St John's Cathedral (Limerick)

Last updated

St John's Cathedral
Ardeaglais Naomh Eoin
LimerickRCCathedral.jpg
Ireland adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
St John's Cathedral
Location in Ireland
52°39′45″N8°37′00″W / 52.66250°N 8.61667°W / 52.66250; -8.61667
LocationCathedral Place, Limerick, Ireland
Denomination Roman Catholic
Website https://www.limerickcathedral.com/
History
Status Cathedral
Consecrated June 1894
Architecture
Style Gothic revival
Years built1856–1882
Groundbreaking 1 May 1856
Completed1882
Specifications
Tower height81 m (266 ft)
Materials limestone,
Administration
Province Cashel and Emly
Diocese Limerick
Parish Cathedral
Stone commemorating the construction and restorations of the cathedral. Stone at John's Cathedral Limk.jpg
Stone commemorating the construction and restorations of the cathedral.

St. John's Cathedral (Irish : Ardeaglais Naomh Eoin) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Limerick, Ireland. Designed by the architect Philip Charles Hardwick, ground was broken in 1857 and the first Mass celebrated on 7 March 1859. It replaced a chapel founded in 1753.

Contents

History

Between 1855 and 1861, the English architect Philip Charles Hardwick was commissioned to design the cathedral. At the time he was engaged in some work on Adare Manor. On 1 May 1856 the foundation stone was laid, and the building was consecrated in 1859 but remained unfinished until July 1861. The building of the original structure was undertaken by Patrick Kenna, Glentworh Street. Thomas Byrne undertook the later construction of the tower and spire from 1879. Construction of the tower was delayed by storm damage in September 1882. Following interior renovations, on 21 June 1894 the cathedral was consecrated by Cardinal Logue. A large portion of the original pews, memorials, confessionals, and floor tiles survive. [1] The Bishop's throne or cathedra was produced in Munich in 1894, [2] and has since been removed. [3]

Architecture

Hardwick was influenced by his time under Augustus Pugin, which can be seen in the Gothic Revivalist style of the cathedral. M.A. Hennessy adapted Hardwick's sketches for the tower, which was constructed between 1879 and 1883, with Hennessy adding 105 feet to the original design. The building is faced using local limestone. [1] The tower was believed to be one of the tallest in Ireland when it was completed. [3]

The overall architecture has been described as "severe" with minimal external decoration, and small windows. There is just one statue featured on the façade. In comparison, the tower and spire have more decorative adornments. [3]

Between 1893 and 1894, the interior was renovated by Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer which included a reordering of the sanctuary inspired by St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham. This work was undertaken by Walter Doolin and Messrs Ryan, Limerick. [1] The interior was again amended to take account changes relating to Vatican II. [3]

The altar is constructed using Limerick marble and features a carving depicting the sacrifice of Abraham. [2]

Restoration

The most recent restoration work carried out was in 2003/2004 on the roof and exterior stonework. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the city's original cathedral, St. Mary's Cathedral, being Anglican. The building was claimed to have the tallest spire in Ireland at 94 m (308 ft), but a modern measurement showed it is only 81 m (266 ft), shorter than St. Colman's Cathedral, Cobh. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spire</span> Structure on top of a roof, skyscraper or tower

A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are typically made of stonework or brickwork, or else of timber structures with metal cladding, ceramic tiling, roof shingles, or slates on the exterior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Patrick's Cathedral (Midtown Manhattan)</span> Catholic cathedral in New York City

St. Patrick's Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is the seat of the Archbishop of New York as well as a parish church. The cathedral occupies a city block bounded by Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, 50th Street, and 51st Street, directly across from Rockefeller Center. Designed by James Renwick Jr., it is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Hansom</span> British architect

Joseph Aloysius Hansom was a British architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style. He invented the Hansom cab and founded the eminent architectural journal The Builder in 1843.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster Cathedral</span> Roman Catholic cathedral in Lancaster, England

Lancaster Cathedral, also known as The Cathedral Church of St Peter and Saint Peter's Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It was a Roman Catholic parish church until 1924, when it was elevated to the status of a cathedral. It started as a mission church in 1798, and the present church was built on a different site in 1857–59. It was designed by E. G. Paley in the Gothic Revival style and is a grade II* listed building. In 1901 a baptistry was added by Austin and Paley, and the east end was reordered in 1995 by Francis Roberts. The cathedral is in active use, arranging services, concerts and other events, and is open to visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne</span> Cathedral in Victoria, Australia

St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Melbourne and the seat of the Archbishop of Melbourne, who is also the metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred Heart Cathedral (Davenport, Iowa)</span> Church in Iowa, United States

Sacred Heart Cathedral, located in Davenport, Iowa, United States, is a Catholic cathedral and a parish church in the Diocese of Davenport. The cathedral is located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River to the east of Downtown Davenport. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cathedral Complex. This designation includes the church building, rectory, and the former convent, which was torn down in 2012. The cathedral is adjacent to the Cork Hill Historic District, also on the National Register. Its location on Cork Hill, a section of the city settled by Irish immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney</span> Church in New South Wales, Australia

The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, currently Anthony Fisher OP. It is dedicated to the "Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians", Patroness of Australia and holds the title and dignity of a minor basilica, bestowed upon it by Pope Pius XI on 4 August 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral</span> Gothic Revival three-spire cathedral in Cork, Ireland

Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral is a Gothic Revival three-spire Church of Ireland cathedral in the city of Cork. It is located on the south bank of the River Lee and dedicated to Finbarr of Cork, patron saint of the city. Formerly the sole cathedral of the Diocese of Cork, it is now one of three co-cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Christian use of the site dates back 7th-century AD when, according to local lore, Finbarr of Cork founded a monastery. The original building survived until the 12th century, when it either fell into disuse or was destroyed during the Norman invasion of Ireland. Around 1536, during the Protestant Reformation, the cathedral became part of the established church, later known as the Church of Ireland. The previous building was constructed in the 1730s, but was widely regarded as plain and featureless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica</span> Church in Ontario, Canada

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada located on 385 Sussex Drive in the Lower Town neighbourhood. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.

Philip Charles Hardwick was an English architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh</span> Catholic cathedral in Cobh, Ireland

The Cathedral Church of St Colman, usually known as Cobh Cathedral, or previously Queenstown Cathedral, is a single-spire cathedral in Cobh, Ireland. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral and was completed in 1919. Built on Cathedral Place, it overlooks Cork harbour from a prominent position, and is dedicated to Colmán of Cloyne, patron saint of the Diocese of Cloyne. It serves as the cathedral church of the diocese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. W. Pugin</span> English architect

Edward Welby Pugin was an English architect, the eldest son of architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Louisa Barton and part of the Pugin & Pugin family of church architects. His father was an architect and designer of Neo-Gothic architecture, and after his death in 1852 Edward took up his practice. At the time of his own early death in 1875, Pugin had designed and completed more than one hundred Catholic churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Cathedral, Perth</span> Cathedral in Perth, Western Australia

St Mary's Cathedral, Perth, officially the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Perth, and seat of its Archbishop, currently Timothy Costelloe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St Stephen, Brisbane</span> Heritage-listed cathedral in Brisbane, Queensland

The Cathedral of St Stephen is the heritage-listed cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and seat of its archbishop in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. St Stephen's was only meant to serve as a temporary seat for the archbishop, and plans for a replacement were made with the Holy Name Cathedral, however the cathedral was never built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jakarta Cathedral</span> Church in Indonesia

Jakarta Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is Gereja Santa Maria Diangkat ke Surga, derived from the original name in Dutch, De Kerk van Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming. This current cathedral was consecrated in 1901 and built in the neo-Gothic style, a common architectural style to build churches at that time. The Jakarta Cathedral is located in Central Jakarta near Merdeka Square and Merdeka Palace, right in-front of the cathedral stands the Istiqlal Mosque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Albany, New York)</span> Historic church in New York, United States

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic church near the Mansion District in Albany, New York, United States. Built in the period of the 1848-1852, it is the mother church of the Diocese of Albany. In 1976 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio)</span> Church in Ohio , United States

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is a historic Roman Catholic church building located at 1007 Superior Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. Completed and consecrated in 1852, it is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Numerous renovations have enlarged and changed some aspects of the cathedral, but it remains essentially the same since its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Saint John and Saint Finbar</span> 1st Roman Catholic cathedral in Charleston, South Carolina (1854–1861)

The Cathedral of St. John and St. Finbar was the first Roman Catholic cathedral in Charleston, South Carolina. The cathedral followed the first Roman Catholic Church in Charleston, St. Mary's, founded around 1800. Construction began in 1850 with the cathedral consecrated on April 6, 1854. It was destroyed on December 11, 1861, in a fire that ravaged much of Charleston. A new cathedral—the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, built on the same site-was started in 1890. It opened in 1907 and was completed in 2010 with the addition of the long-anticipated steeple.

Jeremiah O'Rourke, FAIA,, was an Irish-American architect known primarily for his designs of Roman Catholic churches and institutions and Federal post offices. He was a founder of the Newark-based architectural firms of Jeremiah O'Rourke and Jeremiah O'Rourke & Sons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan</span> Church in Monaghan, Ireland

St Macartan's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher in Ireland. It is located in the townland of Latlurcan, Monaghan town in the ecclesiastical parish of Monaghan and Rackwallace. It was built between the years of 1861 and 1893 and is the only Catholic cathedral in the county.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Saint John's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Cathedral Place, Garryowen Road, Limerick, Limerick City". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 "St John's Cathedral | Limerick.ie". www.limerick.ie. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "1861 – St John's Cathedral, Limerick". Archiseek - Irish Architecture. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  4. Jacques, Alan (10 July 2014). "St John's Cathedral in Limerick is cut down to size". Limerick Post Newspaper. Retrieved 5 November 2020.