Brother Michael Augustine O'Riordan

[Chuck E R Law]

Catholicism was still a proscribed religion and suffering serious discriminatory disibalities.

Has anything changed?

To change the interior of a catholic church you still need the consent of people who have never been inside a catholic church.

[Praxiteles]

Even if not going inside, are they baptised?

[Praxiteles]

Catholics in Co. Cork at the end of the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th century were fortunate enough to be able to begin a building programme while Catholicism was still a proscribed religion an d suffering serious discriminatory disibalities. The churches I have posted by O'Riordan reflect a variety of parishes with a variety of financial possibilities. The most elaborate were obviously Charleville and Doneraile where funds were available from the local Catholic gentry or the benevolant Viscounts Doneraile. I do not believe that it is very fair to judge either O'Riordan personally or professionally on the basis of the constraints under which he worked.

So as to avoid confusion, I am posting the quote from a previous notice of mine in its full context!

[Chuck E R Law]

Hi all,

regardless of the architectural quality and whether the spectacles are rose-coloured or not, the cataloguing of O'riordan's work is a valuable exercise in helping the Irish Catholic church be aware of its history and story. Keep it up. (There's probably an EEC grant for it)

BQ

Brian, old chap, I'm disappointed to see you throwing in the towel and fraternising with the Italian Masons.

While you're finished cataloguing the Barns of Gussie Riordan why don’t you have a go at
The Bungalows of Jack Fitzsimons
The Dance Halls of Albert Reynolds
The Meat Factories of Larry Good Man

Let's face it, they have all made a major contribution to the architectural history of the Taigues

[Praxiteles]

But, who are all these architects?

[Praxiteles]

Ah! Finally, I have come across an old photograph of the Queen's Sqare in Fermoy, Co. Cork.

At the top, is the complex of the Presentation Convent. The schools are to the right of the main building, the chapel to the left. These were built about 1835 an O'Riordan may well have been the architect.

[brianq]

Brian, old chap, I'm disappointed to see you throwing in the towel and fraternising with the Italian Masons.

While you're finished cataloguing the Barns of Gussie Riordan why don’t you have a go at
The Bungalows of Jack Fitzsimons
The Dance Halls of Albert Reynolds
The Meat Factories of Larry Good Man

Let's face it, they have all made a major contribution to the architectural history of the Taigues

We should probably just stick to sacred ground to start with ..... but wait ......

BQ

[Gianlorenzo]

:)

We should probably just stick to sacred ground to start with ..... but wait ......

BQ

We are waiting.................

[Praxiteles]

The interior of the chapel of the Ursuline Nuns, Blackrock, Co. Cork, built to plans drawn by Brother Michael Augustine O'Riordan.

It appears that the convent has been sold. I expect that the chapel and its fittings was a protected structure. I do not know what has happened to it - hopefuòy it too has not been gutted.

Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) notes the following: "An Ursuline convent was removed hither from Cork, in 1825: it was founded in 1771, by the late Miss Honora Nagle, whose portrait is in the visiting-room, and is the original of all the institutions of this class founded in Ireland. The community consists of 35 professed nuns and 6 lay sisters, and is governed by a superioress, her deputy, and a council of six. At this institution many of the daughters of the R. C. gentry are instructed; and in a separate building about 100 poor girls are gratuitously taught and partially clothed. The convent has a demesne of 42 acres, and is an ornamental building, consisting of a centre and two wings, with a frontage of 350 feet. The chapel, which is in the east wing, is fitted up with simple elegance and ornamented with four Ionic pilasters supporting a pediment, on the apex of which is a cross, and at each of the other angles a vase. It contains a neat monument to the Rev. Dr. Lyons, who was many years chaplain to the convent".

[Praxiteles]

The Church of St. Finbar and the Holy Angels, Inchigeela, Co. Cork (1842)

[Praxiteles]

St. Mary's Church, Leap, Co. Cork (1848)

[Praxiteles]

Rosscarbery, Co. Cork (1820)

[Praxiteles]

St. Columba's Church, Douglas, Cork (1814)

[Rhabanus]

Hi all,

regardless of the architectural quality and whether the spectacles are rose-coloured or not, the cataloguing of O'riordan's work is a valuable exercise in helping the Irish Catholic church be aware of its history and story. Keep it up. (There's probably an EEC grant for it)

BQ

Congratulations to Praxiteles on a valiant endeavour to catalogue an important part of Ireland's architectural patrimony!

Keep an open mind, Chuckles. You may learn something yet.

I hope that EEC grant is forthcoming. This is worthy research. Bravo, Praxiteles!

[Praxiteles]

Church of St. James, Ballinora, Waterfall, Co. Cork (1831)

[Praxiteles]

A further possibility that needs a little research is the church of St. Joseph, Springhill, Glanmire, Co. Cork (1837)

[Praxiteles]

Another possibility is St. Moluada's church, Timoleague, Co. Cork (1821)

While retaining a classical nave, it would seem that a gothic chancel was added at some stage in the 19th. century.

[Praxiteles]

[quote="Praxiteles"]St Patrick's Church, Fermoy, Co. Cork

This church may also belong to O'Riordan's oeuvre. It was built in the classical style c. 1817. In 1847 it was extended and its interior and exterior was gothesized by Pugin and Ashlin in 1867.

Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of 1837 describes this church as follows: "The chapel, a spacious and handsome edifice on an eminence, was erected by subscription, towards which the late Mr. Anderson contributed the site rent-free and £]

With the gothicization of Fermoy church by Pugin and Ashlin in 1967 the classical High Alatar of 1818 was removed and re-erected in the parish church of Lisgoold where it remained untl fairly recent times. WHiile descriptions tell us that the central portion of the Altar had a painting of the Criucifixion flamked by pictures of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist, already by 1951, the picture of Our Lady (a copy of Raphael's Sixtine Madonna) seems to have replaced the crucifixion xcene and that of St. John the Baptist seems to have disappeared completely. Note that the medallions pained in the side recesses of the altar retable are similar, if not identical, to those in the chapel of the Ursuline Convent in Blackrock. Unfortunately, the whole structure was dismantled in the 1980s and has vanished.

[Rhabanus]

With the gothicization of Fermoy church by Pugin and Ashlin in 1967 the classical High Alatar of 1818 was removed and re-erected in the parish church of Lisgoold where it remained untl fairly recent times. WHiile descriptions tell us that the central portion of the Altar had a painting of the Criucifixion flamked by pictures of Our Lady and St. John the Baptist, already by 1951, the picture of Our Lady (a copy of Raphael's Sixtine Madonna) seems to have replaced the crucifixion xcene and that of St. John the Baptist seems to have disappeared completely. Note that the medallions pained in the side recesses of the altar retable are similar, if not identical, to those in the chapel of the Ursuline Convent in Blackrock. Unfortunately, the whole structure was dismantled in the 1980s and has vanished.

Yes, the medallions are the same as those in the Ursuline Convent, Blackrock. Those reproduced in these photos have retained the beautiful stencilling around them, whereas someone took to whitewashing the surrounding stencilwork at the Ursuline Convent.

May I ask why the Fermoy church was destroyed? Is there no functional society or board in Ireland which protects buildings of historical, cultural, or religious value which are in danger of demolition?

[Praxiteles]

One of the classical sources for Br. O'Riordan's serliana latar-pieces is the Temple of Hadrian at Ephesus which was built c. 130 A.D.

[Praxiteles]

Praxiteles has no doubt whatsosever that Brother Micahel Agustine O'Riordan was thoroughly farmiliar with Sebastiano Serlio (1475-1554) and his Tutte le Opere di Architettura e Prospettiva. A sample of the plates will indicate why Serlio is regarded as the one who revived the serliana form during the renaissance -even to the extent of its now being called after him:

[Praxiteles]

Furthermore, Brother Michael Augustine O'Riordan was also aware of a developpment made by Antonio Palladio to the the serliana form: Palladio gave depth to the central partition by raising the arch on two pairs os columns instead of the antique practice of raising it on two single columns. This can be seen in his High Altars at Ballyhea, Kinsale, and in the chapel of the Ursuline nuns in Blackrock.

Palladio's invention is clearly articulated in the loggie of the Palazzo della Ragione (1546-1549)in Vicenza:

[Praxiteles]

Praxiteles thinks that it is not to be excluded that Brother Michael Augustine O'Riordan was aware of the work of the Scottich Catholic architect James Gibbs, who had studied under Carlo Fontana in Rome, and his introduction of the serliana form into a liturgical context in his church of St- Martin's in the Field (1726-1729) in London:

[Praxiteles]

Only an ecclesiastical train spotter would want to catalogue the dreary oeuvre of this mediocre clerical draughtsman. This sad parade of nondescript buildings must have looked the poor relation when compared to the work of the Board of First Fruits of the Church of Ireland.

Praxiteles is inclined to the view that this appraisal of Brother Michael Augustine O'Riordan's work is poco istruito e meno fidabile!

[Praxiteles]

On a detail:

Below is picture of the bellcote on the old parish church (1812) in Chrleville, Co. Cork. Here we have the reversal of columna and pilasters and the contraction of Serlio's venetian window, the whole capped with an urn taken directly from him:

Also, an extract from Sebastiano Serlio's Tutte le Opere di Architecttura e di Prospettiva:

I shall also post a drawing of an urn from the same work:

And James Gibbs plan for the Octagon Room at Orléans House, London (1719):