2007 Dublin: Saint Patrick's Cathedral #7
From Wikipedia:
"Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, also known as The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick, Dublin was founded in 1191, is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals, and the largest church in Ireland with a 140 foot (43 meters) spire."
St Patrick is one of Ireland's most important and most loved saints because he was "Ireland's apostle", credited with bringing Christianity to the island's shores and to its people.
The cathedral is located just beyond the old Dublin city wall, adjacent to the famous well where St Patrick was said to have baptized converts on his visit to Dublin.
Unusually, it is not the seat of a bishop today, as Dublin's Church of Ireland Archbishop has his seat in Christ Church Cathedral, with Saint Patrick's being (since 1870) the National Cathedral for the whole island, drawing chapter members from each of the twelve dioceses of the Church of Ireland. Saint Patrick's is headed by a Dean, an office which has existed since 1219, the most famous holder being author, Jonathan Swift.
In 1192, John Comyn, first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, elevated one of the four Dublin Celtic parish churches, the one dedicated to St. Patrick, beside a holy well of the same name and on an island between two branches of the River Poddle, to the status of a collegiate church, i.e., a church with a body of clergy devoted to both worship and learning.
The new collegiate church fell outside the City boundaries, and this move created two new civic territories, one under the Archbishop's temporal jurisdiction. The church was dedicated to "God, our Blessed Lady Mary and St. Patrick" on March 17, 1192'
The basis of the present building, as noted, the largest church in Ireland, was built between 1191 and 1270, though little now remains of the earliest work beyond the Baptistry. Much of the work was overseen by the previously mentioned Henry of London, a friend of the King of England and signatory of the Magna Carta, who was also involved in the construction of Dublin's city walls, and Dublin Castle.
The tower (Minot's Tower) and west nave were rebuilt between 1362 and 1370, following a fire.
From the very earliest years there were problems with seepage of water, with a number of floods, especially in the later years of the 18th century, caused by the surrounding branches of the River Poddle - even in the 20th century, it is reported that the water table was within 7.5 feet of the floor. This situation ensured there would never be a crypt or basement area.
After the English Reformation (an uneven process between 1536 and 1564 but at St. Patrick's, effective from about 1537), St. Patrick's became an Anglican Church of Ireland Cathedral, although most of the population of the surrounding Pale remained Roman Catholic. During the confiscation process, some images within the cathedral were defaced by soldiers under Thomas Cromwell, and neglect led to collapse of the nave in 1544.
Under King Edward VI, St. Patrick's Cathedral was formally suppressed, and the building demoted back to the status of parish church. On April 25, 1547, a pension of 200 marks sterling was assigned to "Sir Edward Basnet", the Dean, followed, some months later, by pensions of £60 each to Chancellor Alien and Precentor Humphrey, and £40 to Archdeacon Power. The silver, jewels, and ornaments were transferred to the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church. The King designated part of the building for use as a court house, and the Cathedral Grammar School was established in the then vicar's hall, and the deanery given to the archbishop, following the transfer of the Archbishop's Palace to the Lord Deputy of Ireland. In 1549, it was further ordered that the walls be repainted and inscribed with passages from the scriptures.
In 1555 a charter of the joint monarchs Philip and Mary restored the cathedral's privileges and initiated restoration and a late document of Queen Mary's reign, a deed dated 27 April 1558, comprises a release or receipt by Thomas Leverous, the new Dean, and the Chapter of St. Patrick's, of the "goods, chattels, musical instruments, etc.," belonging to the Cathedral, and which had been in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church.
In 1560, one of Dublin's first public clocks was erected in "St. Patrick's Steeple".
By 1805, the north transept was in ruins and the south transept was in a poor condition; urgent work was carried out to the nave roof, held up by scaffolding.
In 1846, the post of Dean of Saint Patrick's was united with that of Dean of Christ Church, a situation which lasted in law until 1872.
An attempt at major restoration began under the direction of Dean Pakenham (Dean, 1843–1864), limited by poor economic circumstances. The Lady Chapel was restored, the floor (then raised several feet) reduced to its original level and other urgent matters were at least partly addressed.
In the mid-19th century, a Celtic cross was found buried near the cathedral. This has been preserved and it is thought it may have marked the site of the former holy well.
The major reconstruction, paid for by Benjamin Guinness, in 1860-65, and inspired by the fear that the cathedral was in imminent danger of collapse, means that much of the current building and decoration dates from the Victorian era; medieval chantries were removed among other actions, and few records of the work survive today.
Though the rebuilding ensured the survival of the Cathedral, the failure to preserve records of the scale of the rebuild means that little is known as to how much of the current building is genuinely mediæval and how much is Victorian pastiche.
The other great change for the Cathedral occurred in 1871, when, following disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, the newly-independent church in general synod finally resolved the "two cathedral" issue, making Christ Church the sole and undisputed Cathedral of the Dublin Diocese, and St. Patrick's the National Cathedral."
2007 Dublin: Saint Patrick's Cathedral #7
From Wikipedia:
"Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, also known as The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick, Dublin was founded in 1191, is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals, and the largest church in Ireland with a 140 foot (43 meters) spire."
St Patrick is one of Ireland's most important and most loved saints because he was "Ireland's apostle", credited with bringing Christianity to the island's shores and to its people.
The cathedral is located just beyond the old Dublin city wall, adjacent to the famous well where St Patrick was said to have baptized converts on his visit to Dublin.
Unusually, it is not the seat of a bishop today, as Dublin's Church of Ireland Archbishop has his seat in Christ Church Cathedral, with Saint Patrick's being (since 1870) the National Cathedral for the whole island, drawing chapter members from each of the twelve dioceses of the Church of Ireland. Saint Patrick's is headed by a Dean, an office which has existed since 1219, the most famous holder being author, Jonathan Swift.
In 1192, John Comyn, first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, elevated one of the four Dublin Celtic parish churches, the one dedicated to St. Patrick, beside a holy well of the same name and on an island between two branches of the River Poddle, to the status of a collegiate church, i.e., a church with a body of clergy devoted to both worship and learning.
The new collegiate church fell outside the City boundaries, and this move created two new civic territories, one under the Archbishop's temporal jurisdiction. The church was dedicated to "God, our Blessed Lady Mary and St. Patrick" on March 17, 1192'
The basis of the present building, as noted, the largest church in Ireland, was built between 1191 and 1270, though little now remains of the earliest work beyond the Baptistry. Much of the work was overseen by the previously mentioned Henry of London, a friend of the King of England and signatory of the Magna Carta, who was also involved in the construction of Dublin's city walls, and Dublin Castle.
The tower (Minot's Tower) and west nave were rebuilt between 1362 and 1370, following a fire.
From the very earliest years there were problems with seepage of water, with a number of floods, especially in the later years of the 18th century, caused by the surrounding branches of the River Poddle - even in the 20th century, it is reported that the water table was within 7.5 feet of the floor. This situation ensured there would never be a crypt or basement area.
After the English Reformation (an uneven process between 1536 and 1564 but at St. Patrick's, effective from about 1537), St. Patrick's became an Anglican Church of Ireland Cathedral, although most of the population of the surrounding Pale remained Roman Catholic. During the confiscation process, some images within the cathedral were defaced by soldiers under Thomas Cromwell, and neglect led to collapse of the nave in 1544.
Under King Edward VI, St. Patrick's Cathedral was formally suppressed, and the building demoted back to the status of parish church. On April 25, 1547, a pension of 200 marks sterling was assigned to "Sir Edward Basnet", the Dean, followed, some months later, by pensions of £60 each to Chancellor Alien and Precentor Humphrey, and £40 to Archdeacon Power. The silver, jewels, and ornaments were transferred to the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church. The King designated part of the building for use as a court house, and the Cathedral Grammar School was established in the then vicar's hall, and the deanery given to the archbishop, following the transfer of the Archbishop's Palace to the Lord Deputy of Ireland. In 1549, it was further ordered that the walls be repainted and inscribed with passages from the scriptures.
In 1555 a charter of the joint monarchs Philip and Mary restored the cathedral's privileges and initiated restoration and a late document of Queen Mary's reign, a deed dated 27 April 1558, comprises a release or receipt by Thomas Leverous, the new Dean, and the Chapter of St. Patrick's, of the "goods, chattels, musical instruments, etc.," belonging to the Cathedral, and which had been in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church.
In 1560, one of Dublin's first public clocks was erected in "St. Patrick's Steeple".
By 1805, the north transept was in ruins and the south transept was in a poor condition; urgent work was carried out to the nave roof, held up by scaffolding.
In 1846, the post of Dean of Saint Patrick's was united with that of Dean of Christ Church, a situation which lasted in law until 1872.
An attempt at major restoration began under the direction of Dean Pakenham (Dean, 1843–1864), limited by poor economic circumstances. The Lady Chapel was restored, the floor (then raised several feet) reduced to its original level and other urgent matters were at least partly addressed.
In the mid-19th century, a Celtic cross was found buried near the cathedral. This has been preserved and it is thought it may have marked the site of the former holy well.
The major reconstruction, paid for by Benjamin Guinness, in 1860-65, and inspired by the fear that the cathedral was in imminent danger of collapse, means that much of the current building and decoration dates from the Victorian era; medieval chantries were removed among other actions, and few records of the work survive today.
Though the rebuilding ensured the survival of the Cathedral, the failure to preserve records of the scale of the rebuild means that little is known as to how much of the current building is genuinely mediæval and how much is Victorian pastiche.
The other great change for the Cathedral occurred in 1871, when, following disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, the newly-independent church in general synod finally resolved the "two cathedral" issue, making Christ Church the sole and undisputed Cathedral of the Dublin Diocese, and St. Patrick's the National Cathedral."