reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches

Here is picture of the pulpit in Pisa which is of kind widely used in Italy from the 1200s on. It can be compared with the one in Monaghan Cathedral – which has elegant Venetian Gothic arches on Solomonic columns.

Looking at the pictures Paul posted of Monaghan & I ask myself . . maybe, just maybe in a hundred years time from now, will there be people researching this thread in a effort to reinstate St. Macartan’s to how it was prior to its current & misguided attempt at modernization.

What did they do with the original Stations? these are atrocious!

Dum Dum Dum…Another One Bites The Dust!. . .

Re-opening of the Church of Our Lady and St Joseph, Caragh

Restoration Work

Fifty years have elapsed since the opening of the Church of Our Lady and St Joseph, Caragh. During this period dramatic changes have taken place in the established church and it therefore seemed obvious that if the church in Caragh was to remain a vibrant force and a focal point in the communitythat it should be reordered to ensure it is a building suitable for all modern liturgical requirements while also fulfiling all present health and safety regulations. It was therefore decided that the Church of Our Lady and St Joseph should be reordered and that the work should be carried out in 2010 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original opening of the church in 1960.

The building was designed by architects, Martin Murray and the physical work was by a team of architects and engineers working in close liaison with a small group of local advisors. The actual physical work carried out by the builders was preceded by a very big local team effort that took place in the week immediately after Christmas when everything was removed from the church and placed in safe keeping. The contractor, Pat Moore of Portlaoise commenced operations on 4 January and work was completed by early May.

To meet the requirements of a modern church and to make it more accessible to the congregation a number of significant changes have been introduced. These include in repositioning of the main and side alters and a creation of a large welcoming area inside the main entrance. New heating and sound systems have been installed, together with new floor surfaces and realignment of the stairs leading to the gallery. These changes are aimed at producing a spiritual and comfortable atmosphere in which the congregation and priest will be able to worship in close harmony.

Other structural changes included the creation of a new sacristy and the installation of community rooms, storage spaces and catering facilities. These community rooms are designed to cater for parish activities such as meetings of the pastoral council and various parish committees, choir rehearsals, exhibitions and social occasions. It is thus hoped that the church, will not only be used for the liturgy but will also become one of the focal points for the parish community.
History of Caragh Church

The original 1790 RC Church in Caragh was situated in the old cemetery in the village, approximately three miles from Caragh and served the community for many years. However during the 1950’s this old building was in a very poor condition and it was decided to build a new church on a site on the hill of Caragh donated by the Robinson family. This church was blessed and officially opened on 1st May 1960 by Bishop Thomas Keogh.

This gothic style Church has a 100ft high Anglo-Norman tower. This is capped with a slated pinnacle and is flanked on either side by a cone shaped chapels which contain the Baptistery and Mortuary which contain six small stained glass windows from the 1790 Church. The main door features Celtic moulding.

The one thing that still stands out for me in the cathedral is the wonderful tones of the pine benches and the ceiling, and the contrast with the stonework. The roof is simply fantastic.

It is a wonder that the ceiling did survive and that some of the more zealous vandals did not take pot-shots at it – as Will Dowsing’s mobs did in many of the churches of Cambridgeshire in an effort to shoot off the angles holding the hammer-beams.

Nope…. it lasted longest from the 80s reno with a statue of the virgin instead of the font, even the railings lasted until the 21st century.. but now it looks like this

actually I think I was baptised there

I have drawings from the mid 80s i did of the interior details including fonts, railings etc… must find them

How, BTW, did the two Holy Water stoups inside the west door manage to escape?

Otto Georg von Simson on Geometry, Music and Gothic Architecture:

http://www.danielmitsui.com/hieronymus/index.blog/1850497/geometry-music-and-gothic-architecture/

Also on proportion, see the Nurenberg goldsmith Hans Schmuttermayer’s Filialenbuchelin published at Nurenberg in 1489:

http://forschung.gnm.de/ressourcen/bibliothek/01_htm/inc36045.htm

The photograph above of the Baptistery is a clear example of just how badly wrong things can go when elements are introduced into a Gothic context without knowing or applying or indeed in complete oblivion to(which is to be suspected in this case) the laws of proportion and harmony not only of the building itself but of all its parts and in their interrelationship.

Praxiteles is aware of moulded plaster relief sets produced by Mayer of Munich from at least 1885. One set is to be found in one of the twin churches in Wexford – which still has the original wooden donor plaques on them.

Not sure about painted canvas sets but will investigate with them in Munich.

And here he is on Rose Windows:

On the Rose WIndow (2):

Someones been getting something off their chest. . . from http://www.mccamley.org/index/the-church-will-do-us-for-our-day-

The Church will do us for our day.
Posted by Christopher Mc on Thursday, March 25, 2010 Under: Church

The lasting legacy of Bishop Josephy Duffy

I’ve just been upstairs cleaning up my four year old’s vomit – I wonder was she reading the Irish Catholic.

Sometimes you think you can’t be any more shocked by the scandals and then you get a little more.

Front page of tomorrow’s Irish Catholic has headline “Irish Church is crying out for reform – Bishop”.

Oh, says I to myself, I wonder who this can be.