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.
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.
