St.Paul’s Church of Ireland, Cahir
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I was briefly inside this church recently and seeing as there doesn’t seem to be much material on the net, none that I can find anyway, and since it’s an exceptionally fine building I thought I’d throw this up;
Designed by John Nash, it was consecrated in 1820 and fully completed by 1824. It has retained it’s original pews and galleries, and thus the original seating arrangements, which is rare. Later 19th century alterations include the organ at the top of the nave from 1896 and the alteration of the chancel and vestry; a separate vestry built on the back and the chancel pushed back into the original vestry space;
“Prior to the building of the present vestry, the area under the tower crossing contained a single liturgical three-decker arrangement of pulpit, reading desk, and altar table, with the font nearby”The semi circular line of the original rails can be made out in the tiles under the crossing. In the 1900’s a new pulpit, lectern and desk were installed, all fine oak carvings and in 1926 the oak panelling in the chancel was finished. There’s also good stained glass, none original, including one window by Ninian Comper, which along with the rest has suffered from vandalism, which has required the erection of ugly iron grids to protect the windows. Currently the interior is suffering from moisture and dampness, which apparently is related to a lightening strike which hit the spire, neccessitating it’s rebuilding. The radiators stuck onto the western gallery are unfortunate.
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Thank you so much for this post. I so nearly tried to see it the other day on my way from Cork but having stopped at the ravishing gothick cathedral of Lismore I went on to classical Cashel instead – which was locked alas.
Is the east window Clayton and Bell? Comper’s glass could be rather feeble but I so wish i had seen it. This interior is very fine. I so wish we anglicans had not followed our big sister in this mindless adoption of the westward altar.
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I’m not sure about the east window. The Comper glass is one of the aisle lights and is of a knight, but it has been vandalised and from the looks of it the light isn’t coming through the bottom half maybe they have something on the outside for some reason. If you’re really interested I might have more detailed shots of one or two windows. I have one of the east window.
The COI cathedral in Cashel, the beautiful exterior is the main attraction. The interior’s not the greatest, though I don’t know much about it, it looks like a Victorian alteration disaster, but it has some fine furnishings, and what appear to be early (possibly Georgian?) carved stalls at west end.
I have a couple of shots of it here, at the top of the set;http://www.flickr.com/photos/58086761@N00/sets/72157600340544167/
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ake: fascinating post – 10/10 for the photos and the effort. Why not a thread to counteract (in a friendly way) ‘The Reorganisation and Destruction…’ for the Catholic churches? A similar one on Church of Ireland churches would be fascinating for outsiders like me (although one perhaps in a less generally negative vein!).
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Yes you are correct. the tractarian influence was not always kind to irish classical churfhes in the C of I.
As you can see from you excellent picture ( for which renewed thanks ) they constructed a narrower Chancel behind the false arch within the easter section of the georgian rectangle and made lombardic romanesque quire aisles and a feeble apse.
Into the northern of these aisles the squeezed most of the contents of the historic west gallery organ. The stalls which you picture at the west end under the gallery continued along quite a stretch of the north and south walls of the nave. If memory serves me these were lost but they may have been reused in the new quire. The ceiling also is unpleasing. Of anglican classical cathedrals this once fine building is fatally compromised. Administrator of Cobh take note. Waterford although altered is sublime. Clogher is plain but not un-pleasing. The old classical cathedral of Cork was decent but unremarkable. Elphin is a ruin. -
nebuly: Your conclusions are almost elegaic… more on that vein, please.
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Here’s the east window; larger version here; http://www.flickr.com/photos/58086761@N00/2442211617/sizes/l/
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Rather fine – but for the slightly wearisome tabernacle work at the top.
Our Lord ascended in Dalmatic and Cope!! – I remain convinced that the anglo catholic influence was much stronger in late nineteeneth century irish anglicanism than is generally admitted.
Is this window Heaton Butler and Bayne? It seems much too fine to me – but not quite Burlison and Grylls and certainly not Kempe
I will try to find out – Nichola Gordon Bowe mwill likely know
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