cathedrals historical ireland

The Cathedral:

A monastery was founded here by St. Jarlath in the late 5th or early 6th century. In the late 12th century a Romanesque nave-and-chancel church was built. Fire destroyed the nave in 1767, but the barrel-vaulted chancel is incorporated in the present Cathedral. It was added to in 1312, and for almost a century served as a porch. Its outstanding features are the chancel arch of six orders showing Scandinavian influence in its ornamentation, and a very fine east...

Saint Canices Cathedral is one of Ireland's finest. Completed in 1285, it occupies the site of an earlier church and contains rich carvings, worked in both timber and stone, some dating from the 13th century. It was sacked by Cromwell's army in 1650.
The walls are made of local Kilkenny limestone with pillars of sandstone on the interior. The south transept contains the effigies of the Butler family. It has colourful stained glass too and everywhere the authentic air of a structur...

The Anglican cathdral on the main street contains a full length martial portrait of this same general, still brandishing his sabre. The cathedral tower, which survives from a seventeenth century church on the site, contains a bell cast from cannon used in the Battle of the Boyne. Colours of the Inniskilling regiments hang in the light and airy late Georgian interior.

Notable features are the seventeenth century font and a stone tablet to William Pokrich ( died 1628) with half the inscrip...

The town was founded by the Norse early in the 10th century, but by the end of the century of Irish under Brian Boru captured it. The O'Briens had already made it their own capital by 1100. In 1175 Raymond Le Gros took the town for a time, though he had to relinquish it shortly afterwards. But by 1200 the Normans were back again, and with few interruptions held it until the Confederate Catholics captured it in 1642. The Cromwellians took it in 1651.

In October 1691 the Williamites de...

An early Christian monastery was founded here by St. Colman Mac Lenen who died around 600, but all its buildings were burned in 1137. The cathedral of the present Church of Ireland Diocese was started around 1250, but because of much modernisation, comparatively little of this early church can be seen. The chancel has been heavily modernised; the chancel arch was blocked up in 1705 and removed completely in 1775. The east window was inserted in1856. The Cathedral's most famous Bishop was George...

Dublin is unusual in having two cathedrals within half a mile of each other, both belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland.
Christ Church Cathedral was founded in 1038 by Sitric Silkenbeard, the Norse King of Dublin, and the present building dates from 1169 when it was rebuilt by 'Strongbow', Earl of Pembroke. It was restored and 'dressed up' in Gothic style in 1871. The cathedral which in 1487 was the scene of the coronation of the pretender Lambert Simnel, contains Strongbow's tomb...

Built between 1870-75, this large French Gothic Revival church was designed by John O'Neill. The main spire planned by the architect was finished in 1992....

A Roman Catholic cathedral consecrated in 1874 by Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin. The magnificent stained glass windows were installed by Loblin of Tours, France....

Kildare Cathedral and Round Tower Kildare Cathedral stands on the site of a church which was burned in the 9th century. Succeeding churches were burned and the Cathedral was built by Ralph of Bristol around 1223. In the rebellion of 1641, Ralph's Cathedral was burned but towards the end of the century, part of it was rebuilt. The remainder was rebuilt in 1875. One of it's distinguishing features is the three light window, which depicts scenes from the three Saints of Ireland - Patrick, Brigi...

The original monastery was founded here by St. Brendan in 563 and it is here that this great navigating saint is buried. The earliest part of the present church dates to the 12th century. Its doorway is the crowning achievement of Irish Romanesque decoration.

It is in six orders, and has an amazing variety of motifs, animal heads, foliage, human heads etc. Above the doorway is a pointed hood enclosing triangles alternating with bizarre human heads, and below this is an arcade enclosi...