Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne

Cathedral in Cork

Cathedral, Cork,
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Sebastian “sebrem” B…

The Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Anne, also known as Saint Mary’s Cathedral, The North Cathedral, or The North Chapel, is a prominent Roman Catholic cathedral located in Cork. It serves as the seat of the Bishop of Cork and Ross and is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross. The cathedral’s name is derived from the ecclesiastical parish of Saint Mary and the civil parish of Saint Anne.

Baptismal records at the cathedral date back to 1731, with the original parish boundary encompassing areas such as Blackpool and Clogheen/Kerry Pike. In 1981, two chapels of ease to the cathedral became parish churches, while the Vincentian Parish of Sunday’s Well was reintegrated into the Cathedral parish following the closure of Saint Vincent’s Church in 2016.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1799 during the tenure of Bishop Francis Moylan, on the site of a former church built in the 1730s. The cathedral was dedicated on August 22, 1808, by Archbishop Thomas Bray of Cashel. However, the building suffered extensive damage due to arson in 1820. George Richard Pain was tasked with restoring the cathedral, enlarging the sanctuary, and creating a Chancel Arch. The cathedral re-opened in 1828.

At the request of Bishop Cornelius Lucey, the cathedral underwent significant extensions and renovations starting in January 1965. The internal layout was simplified and reorganized to align with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, with the works completed by 1968. Further large-scale renovations took place between 1994 and 1996, including the refurbishment of the tower and sanctuary, as well as the removal of the high altar, altar rails, and side altars. The lady chapel now features contemporary artwork by Irish artist Patrick Pye.

The cathedral celebrated its bicentenary in September 2008, and in 2017, a visitor center was established beneath the sanctuary, offering tours of the Cork Folklore Project’s exhibition and work.

Designed in an early Neo-Gothic Revivalist style, the cathedral combines sandstone with limestone dressings. The tower over the main door, added in 1869 and designed by John Benson, houses nine bells cast in 1870 by John Murphy of Dublin, which were restored in December 2022. The original wooden altar was crafted by Italian artisans in Lisbon.

The Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Cork!

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you!

Visiting Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne

Address: Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne, Cathedral Street, Shandon, Cork, Ireland
Duration: 20 minutes

Nearby Attractions

Similar Blogs