John's interior was also typical of the First Fruits' churches: a relatively small, aisleless hall, with some Gothic features. The plain stained glass window bears the inscription: 'The Bread of Life'. The church is still in use, and is joined in a union of parishes with nearby St Canice's Cathedral.

The picture above shows the ruins of the medieval priory to the left and rear with the newly built church to the right. 

St Malachy's Church, Belfast

A stone's throw away from the hustle and bustle of Belfast's Donegall Square is one of the city's quaintest and most historic churches. St Malachy's is a wonder, unlike nearly any other church in Ireland. To passers-by its Tudor exterior might even suggest a medieval hall or as one commentator unkindly put it, 'a Victorian waterworks'! St Malachy's is, however, very much a religious building, one of the oldest Catholic churches erected in Belfast. Since its expansion in the late sixteenth century Belfast had been a largely Protestant town. In the nineteenth century its population expanded rapidly, primarily thanks to a thriving industrial sector. The successes of Belfast's industries lured a growing number of Catholics to the city from rural Ulster. By the 1830s the city was served by two Catholic churches: St Mary's, Chapel Lane, and St Patrick's, Donegall Street. However, these soon proved inadequate to cater for the burgeoning Catholic community, and a new church was needed. 

The early nineteenth century was a period of renewal and reform for the Catholic Church in Ireland. Now free to erect noble and more permanent buildings, many dioceses embarked on building cathedrals. Down and Connor, the diocese to which Belfast belonged, had initially foreseen the new St Malachy's as the diocesan cathedral. Thus grand plans were laid for the new building, which would be capable of accommodating some several thousand worshipers. Thomas Jackson was chosen to design the new church. Jackson, a Quaker born in Waterford, had made a name for himself in industrial Ulster, going onto design  Belfast Town Hall in 1871. The outbreak of the Famine in 1840 severely curtailed the original plans for a grand cathedral: instead the already built sanctuary and chancel were to be completed as a much scaled down parish church. 

St Malachy's interior was rather unusual in the fact that it was considerably wider than it was longer. This was of course because of the revised design: what we see above was originally planned as the sanctuary, giving some idea of the scale of the proposed church. To maximize the capacity the church was given galleries on three sides. The interior's crowing feature was its wonderful plaster Tudor roof. A favourite of the poet Sir John Betjemen, St Malachy's was chosen to receive a £3.5 million renovation in 2010. 

St Colman's Cathedral, Cloyne, Co. Cork

One of the earliest posts on this blog featured the diocese of Cloyne's Catholic cathedral in Cobh, Co. Cork. The splendid Gothic edifice towers over Cobh Harbour, and is surely one of Ireland's most glorious ecclesiastical buildings. Less well-known, however, is the Church of Ireland cathedral, situated in the village of Cloyne, some ten or so miles to the east. This more venerable building is also dedicated to the local saint, Colman. Cloyne has an ancient ecclesiastical heritage dating back to the sixth century when St Colman founded a monastery there. While virtually nothing survives from the Early Christian period in the cathedral itself, the wonderful and relatively intact round tower bordering the cathedral still stands. The monastery and cathedral church were ransacked by Viking raiders on separate occasions in the ninth century. The cathedral itself eventually was essentially rebuilt in the late thirteenth century.

To the right of the cathedral stands the ancient round tower. The round tower at Cloyne is slightly different from most Irish round towers in that its top is not conical but rather is adorned with battlements. This change came as a result of an eighteenth alteration in which the round tower was used as the cathedral's bell tower.

The cathedral's interior is relatively simple: an aisleless nave and chancel with trancepts to the north and south. Much of what can been above was as a result of significant alterations that took place throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Typical of most rural Church of Ireland cathedrals, St Colmans is small, simple, uncomplicated yet dignified and graceful. It contains a monument to its most famous incumbent: the philosopher, George Berkeley (1685-1753).

Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church, Belfast, Co. Antrim

Carlisle Circus is located to the north-west of Belfast city centre. Resembling more a modern day roundabout and flanked mostly by modern buildings, the area suffered badly during the Blitz of 1941. It does, however, contain one building of outstanding beauty and historical importance: the Carlisle Memorial Methodist Church. The church owes much of its history to a Belfast merchant, James Carlisle. Carlisle, who came humble origins in Co. Derry, made his fortune in the building and linen trades. He and his wife had two children, Mary, born 1840, and James, born 1852. Tragically both died, in 1874 and 1870 respectively. Stricken by grief Carlisle decided to erect a church as a fitting tribute to their memory. To do so he employed the services of William Henry Lynn, a local architect who had worked extensively throughout the United Kingdom. Lynn's commissions were primarily in the Gothic style, which was to be case for Carlisle's new church. Building commenced in 1875, and took only little over one year to be completed. It could seat over 1,000 people, unusually large for many Methodist churches, and was designed in the Gothic style, with transepts and a tall decorated spire. Its imposing appearance was enhanced by the use of local granite and sandstone, giving it a bright red look. 

Here is a view of the church before the erection of the adjoining Sunday school.

A view of the church's interior looking towards the chancel.

Like many inner city churches, Carlisle Memorial was a victim of shifting demographic patterns in the post-war period. While in many cities church closures came as a result of large swathes of the population leaving city centres for new suburbs. In the case of Carlisle Memorial the reasons were, however, a little different. Situated in north-west Belfast, it was located in an 'interface area', bordering both Catholic and Protestant populated areas. Sectarian violence led to a decline in the local Protestant population throughout the 1960/70s. This led eventually to the closure of the church in 1982. Initially it was thought that the church might be converted into social housing, but these plans went by the wayside. The church now lays in a perilous state, severely decaying. Hope maybe at hand though, with the church being placed on the World Monuments Fund list, with plans afoot to turn it into a 'shared heritage resource'.

This image shows Carlilse Circus, with the Memorial Church on the right and the Presbyterian, St Enoch's to the left. Erected in the early 1870s, it was one of the largest Presbyterian churches in all of Ulster. The church was lamentably demolished in the 1980s, having been the victim of fire. 

Holycross Abbey, Co. Tipperary

Readers of this blog, and indeed anyone enjoying an interest in Ireland's ecclesiastical heritage, may have already noticed a very clear difference the buildings of the the two main churches: the Catholic Church and the Protestant, Church of Ireland. Put at its simplest Catholic churches tend to be less venerable than those of their Reformed colleagues. Thanks to the spread of the Protestant Reformation and the expansion of royal power throughout Ireland the Catholic Church gradually lost the majority of its churches, with many being given to the new state church or indeed simply abandoned. Thus the vast majority of Catholic churches in Ireland are nineteenth or twentieth century, with a tiny handful of eighteenth century and earlier survivors. One of these survivors happens to be the glorious Holycross Abbey in Co. Tipperary, a rare example of a medieval working Catholic church. Founded originally in the twelfth century, the abbey that we see in the pictures here dates largely from a rebuilding in the 1400s. Home to a community of Cistercian monks, Holycross took its name from a relic of the True Cross that was held in the church. Indeed it was the relic that attracted the hoards of pilgrims whose alms helped pay for the splendid fifteenth century renovation. Falling gradually into a state of dereliction since the mid-seventeenth century, the abbey was finally restored in the 1970s. Having been designated a national monument in 1880, an Act of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament) was required to be passed in 1969 so that the abbey could be designated a Catholic place of worship. The subsequent restoration was completed in 1975, and the abbey was designated the new parish church.

Holycross was endowed by Donal Mór O'Brien, a Gaelic-Irish king of Thomand in 1180. Generally regarded as the last king of Munster, O'Brien had in his possession a relic of the True Cross, which he bestowed upon the newly founded abbey. Holycross was an abbey of the Cistercian order. Founded in the late eleventh century, the Cistercians were known for their strict observation of the Rule of St Benedict. In the sixteenth century the abbey was suppressed and given to the Earl of Ormond, Thomas Butler, thus commencing the ultimate period of decline.

This arcaded monument is most probably where the relics of the True Cross were displayed for public veneration.

This picture was taken looking west, from the chancel (where the altar is situated) down the nave towards the great west window. The church by this stage had been derelict for sometime, with burials taking place within the nave. The ornate monument on the left is called a sedilia. Literally meaning 'seats', sedilia was where the priest and his assistants sat during the Mass. A common sight in medieval churches, it was customary that they be recessed into the wall.

The view towards the altar and chancel on the left, with the entirely unroofed transept in the background. 

Old Dominican Friary, Sligo Town

Continuing in the vein of 'lost churches' I thought this week to feature the beautiful Dominican church in Sligo. Looking at the image below one might be tempted to ask the question 'why did it become a lost church'. A great many of the churches demolished in Ireland belonged to one of the Protestant denominations; this was due in part to the significant reduction of the Protestant population in many areas in the Republic in the twentieth century. This church here was of course Catholic, so that's one avenue that can be discounted. When Catholic churches were demolished, often in the late nineteenth or twentieth centuries it was because they were considered 'undignified', harping back to penal times. The image of the church below hardly points to towards such an explanation. One of the main reasons, however, for the church's ultimate demolition was that it simply had become too small for the growing congregation. Thus the final Mass was celebrated in 1971, with a new church opening on the site in 1973.  

This fine church originally dated from the 1840s. It was opened at the height of the Famine in 1848, a great tribute to the endeavors of the local Catholic community. In the early 1900s the church was enlarged, with a new sanctuary being added. A simple yet noble building, the church's most striking feature was the stunning wooden hammer-bean roof. However, it was partly due to the roof, ridden with woodworm and leaking, that led to the decision to erect a new church in its place was made. Unfortunately I have not been able to locate a picture of the original church's exterior. If anyone knows of one please let me know! 

Trinity Church, Catherine Street, Limerick City

To most passers-by, Limerick's Catherine Street is like many of the city center's Georgian streets, with it's noble terraced houses and wide streets. However, sandwiched between a terrace is one of Limerick's lesser-known religious buildings, Trinity Church. Trinity was one of the city's many Church of Ireland churches, but unlike most, it was not a parish church, but rather was a chapel for the adjacent Asylum for Blind Women. The church was commissioned by a clergyman, Reverend Edward Newenham Hoare in the early 1830s. Local man, Joseph Fogarty was selected to design the new chapel in the Classical style. Its impressive Greek style Ionic portico blended harmoniously into the pre-existing terrace. The church was opened for worship on 4 May 1834. It now functions as an office block, having been closed for worship some years back. 

The image above shows Catherine Street as it looked at around the turn of the century. When the church was closed a row of dormer windows were added above the pediment, giving it an irregular appearance. The church's interior was unfortunately entirely gutted when it assumed its present function, leaving little or no trace of its former past.  

Trinity Church resembled many Protestant places of worship in the period; an aisleless nave with flanking galleries. While the church could not be described as Spartan, in keeping with its Protestant heritage it was devoid of overt decoration. At its east end the prominence of the pulpit, instead of the altar, belied the importance of preaching and the Word of God in the early nineteenth century. As had been the case in Britain, Ireland had experienced an outbreak of evangelical fervor. The spread of evangelical Christianity had a very definite impact on the architectural landscape of Ireland's churches. The semi-circular apse to the rear, with its Victorian windows, was probably a later addition however, dating possibly from an 1895 renovation. 

Duiske Abbey, Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny

The small town of Graiguenamanagh sits peacefully along the banks of the River Barrow, on the border between counties Kilkenny and Carlow. It's name in Irish (Gráig na Manach), meaning 'village of the monks' points to its ancient monastic foundations. In the sixth century a settlement was founded by St Fiacra (St Fiacre to the French), before his great missionary expedition to France. It was a later monastic foundation, however, that the town became better-known. A new monastery was founded in the wake of the twelfth century Norman Conquest of Ireland, by the earl of Pembroke, William Marshall in 1204. The monastery was to be given to the Cistercians, and the early monks came there from Stanley Abbey in Wiltshire, England. The monks planned a monastery and church of vast proportions. The abbey, which became known as Duiske, flourished and had over eighty resident monks by 1230. For three hundred years the abbey flourished. The advent of the Protestant Reformation, however, proved disastrous, with monasteries and abbeys throughout Ireland and Britain being dissolved by orders of parliament. Duiske was suppressed in 1526. Subsequently the church and monastery passed into the hands of the James, the ninth earl of Ormonde. The church then descended into dereliction for a time until 1754 when part of the nave was transformed into into the place of worship for the local Protestant population. This arrangement lasted until the early nineteenth century, when a new Church of Ireland church was erected in the town. The abbey once again became a place of Catholic worship in 1813, which it continues to be to this day. 

From the outside the church could be mistaken for any large cruciform early nineteenth century chapel, with few immediate signs of its ancient heritage. The size of the church is, however, immediately apparent. The abbey church was the largest Cistercian church in Ireland, over sixty-five meters long. At the crossing (where the nave and transepts met) stood a great tower, which collapsed in 1744. It was never replaced.

The image above shows the church as it would have looked in the early twentieth century. The restoration completed throughout the nineteenth century produced a largely mock Gothic effect, with plaster statues, an elaborate high altar, and the highly decorated chancel arch. These fitting remained until the 1970s when a further restoration took place in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Duiske is one of the few churches to have truly benefited from restoration in this period, with the church being returned to its former Cistercian glory. In line with their strict interpretation of monastic aestheticism, medieval Cistercians promoted their own particular style of architecture, with their churches exuding an austerity rarely found in Catholic churches. The plaster visible above was removed to reveal the unrendered whitewashed stone, in keeping with the original design; Cistercians never favoured plastered walls and even statues and images were frowned upon, lest they distract the monks from prayer. A beautiful unseasoned oak roof was added as part of the most recent restoration, returning the church to at least some of its medieval glory. 

Above is an image of an archway leading to monastic cloister. 

St Thomas', Marlborough Street, Dublin City

Readers of my Great Irish Houses blog will by this stage have seen a number of examples of how Ireland's past has had an often devastating effect on our architectural heritage. While our great country houses bore largely the brunt of this suffering, our ecclesiastical heritage was not exempt from the troubles of the tumultuous early decades of the twentieth century. One of the churches most devastatingly affected was St Thomas's, Marlborough Street. Marlborough Street stands to the east of O'Connell Street, the area of the city which suffered greatest throughout 1916, the War of Independence, and ultimately the Civil War. The church was gutted by fire in July 1922. This fire was part of the much wider blaze that engulfed the Sackville Street area (as O'Connell Street was then known), causing wide scale destruction. The fire was as a result of fighting between pro and anti-treaty troops, in what became known as the 'Battle of Dublin'. While the church was not beyond repair it was decided to demolish it, leading to the loss of one of Dublin's great Georgian churches. 

The Church of Ireland parish of St Thomas was formed in the 1750s, being separated from St Mary's due to population growth. The new church was to be located on Marlborough Street, recently erected and named in honour of the great British general, the first duke of Marlborough. Construction on the church commenced sometime in the late 1750s and was completed by 1762. The church bore a striking similarity to St Catherine's, Thomas Street. Both were designed by local architect John Smyth in the Classical style. St Thomas' facade was said to be an exact copy of the Chiesa del Sanctissimo Redentore, Venice, albeit on a less grand scale. 

The church's interior resembled the classical Georgian Anglican church, essentially a rectangular space, with an aisleless galleried nave. Above the west door was a Victorian organ. After its demolition the parish was renamed St George and St Thomas', with a new church being erected in Sean McDermott Street in 1930. 

New Facebook page

Just to let everyone know that I've now set up a new Facebook page. The address is www.facebook.com/bygoneirelandpics. The page is now in the format of a business/organisation page but will have all same notification features and image galleries as before. By' liking' the page you should receive daily updates of new blog entries. As always your support is greatly received. Don't forgot that I'm extremely greatful for comments and feedback on any of the entries. Also if you feel that you would like me feature a particular building or site please let me know and I'll do my best! 

St Flannan's Cathedral, Killaloe, Co.Clare

The small town of Killaloe in Co. Clare sits alongside the River Shannon, some twenty or some miles upstream from the city of Limerick. Like so many of Ireland's more ancient towns, Killaloe can trace its history to the foundation of a monastic settlement. At Killaloe a monastery was founded in the seventh century by St Molua and flourished.This monastery was well-known as a seat of great learning. In the twelfth century a cathedral was erected there in honour of Flannan. Flannan, a name synonymous with County Clare, had been a seventh century abbot of the monastery at Killaloe and is regarded as the first bishop of the diocese of Killaloe. 

Above is visible the cathedral and town of Killaloe. On the right hand river bank is the village of Ballina, Co. Tipperary. 

The cathedral seen above was begun c. 1200. It was a large cruciform structure, possessing elements of both the Romanesque and Gothic styles. To the left of the cathedral is St Flannan's Oratory, a slightly earlier structure. Unlike the cathedral the oratory was not altered significantly over time, therefore retaining its typically unique Hiberno-Romanesque appearance. The cathedral itself was altered many times through the centuries. In the sixteenth century it became the cathedral church of the Protestant, Church of Ireland diocese. It takes its present form largely from a restoration in the 1780s when the tower seen above was added. 

The interior towards the chancel showing the long, aisleless nave. 

Above is an image of a twelfth century arch. The arch, which has subsequently been restored, is an excellent example of Irish stone craftsmanship from the period. The arches contain a chevron, zig-zag pattern, and are adorned with images of animals. The space beneath the arch, which was then blocked up, has once again been freed up, revealing a stained glass window. 

Church of the Holy Trinity Without, Ballybricken, Waterford City

The Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity Without stands to the north of the heart of Waterford's historic Viking/Norman centre, off Ballybricken Green. The present church was erected in the early nineteenth century, c. 1810,  and in many respects is typical of churches erected before Catholic Emancipation in 1830. Following a cruciform plan, the church could be described as a 'barn chapel'. These were functional chapels with few architectural pretensions, sometimes hastily erected, and often replaced later in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries when sufficient funds allowed for the building of more fitting churches. At Ballybricken, however, the church was enhanced rather than replaced, and while unpretentious in style, the church exhibits a noble simplicity. The west tower was added at a later date than the church building itself. The pinnicales that crown the tower have since been removed, but save for that, this view has hardly changed. 

Somewhat unusually Waterford possesses three churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity: the Catholic cathedral of the the Most Holy Trinity Within, Ballybricken church, and the most ancient, the Church of Ireland Christ Church Cathedral. The church at Ballybricken received the dedication of the Holy Trinity 'Without' as it was situated to the west of the ancient centre, beyond the city walls. The name in Irish is Baile Bhric-Ghein, meaning the townland of the tribe of Uí Bhric, a native Irish family. Throughtout the century the area served as the great meeting point between town and country. The green was for centuries a fair until the 1950s, when it was transformed into the city cattle mart. The mart itself ceased trading in 1977. The final image below shows Ballybricken Fair in the early 1900s.

As I have suggested before, many of the Catholic churches erected in this period were done with limited funds, often relatively small in size, built with a most efficient use of space in mind. While Ballybricken could hardly be described as small, it nonetheless conformed to the principle of economy of space, employing galleries in the nave and transepts. Galleries had the added purpose of allowing for the enforcement of strict social boundaries, with the 'better sorts' often having seats reserved above, while the poor stood below during Mass. The scene above is now rather different thanks to a re-ordering that took place in the 1980s; the high altar and reredos were removed, as were the galleries in the nave. 

Presbyterian Church, Henry Street, Limerick

This small church stands on the corner of Henry Street and Mallow Street, in the heart of Limerick City. Building on it started in 1899 and was completed by 1901. However, the city's Presbyterian congregation was considerably older,tracing its roots to the 1660s, when Scots settlers arrived in the city. A permanent chapel was erected in Glentworth Street in the Greek style in 1846, but for whatever reason the community sold this and relocated to Henry Street in 1899. The new church was built of red brick, in the Gothic style, not untypical of many Victorian chapels erected in the period. A relatively small building, it was nonetheless impressive, with bell tower, large rose window, and gabled bays to the north and south. 

The church closed as a place of worship in the early 1970s. The congregation united with the local Methodist community, whose church also closed, resettling at the modern Christ Church on O'Connell Street. The church, although still intact, is now used as offices, having served as a courthouse for a period in the early 2000s, while the city's main courthouse was being renovated. 

Christchurch, South Main Street, Cork City

The Church of Ireland (Protestant) Christchurch, or Holy Trinity as it was commonly known, is located in the heart of Cork's historical centre. While the present church was rebuilt in the eighteenth century, Christchurch is believed to be the site of the earliest church in the city, a Viking Norse foundation, dating from the eleventh century. Nothing remains of this church, or its medieval successor, save for a small section of the crypt. The church was badly damaged during the Siege of Cork in 1690. The siege was part of the wider Williamite Wars, when an army loyal to the Protestant King William III, defeated Catholic forces fighting for the rightful king, the Catholic James II. The church was used to forcibly house many of the city's Protestant population during the siege, Cork having been commandeered by Jacobite forces. 

The church had come under considerable bombardment during the city's siege, and was left in an irreparable condition. The decision was made to demolish it, which was duly carried out in 1716. Building on the new church commenced in 1718. The church was designed by local architect, John Coltsman, in the Classical Georgian style. A tower and steeple were erected at some cost, but were subsequently removed in 1820 as they were deemed structurally unsafe. It was at this time that other changes were made to the building; a new cut stone front, seen above, was added by George Pain in the 1820s. With its round headed windows, portico, and large pediment, it was spartan in appearance, resembling more an English non-Conformist chapel. As part of the restoration of the 1820s a new apse (the semi circular area where the altar was located) was also added. The scene of the image above looks a little different today; to the right of the church, where there once stood a narrow lane and building, now stands a beautiful park. 

Unfortunately Christchurch suffered the same fate as many urban Church of Ireland churches in the twentieth century, closing its doors for worship in 1978. The church subsequently was used as an archive for Cork City Council, but in 2008 became part of the the Triskel Arts Centre, who use the building for artistic performances. 

St Patrick's Cathedral, Skibbereen, Co. Cork

The town of Skibbereen is located on Ireland's southwesterly Atlantic coast. A small rural town, now with a population of less than 3,000, it proudly stands as the cathedral town of the Catholic diocese of Ross. Ross is one of Ireland's smallest dioceses, numbering only a handful of parishes. Its size has been a determining factor in its union with two larger neighbouring dioceses over time: Cork and Cloyne. In 1747 Cork and Cloyne became separate dioceses, each with their own bishop, and Ross was subsequently united with Cork in 1750, an arrangement that continues to this day. 

The new cathedral was located along the banks of the River Ilen and was built in 1826. It was a Classical structure with  a cut stone front. It was not completed with a bell tower or spire, but rather a bellcote was added above the pediment. St Patrick's was a relativity small building; a three bay nave with transepts to the north and south. The cathedral was bordered by a convent, home to Sisters of Mercy. Their chapel can be seen to the left of the cathedral. 

The cathedral's interior was essentially Classical, albeit with a somewhat irregular appearance, partially due to the erection of galleries in the transepts and the enlarged sanctuary, which sits behind arches and Corinthian pillars.  

New Facebook page launched

I've recently started a Facebook page. The address is https://www.facebook.com/bygone.ireland

The page's aim is to bring together the three blogs that I currently compile. The page will bring you news of new posts on all three blogs. It would be wonderful if you could check it out and maybe 'like' it or even add as a friend. Feel free to comment on entries and pictures; feed back and discussion is always appreciated. 

St Mary's Chapel of Ease (the Black Church), St Mary's Place, Dublin

In the eighteenth century the style generally favoured by architects and patrons alike was Classical. Indeed it continued to be popular into the early nineteenth century, with great churches like St George's, Hardwicke Street and the famous 'Pepper canister Church' at Mount Street being erected in its early decades. However, tastes were beginning to shift towards the Gothic, even by the turn of the century. When it was decided to erect a new church in Dublin Castle, Gothic, rather than the ever popular Classical, was chosen. After there followed a boom in Gothic church building, initially sponsored by the Church of Ireland, but later adopted by the Catholic Church and the smaller denominations. However, many of these churches differed greatly in both style and decoration, sometimes owing to denominational and theological differences. Some of these differences on the other hand were more to do with the architect, as was the case with St Mary's. The architect there was John Semple (1801-82), well-known for his innovative and eclectic interpretations of Gothic at Tallaght and Monkstown. Temple's 'Black Church' with its needle-like pinnacles and dramatic west front dates from 1830. The chapel's crowning glory is, however, its interior parabolic roof, in which the walls lean inward from floor level. The church was closed for worship in 1962, and is now used as office space. 

By the early 1800s the parish system that had served Dublin City since medieval times was in need of renewal. The city's population which had traditionally clustered around the old city to the south, and to a lesser extent in the three parishes north of Liffey, was fast spreading its wings and moving to new suburban developments. In the north of the city, St Mary's parish was to be given a 'chapel of ease' within its boundaries, to cater for the large number of its parishioners now living further and further away from its traditional core. The newly erected chapel soon became known among the public as the 'Black Chapel', as the calp stone used in building turned a dark colour after rain. A different explanation was remembered in the poet Austin Clarke's memoirs, Twice Round the Black Church (1962), that said if a person was to run around the church twice at midnight the devil would steal their soul! The church is also briefly mentioned in James Joyce's Ulyssees, Joyce himself having lived temporarily at nearby  Fontenoy Street. 

St Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny

The medieval town of Kilkenny boasts two cathedrals: the ancient St. Canice's, and the less venerable St Mary's. The nineteenth-century Catholic St. Mary's is the mother church of Ossory, a diocese which roughly corresponds to the county of Kilkenny, but with a number of parishes in neighboring Laois and Offaly. Like all Catholic dioceses in Ireland, Ossory found itself bereft of a cathedral in the wake of the Protestant Reformation; St Canice's serving as the seat of the Church of Ireland bishop. In the aftermath of the passing of Catholic Emancipation in 1829, moves were made to erect a permanent cathedral for the Catholic population, with a site being eventually acquired in James' Street sometime before 1842. The site was known locally as Burrell's Hall, and had housed a Catholic college founded 1782. The foundation stone for the new cathedral was laid by the bishop of Ossory, William Kinsella, in 1842. The architect chosen was Dubliner, William Butler Deane, who had lately designed the nearby St Kieran's College. 

St Mary's is a cruciform Gothic cathedral, in the Early English style. Deane's inspiration was said to have come from the glorious medieval cathedral at Gloucester. The most striking similarity is of course the centrally located lantern tower over the crossing and the harmonious continuity of design throughout.  The sense of continuity is somewhat surprising since building on the cathedral was severely disrupted by the Great Famine (1845-52), and was not opened to the public until 1857. The tower, which dominates the town's landscape, soars to some 190 feet. The cathedral was built entirely in chiseled limestone. 

The view from the west end towards the sanctuary and apse. 

Since the 1970s the cathedral's interior appearance changed somewhat due to changes in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. The most striking change was the introduction of a new high altar under the crossing. The new altar, a block of polished limestone, sits on a raised carpeted platform, and looks somewhat at odds with the surrounds. Fortunately though the main high altar survived unscathed. 

The organ and the great west window

Church of the Sacred Heart, Limerick City

When the Jesuits reestablished a community in Limerick in 1859 the bishop of Limerick, John Ryan, entrusted to their care the diocesan college, St. Munchin's; the Jesuits since their foundation in the sixteenth century had a long association with education. The college moved from Harstonge Street to the nearby Crescent in 1862. The Crescent was a late Georgian residential development, dating from the 1820s, housing some of the city's more well-to-do residents. In 1864 it was decided that the college would be relocated and that in its place a Jesuit church would be erected. Construction on the church began in 1864 and was completed by 1868. The church was to be dedicated to the great Jesuit saint, Aloysius, but the lately venerated Sacred Heart was eventually settled upon.  

When the Jesuits decided to open a public church in the city centre they chose local man, William Edward Corbett as architect. Corbett was responsible for many of the most important architectural works in the city in the period, leaving an indelible mark on its landscape. His new church was to be incorporated into the Georgian terrace, in as harmonious fashion as possible. The church was t-shaped, with a nave, transepts and a shallow sanctuary. In 1900 the facade was renovated, giving us its present appearance. The new facade was a three bay, two storey structure, constructed largely in red brick. The church's prominence was thanks to its central setting on the Crescent. Facing the facade stands a statue (1857) of Daniel O'Connell, the leader of the movement for Catholic Emancipation.  

The church's interior was essentially Classical. As the church was sandwiched in between a Georgian terrace, it had a narrow, but relatively long nave, and was flanked to the north and south by transepts. The marble high altar, made in Rome, was installed in 1876. The nave and sanctuary seen above were renovated extensively in the twentieth century. The apse was decorated in mosaics depicting the lives of Jesuit saints in 1938. The central panel depicts St Margaret Mary Alocoque and St Claude la Colombiere kneeling before the ascending Sacred Heart. The Jesuits continued to offer pastoral care to the city's Catholics until 2006, when due to falling vocations the church was closed. It was sold to a developer, and was due to be converted into a leisure complex. In 2012 the church was bought by the Institute of the Christ the King Sovereign Priest, an order dedicated to the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. The church is due to reopen to the public in the near future. 

Clonegam Church, Portlaw, Co. Waterford

The ancestral home of the marquis of Waterford, Curraghmore House near the village of Portlaw is one of Ireland's great country houses. The current house dates from the mid-eighteenth century, but was built on the site of an earlier medieval tower house. The de la Poer family arrived in Ireland in the twelfth century, as part of the Anglo-Norman invasion, and settled near the banks of the River Clodagh, some ten or so miles west of Waterford City. By the eighteenth century the family possessed the title earl of Tyrone, and were granted the current title of marquis of Waterford in 1789. As part of the major restructuring of the estate that took place in the mid 1700s, a new chapel was erected within the estate bounds. 

The present church, known as Clonegam church, was erected in 1741, and subsequently renovated in 1791. The church was affiliated to the Protestant Church of Ireland, the de la Poers having conformed to the established church in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in Ireland. It is a relatively small structure; a single cell three bay detached church, not untypical of many Protestant churches erected in rural Ireland in this period. 

On first view Clonegam resembles more a family mausoleum than a parish church. And in many respects this is true. The church and adjoining graveyard is dominated by monuments to the de la Poer Beresford family. A number of these monuments are especially fine, made of cut stone Kilkenny marble.

This monument dates from 1873, and is dedicated to Florence Grosvenor Rowley, wife of the fifth marquis of Waterford. The marchioness, as she was known, died in 1873 during childbirth. Her grief stricken husband commissioned this monument, designed by an eminent Austrian artist, Joseph Edgar Boehm. The monument, in Kilkenny marble, sits cleverly in a wall niche, and is lit by a skylight in the roof above. 

St. Aidan's Cathedral, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Upon reaching the town of Enniscorthy, travelers are met with signs tempting them to visit 'Pugin's Irish gem'. And in many ways the town's cathedral is undoubtedly one of Pugin's best-known works in Ireland. Pugin's most sizable work in Ireland, this Catholic cathedral dates from the 1840s. Upon the Reformation in Ireland, the newly formed Church of Ireland took possession of the ancient cathedral at Ferns, and from the sixteenth century the Catholic diocese was left without a mother church. Concrete plans for a new cathedral were first proposed in the 1840s, with the town of Enniscorthy, located conveniently at the heart of the diocese, chosen as the site. 

The driving force for the new cathedral was Bishop James Keating. Keating had chosen Augustus Welby Pugin to design the building. Pugin by this stage had already an impressive repertoire behind him, and was highly sought after. Pugin had connections with Ferns through his great patron, John Talbot, the sixteenth earl of Shrewsbury, whose wife was a native of Blackwater, Co. Wexford. This Gothic Revival church was reputedly modeled on the medieval Tintern Abbey in Wales. The church was a ten bay cruciform structure, with a tower and spire sitting over the central crossing. 

The ornate stenciling, seen here on the bay arches, was used extensively by Pugin throughout the cathedral. The use of color had been a common site in the medieval Gothic churches of Europe, and was adopted by Pugin in an attempt to recreate an authentic medieval church. 

View towards the chancel and south aisle