cathedrals historical ireland

A spectacular group of medieval buildings set on an outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale including the 12th century round tower, High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, 13th century Gothic cathedral, 15th century castle and the restored Hall of the Vicars.

Features include an audio visual show entitled "Strongholds of Faith", which is available in English, French, Italian and German as well as various other exhibitions.

Please note that this is a very busy site and visitors m...

The Church of Ireland cathedral (1749 - 1784) is spartan, dignified , eschewing human figures in its stained glass. The GPA Bolton Library is located in the grounds and contains the 18th century book collect of Dean Bolton.

The Catholic Church (1801 -1855 ) is exotic , almost alive with statuary dividing the aisles. Both are named for St John the Baptist and both vonvey a sense of Cashel's religious importance in the wall plaques commemorating Protestant archbishops and Catholic dea...

The cathedral of St Flannan, on the west bank of the river, close to the bridge, dates from the 13th century. It is a simple building without aisles but with north and south transepts and a low bell tower where transepts, nave and chancel join to form the usual cross. The church is of sandstone in a variety of shades. Immediately inside the entrance, on the right, a rich Romanesque doorway (taken from an earlier and, it is said, finer church on the same site) frames a window on the southern s...

Much of the Cathedral dates from 1633 when Richard Boyle, the Earl of Cork built it. However, the chancel arch and south transept windows go back as far as the 13th century. The church contains a fine tomb of the Mac Grath family dated 1557, and showing the Crucifixion, Ecce Homo, St. Gregory the Great, St. Carthage, St. Katherine of Alexandria, St. Patrick and some Apostles. It is one of the few cases where the figures are named on Irish medieval tombs. Not far from the tomb, and also at th...

This building was erected in 1831, two years after Catholic Emancipation, to the design of Dominic Madden of Galway in the then fashionable neo-Gothic style. The reredos or screen backing the altar shows paintings of the Ascension and SS. Peter and Paul, to whom the church is dedicated. The church is sited close to the Old Ground Hotel....

On Marlborough Street, you will find St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, the main Roman Catholic Church in Ireland. Built in 1852 it features a high altar by Peter Turnerelli, the famous Irish-Italian artist....

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...

Ardmore is the oldest Christian settlement in Ireland. St. Declan lived in the period 350-450 AD and christianised this area before the coming of St. Patrick. St. Declan's feast day is "Pattern Day" every 24th of July....

The fine stone tower is a remnant of the medieval Parish Church of Trim. Commemorating Dean Butleer, the historian of Trim, is a clock in the tower. In the porch there are some fine examples of ancient tombstones found by Dean Butler around Trim.

The present church is 87 feet in length; remains of the original chancel may be seen behind the East gable. Access is by appointment only....

The Cathedral was erected in 1831 two years after Catholic Emancipation. It was designed in a neo-Gothic style by Dominic Madden of Galway. In 1843 the church was placed under the patronage of St. Peter and St. Paul. In 1973 the sanctuary of the church was subject to major renovations. At the end of that same year, Bishop Michael Harty was the celbrant at the formal reopening ceremony....