Random Building
1817 – St. Edan’s Cathedral, Ferns, Co. Wexford
The original medieval cathedral was built by Bishop St. John in the 1230s. The building was burnt down in Elizabethan times and only a small portion of the ruins remain. Although Queen Elizabeth I of England ordered it rebuilt, only a section of the choir was restored. This was subsequently rebuilt again in 1815-17 with financial support from the Board of First Fruits. The interior was later “restored” in 1901-2 to a design by James Franklin Fuller but in reality was a near-total reconstruction, where timber fittings brought from Saint Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny. It has an impressive collection of stately wall monuments, including examples signed by John Smyth of Dublin.
Published April 13, 2011 | Last Updated November 2, 2020