Re: Re: reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches

Durham is obviously the flavour du jour; just back from a short trip there myself (no photography allowed in the cath, gunter, so good for you). The impact of the whole building is astonishing (by the way, the nave piers are more or less replicated in Dunfermline Abbey), but the Galilee is really intriguing
As has been pointed out (by that opinionated Teuton Pevsner, no less), why build it there at all? It’s hard against the sudden drop of the ravine, so a west entrance on any scale is impossible and you need to approach it obliquely. Perhaps all church narthexes could be regarded as galilees and given some liturgical role, provided they’re big enough (e.g. as a formal gathering-space before services, or as the location of the early part of the Easter liturgy).
Intriguing as Durham is, Newcastle is fascinating – amongst many offerings from various architectural periods it has the sombre St Nicholas Cathedral, with its crown steeple, and the gloriously restored St Mary’s Cathedral, being revealed as a Pugin gem.
(And on a non-ecclesiastical note, the Baltic just proves the adage: impressive building, shame about the exhibits, and they’ve destroyed any character the interior ever had.)