reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches
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The statue of Our Lady in St Audeon’s is interesting. There was an article in 2000 in the Irish Arts review by Eileen Kane of UCD about it. It is an Italian work sculpted in Rome in 1848.
The statue is by Pietro Bonanni and was commissioned from the artist by Paul Cardinal Cullen while still Rector of the Irish College in Rome on behalf of the Parish Priest of St. Auseon’s. The contarct was signed 8 September 1844. The statue is based on Raphael’s Madonna del Granduca of 1504. The Parish Priest was Fr. James Monks but it was his curate Fr. James Corr who had recently returned to Dublin after ordination in Rome. According to the contract the statue was to be 6′ 9inches and the pedastal2′ 8inches and was to be executed within two years. The statue arrived in the port of Dublin from Leghorn on 14 August 1848 and was dedicated on Sunday, 20 August 1848. The statue is signed by Bonnani.
It is of course a major miracle that she did not end up in a junk shop in Francis Street!!
(See Eileen Kane, “From Rome to Dublin in 1848. A Madonna for St Audeon’s” in Irish Arts Review Yearbook, vol. vol 16 [2000], pp. 151-156)
@ake wrote:
St.Mary’s cloister- obscene
Is the cloister in St.Francis, Cork a proper cloister with four walks?is it public?
By the way on the topic of cistercians, does anyone have the book “Cistercian abbeys of Europe”, with photographs by Henri Gaud?
I really think cloisters are a sad absence in modern churches, notwithstanding their monastic function. For example in the medieval cathedrals of England, it is truly sublime to wander around a quiet cloiser garth when visiting the church… I believe there is a similar survival in Adare but I’ve never been
St.Audeon’s: Damn Christmas tree was blocking the altar. I really don’t agree with trees in churches, call me scrooge
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[ATTACH]4017[/ATTACH]Che bella Madonna! Assolutamente spaventosa.
@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Francis, Liberty Street, Cork
I particularly appreciate the symbolism of the facade of St Francis, Liberty Street.
The main portal is divided by five Roman arches – each representative of the five wounds of the stigmata borne by St Francis. Note the seven arches above these: the seven sacraments of the New Law – those outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace and participation in His Paschal Mystery. The Paschal Mystery itself is proclaimed strikingly near the top of the facade in the form of the Cross of San Damiano. This is the crucifix before which St Francis was praying when he heard the voice of Christ bid him “Francis, restore my Church.” Thinking that the voice meant for him to restore the crumbling church of san Damiano, Francis at once set about gathering stones to repair the church building. He came to understand, however, that the invitation was more daunting: Francis was to play a crucial role, along with St Dominic, in the revival of Catholic practice in thirteenth-century Europe and beyond.
I need not mention that Francis, although a genuine lover of God’s creatures, did not mar his architectural surroundings by designing and planting weird gardens with odd-looking lawn gnomes and other pests. He had the work of the Church to do: preaching the Gospel in season and out of season, living the ascetic life, practising penance, engaging in works of charity. In other words Francis built up the Church by caring for the living stones who comprise the Church. The pope of the day, Innocent III (reigned 1198-1216), had the wisdom and grace to recognise in Dominic and Francis the zeal of true Catholic Christian working under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The facade of the Church of St Francis, Liberty Street, is an eloquent sermon in brick and mortar. It delivers a compelling catechesis before the visitor even sets foot inside the door.
@Praxiteles wrote:
The Church of the Descent of the Holy Ghost, Dennehy’s Cross, Cork, built in 1957.
Not sure I like the figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary being off-centre in the apsidal mosaic. In the Pentecost, as elsewhere, Mary stands as the figure and Mother of the Church. The graces showered on her who is ‘full of grace’ overflow onto the apostles, disciples, and early members of the Church. According to the vision of John in Revelation (Apocalypse) 12, the Woman is surrounded by twelve stars – generally taken to mean the Twelve Apostles. Perhaps my vision is waning, but it looks to me as though Our Lady is off centre.
In the second photo of the nave, I note quite a bit of chit-chat going on. Is that usual now in Ireland before Mass? If so, it must be distracting to those who wish to pray quietly before celebrating the Sacred Mysteries.
Pardon, me – on closer inspection, it seems clear that Our Lady IS in the dead centre of the picture. I had not taken into account the angle.
How could I have suspected such a thing in the first place, one may ask? It comes from having witnessed firsthand the relief of Our Lady Mother of the Church on the West gallery of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC, where Our Lady is clearly off centre. One would scarcely get the impression that she exercises any important role in the life of the Church. She seems almost incidental to the life of the Church and not much of a conduit of grace.
Once you see something like that, you’re on your guard. Again, my apologies!
St, Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
We have seen some examples of the decay of the interior of the building but here is a view which shows how the sprawl creeping over the Great Island is now impinging on the exterior and general setting of the Cathedral:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
View of the North Transept
The gallery of statues under the window represents figures from the Old Testament. St Joseph, the last of the Patriarchs, David, Isaiah, Elias, Eliseus, Ruth, Esther Zachary, Elizabeth and St. John th Baptist -the last of the Old Testament Prophets.
@Praxiteles wrote:
St, Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
We have seen some examples of the decay of the interior of the building but here is a view which shows how the sprawl creeping over the Great Island is now impinging on the exterior and general setting of the Cathedral:
And its not over yet…. you can from this shot see cleared areas to NW. alot more sprawl to come here and all along this line going West and East. New sewerage schemes in progress to open all these areas for further housing. Lets hope the Bible gardens by Mount on NE of St. Colmans stay that way and church elders don’t get tempted ot sell off pockets ……
I am just wondering how the famous restoration Steering Committee can spend £ 4 million and at the end leave us with a dump. Just how is that possible? And are those responsible going to be held to account?
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
Some further examples of the decay of the mosaic floors in the Cathedral.
@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
View of the North Transept
The gallery of statues under the window represents figures from the Old Testament. St Joseph, the last of the Patriarchs, David, Isaiah, Elias, Eliseus, Ruth, Esther Zachary, Elizabeth and St. John th Baptist -the last of the Old Testament Prophets.
This confirms an earlier notice of mine that in standard Gothic architecture, the North Transept features OT figures (not tabernacles).
The relief of the Espousals of the Blessed Virgin and St Joseph (beneath the OT figures) looks quite good in this photo.
In French gothic cathedrals, time was divided between the North Transept which represented the past, and hence the Old Testament; the South Transept represented the present and was dedicated to the New Testament; and the West was dedicated to the future and usually featured apocalyptic subjects (such as at Cobh). or last juedements etc.
By in large that has been followed in the decoration of Cobh. The North Transept of the Cathedral is given over to Old Testament subjects but to the very last subjects of salvation History before the birth of Christ: St Joseph /the last Patriarch of the Old Testanment); St. John the Baptist, the last Prophet of the Old Testament; Our Lady, the last heoine of the Old Testanment.
This decorative schema, however, is chosen and conditioned because of the North Transept’s historical association with the Confraternity of the Holy Family. Hence, we have the marriage of Our Lardy and St. Joseph on the Holy Family altar; above are the Old Testament types of prohpets, patriarchs and kings; and above that in the lancet windows allagorical figures of the virtues of family life; and above that in the Rose Window, the Holy Family of Nazareth with an emphasis on the life of St. Joseph. On the south wall of the transept, high above the arch and facing the Altar of the Holy Family is a large statue of St. Joseph.
The decorative scheme of the South transept is equally coherent and concrete. The transept is dominated by the Altar of the Crucifixion since this area of the Cathedral is historically connected with the Confraternity of the Holy Cross. Here we have life size figures of the crucifixion with Our Lady and St, John flanking the dead Christ. St Mary Magdalen is at the foot of the Cross with the jar of ointment for the burial of Christ. In the gallery of statues above the crucifixion are Irish saints: St Patrick, St, Bridget, St. Colomkille, St Colman, St Ita, St. Brendan, Blessed Thaddeus Mccarthy. While the Crucifixion bears witness to the universal salvation obtained for mankind by Christ’s death, the figures above represent those who in Ireland and in the diocese of Cloyne have been its principal Confessors and are responsible for making that salvation available to the Irish and the faithful in the diocese of Cloyne. Above that, we have the series of lancet windows illustrating various figures from the Old Testament involved with water and its symbolic association with access to the New Creation of water and the Holy Spirit through Baptism. Hence, the salvati8on obtained on the Cross by Christ and made available through the unbroken line of saints and Confessors is also available NOW through Baptism. The theme is carried on in the Rose WIndow with the depiction of Our Lady as the Stella Maris or Star of the Sea – indicating that she is the sure guide to Christ and the protectress of those who seek her Son.
As to the unbroken line of Confessors, this theme is continued on the lateral panels of the Crucifixion with the line of succession of all the bishops of Cloyne from St. Coleman to the present. The tree of succession begins in the South Transept and continues on the lateral panels of the Altar of the Holy Family in the North Transept
@Praxiteles wrote:
St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork
Some further examples of the decay of the mosaic floors in the Cathedral.
Am in correct in saying that this is where the seats are turned the wrong way and countersunk mat should be at top of aisle if the were in the correct orientation.
As to state of floor… after 4m spent.. scandalous…
They are lucky that so far no one has tripped and sued them… any where else would have Health & Safety on them…..
Would you not think they have enough legal bills without running risk of a claim regardless of how it reflects on their stewardship…
The seating in teh North (and South) transept has recently been “re-oriented”. According to the logic of the Cathedral plan, any seats in the north or south transepts should be oriented towards the East, in tandem with the nave seating. However, some genius developed the ieda of orienting the seating in the transepts to face the central nave (i.e. to have the seating facing South and North)). This is a complete absurdity and in some measure responsible for the decay of the walkway mosaics.
I would agree that it would be helpful were the Health and Safety people to interest themselves in this matter. Does anyone have contact details for them?
Re. # 2152 above what you see in pics 1,2, and 4 is damage to the original mosaic floor. This is the most worrying aspect, these tiles are irreplaceable in that they were made for this particular floor more than 100 years ago. The Steering Committee and the Trust company know this and have done nothing whatsoever to stop the rot.
Pic 3. is the new strip of mosaic laid when the new floor was installed. These new tiles are lifting all over the Cathedral and presumably as they are only c.9 years old replacing them should not be too much of a problem. What is interesting is that the contactor who laid these has not been asked to come and fix them. If this work had been done in a private home and this was the result I suspect there would be court proceedings by now.@Gianlorenzo wrote:
What is interesting is that the contactor who laid these has not been asked to come and fix them. If this work had been done in a private home and this was the result I suspect there would be court proceedings by now.
There sure would be, if the contractor didn’t make good but in this case I wonder if he/she was even asked to fix them.
They most likely would as am sure they are using the work done in St.Colmans as a reference for ongoing tenders/work and would not like their name associated with un-finished symphonies….But if they have no even been asked due to the incompetence of the current management.. well…..
The Monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria on Mount Sinai
A link to an exhibition at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles of some of its early icons which are survivors of the iconaclasm unleashed by the Isaurian dynasty and which raged in the 8th and 9th. centuries:
Responsibility for the current mess in St. Cloman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork, rests with a body called the Cathedral Restoration Steering Committee. This committee is made up of the following persons:
1. John R. Bowen
Strange that such a cultured person would be involved with this lot. Spent a lot of money as sponsor of the Exhibition of Cork Silver and on the James Barry Exhibition during the great debacle that was Cork 2005.2. Brian Carroll
A solicitor in Fermoy, Co. Cork.3. Canon G. Casey, P.P., Doneraile
aged 71. It was during his period as Adm. in Cobh Cathedral that the brass bar was bolted to the back of the Sedilia.4. Dr. Tom Cavanagh
aged 76, seen here scrumming with the then Minister for the Environment Noel Dempsey!5. Ted Foley -extreme right of picture-
Our Ted is a Regional Manager with Allied Irish Banks in Cork and seems to have an interest in “cultural” and sporting activities. Teaming up with another “cultural” disaster (Cork 2005 Culture Capital) he came out with the famous, if somewhat Hegelian, mouthful of guff that “Culture is rooted in the community…”. Enough said.6. Dean Eamonn Goold, PP, Midleton
7. Fr. Jim Killeen
The guffy press spokesperson for the invisible bishop Magee.8. Denis O’Callaghan, P.P., Mallow
Aged 77, a well known contributor of popular wisdom to the local newspapers and former future bishop with no obvious specialization in art or architecture and definitely not a subscriber to Apollo.9. James O’Donnell, P.P., Macroom
10. Donal O’Mahony, Adm., Cobh
11. Denis Reidy, P.P., Carrigtwohill
aged 72.12. Frank Walley
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