St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh (Church of Ireland)
The Cathedral Church of St Patrick, Armagh | |
---|---|
Cathedral of the Diocese of Armagh and Metropolitan Cathedral of the United Provinces of Armagh and Tuam | |
Diocese of Armagh | |
Clergy | |
Archbishop | The Most Reverend John McDowell |
Dean | The Very Reverend Shane Forster |
Precentor | The Reverend Canon Norman Porteus |
Chancellor | The Reverend Canon Drew Dawson |
Archdeacon | The Venerable Terry Scott (Archdeacon of Armagh) |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Stephen Timpany |
Treasurer | The Reverend Canon Bill Adair |
St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh (
Following Catholic emancipation in the 19th century, a new Catholic cathedral was built in Armagh, also called St Patrick's Cathedral.
History
Early history of the site
The cathedral was historically the
By the 7th century, it had become the most important monastery and monastic school in the north of Ireland,[4] and monastic settlement grew up around it.
Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, visited Armagh in 1004, acknowledging it as the head cathedral of Ireland and bestowing it a large sum of gold. Brian was buried at Armagh cathedral after his death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.[5] Armagh's claim to the primacy of Ireland was formally acknowledged at the Synod of Ráth Breasail in 1111.[4]
The church itself was partially destroyed and rebuilt 17 times. It was renovated and restored under Dean Eoghan McCawell (1505–1549), having suffered from a devastating fire in 1511 and being in poor shape. Soon after his death the cathedral was described by Lord Chancellor Cusack as "one of the fairest and best churches in Ireland".[6] However, by the end of the Nine Years' War in 1603, Armagh lay in ruins.[4]
The cathedral and its assets were taken over by the
Modern history
Following the Nine Years' War, Armagh came under English control and the town began to be settled by Protestants from Britain, as part of the Plantation of Ulster. During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, many Protestant settlers fled to Armagh cathedral for safety. After negotiations with the besieged settlers, Catholic rebels occupied the town until May 1642.[7]
The cathedral was substantially rebuilt between 1834 and 1840 by Archbishop Lord
Many other Celtic and mediaeval carvings are to be seen within the cathedral which is also rich in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century sculpture. There are works by Francis Leggatt Chantrey, Louis-François Roubiliac, John Michael Rysbrack, Carlo Marochetti and others.
The Choral Foundation, dating from the Culdees, and refounded as the Royal College of King Charles of Vicars Choral and Organist in the cathedral of Armagh, continues to the present. There are generally a dozen Gentlemen of the Lay Vicars Choral and sixteen boy choristers.
The
Notable burials
- Brian Boru (c. 942–1014), High King of Ireland
- Saint Ethnea, baptised by St Patrick, died around 433 A.D.; her Feast Day is 11 January
- Marcus Gervais Beresford (1801–1885), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland (appointed 1862). Cousin of Lord John Beresford
- Charles Frederick D'Arcy(1859–1938), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
- Lord John Beresford (1773–1862), Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
- John Baptist Crozierand his wife Alice Isabella
Organists
- 1634 Richard Galway
- 1661 John Hawkshaw
- 1695 Robert Hodge
- 1711 William Toole
- 1722 Samuel Bettridge
- 1752 John Woffington
- 1759 Robert Barnes
- 1776 Langrishe Doyle
- 1782 Richard Langdon
- 1794 John Clarke Whitfield
- 1797 John Jones
- 1816 Frederick Horncastle
- 1823 Robert Turle
- 1872 Thomas Marks
- 1917 G. H. P. Hewson
- 1920 Edred Chaundy
- 1935 Reginald West
- 1951 Frederick Carter
- 1966 Christopher Phelps
- 1968 Martin White
- 2002–2015 Theo Saunders
- 2015–present Stephen Timpany
See also
- Dean of Armagh, a list of deans
- List of cathedrals in Ireland
- St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh (Roman Catholic)
- List of tourist attractions in Ireland
References
- ISBN 978-1-905286-48-5
- S.P.C.K., 1932
- ^ Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006. p.80
- ^ a b c Duffy, Seán. Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia. Routledge, 2005. pp.48-50
- ^ Llywelyn, Morgan. 1014: Brian Boru & the Battle for Ireland. Courier Dover, 2020. pp.97, 240
- ^ The Church Among Two Nations. Published in Early Modern History (1500–1700), Features, Issue 1 (Spring 1998), Medieval History (pre-1500), Volume 6 http://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/the-church-among-two-nations/
- ^ Annaleigh Margey, Eamon Darcy, Elaine Murphy (editors). The 1641 Depositions and the Irish Rebellion. Routledge, 2015. p.92
- ISBN 978-1-905286-48-5