Praxiteles
Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Ah, Michael, place not thy trust in princes such as the Irish National Heritage to salvage the few remaining vestiges from the wreck of vandalism and hooliganism. Only the other day, I saw a report in the newspapers on a court case involving the M3 (I think) and Tara and could hardly believe my ears to ghear some whipper snapper of a barrister argue that the State had not duty towards the heritage of the country. What then of all the vesting that went on to put national monuments under the Board of Works? Or was that, perghaps, just an explanation?
Ah, Michael, go post haste. The grim reaper has struck and I am afraid that not much of Kilrush will be left before very long. Up to recently, there was a decision published by An Bord Planala which overturned their own inspector’s report which recommended not granting planning permission. I wonder how or why something as strange as that could come about…….. Iwill try to find the link and you can the thing for your self.
The Canon in Kilrush who had an eye to architecture was of the same generation as Canon Dan Murphy in Charleville who staved off the destruction of that gem until oivertaken by old age. This generation of clergy knew something – most of the present generation know NOTHING about ANYTHING.
I all in favour of bankrupting a parish to build a decent church. It is an expense that can spread over several generations. If the penny pinching attitude was widespread in the 19th. century nothing would have been done and the taigs would be still be in their proper places in the back alleys.
The Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles, Co. Tipperary by JJ. McCarthy (1865-1872)
@Praxiteles wrote:
The Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, boasts of being Ireland’s only 19th century cathedral to have been built in the neo-romanesque style. Building commenced in 1865 to plans by JJ McCarthy who relied very heavily on North Italian or Lombard prototypes, modelling the facade on that of the Cathedral in Pisa, and, succeeding to some extent in conveying the spacial sense of the Cathedral complex in Pisa with his free standing baptistery and tower. The Cathedral was consecrated by Archbishop Croke on 22 June 1879. Archbishop Croke replaced JJ McCarthy with George C. Ashlin as architect for the remaining works which included the decoration of the interior on which no expense was spared. The ceiling, designed by Ashlin, was executed by Earley and Powell. The same company are also responsible for the galss and some of the sculpture work, the more important elements of which were executed by Pietro Lazzarini, Benzoni and Joseph O’Reilly. Mayer of Munich also supplied glass as well as Wailes of Newcastle. The most important item, however, in the Cathedral is the Ciborium of the Altar by Giacomo della Porta (1537-1602). This had originally been commissioned for the Gesù in Rome in 1582 by Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. The same Giacomo della Porta built the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica 1588/1590 and finished the lantern in 1603. The altar from the Gesù was acquired by Archbishop Leahy while in the City for the First Vatican Council in 1869/1870. Reordering work began here in 1979. The altar rails have given way in the face of a projection into the nave. Unbelievably, the High Altar has been dismantled and its mensa separated from the della Porta ciborium which is now relegated to an undescript plinth. The original stencilled work disappeared in 1973. As with Longford and the Pro Cathedral, the removal of the High Altar leaves the building without a focus, the present dimension and location of the Ciborium not being to the scale of the building. The temptation to hang banners in the apse has not been resisted.
It is difficult to ascertain the architect responsible for the current interior of Thurles Cathedral.
Passionist Monastery, Mount Argus, Harold’s Cross, Dublin (1862), and adjoining Church of St Paul of the Cross (1874) by JJ. McCarthy, sculpture on church facade by James Pearse.
Interior 1924
Passionist Monastery, Mount Argus, Harold’s Cross, Dublin (1862), and adjoining Church of St Paul of the Cross (1874) by JJ. McCarthy, sculpture on church facade by James Pearse.
Interior 1924
Church of St. Mary and St. Laurence, Ballitore, Co. Kildare, by JJ. McCarthy (1860-1863), foundation stone laid by Paul Cardinal Cullen who was born in Ballitore.
Church of St. Mary and St. Laurence, Ballitore, Co. Kildare, by JJ. McCarthy (1860-1863), foundation stone laid by Paul Cardinal Cullen who was born in Ballitore.
Church of St. Anne, Bohernabreena, Co. Dublin, JJ. McCarthy (1868-1870), foundation laid by Paul Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, and consecrated by his nephew Patrick Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney.
“The foundation stone of St Anne’s church was laid in 1868 by one of the most distinguished Irish churchmen of his time, his Eminence Cardinal Cullen who had been archbishop of Dublin prior to his appointment as the first of Ireland cardinals in 1866. To this day the people of Bohernabreena and surrounding districts have many reasons to be proud of this fine church which stands looking down on the peaceful valley. It was built in the thirteenth century, French gothic style. The exterior stone used in the building is granite which was cut and dressed on the Glassa mucky mountain between Cunard and Featherbed. All the work was carried out voluntarily by the parishioners. The stained glass window behind Our Lady’s Altar shows the Blessed Virgin on one side holding the Infant Jesus and on the opposite side stands St Joseph. The people of Bohernabreena remain very proud of their fine church which was built by their fathers and grandfathers.”
Church of St. Anne, Bohernabreena, Co. Dublin, JJ. McCarthy (1868-1870), foundation laid by Paul Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, and consecrated by his nephew Patrick Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney.
“The foundation stone of St Anne’s church was laid in 1868 by one of the most distinguished Irish churchmen of his time, his Eminence Cardinal Cullen who had been archbishop of Dublin prior to his appointment as the first of Ireland cardinals in 1866. To this day the people of Bohernabreena and surrounding districts have many reasons to be proud of this fine church which stands looking down on the peaceful valley. It was built in the thirteenth century, French gothic style. The exterior stone used in the building is granite which was cut and dressed on the Glassa mucky mountain between Cunard and Featherbed. All the work was carried out voluntarily by the parishioners. The stained glass window behind Our Lady’s Altar shows the Blessed Virgin on one side holding the Infant Jesus and on the opposite side stands St Joseph. The people of Bohernabreena remain very proud of their fine church which was built by their fathers and grandfathers.”
St. Patrick’s, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, by Jj. McCarthy (1870-1876), interior completed by CJ. McCarthy in 1889.
J J McCARTHY
[Extract from J J McCarthy and the Gothic Revival in Ireland, by Jeanne Sheehy, published by the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society in 1977.]St Patrick’s, Dungannon
The church was begun about 1870, and by 1871 was well under way. The contractor was Mr. Thomas Byrne of Belfast. The building was dedicated on Trinity Sunday 1876. The interior,
however, remained unfinished, and the High Altar, reredos, side altars, and painted decoration were added, to the design of C.J.McCarthy (who succeeded to his father’s practice) about1889. The church was designed to accommodate about 4,000 persons.St. Patrick’s is one of McCarthy’s ambitious town churches, not usually so successful as his smaller country ones. It has a nave with aisles, a chancel, eastern chapels, a sacristy at the south eastern corner, and a tower,whose base serves as a porch, in the north western corner.
The tower and spire are very tall, and dominate the building, which is fairly elaborate on the outside. The east end has two two-light windows, with a buttress between and a rose window above. There are buttresses clasping south corners of the east end, topped with pinnacles and crosses, and the sacristy, at the south-eastern corner, has a corner round tower with a conical cap. The west front, with a rose window set in a pointed frame, a canopied west doorway with a trumeau figure and carved tympanum, many buttresses, and the tall tower and spire, is no less elaborate.
Inside, the pointed nave arcade is carried on cylindrical pillars with carved capitals. The second capital on the south side represents earth, air, fire and water, and includes a monkey. There is an open timber roof, and no chancel arch.
The style is ‘French Gothic of the 13th century’ and the building material ‘the fine warm-coloured yellow sandstone of the district’ . This has been very roughly dressed for the outside walls, which, in combination with the quantity of ornament and carved detail, makes for a very fussy appearance.
Refs: RHA Catalogue 1870; Builder 4 March 1871, pp.166-67; Building News 23 June 1876, p.636; Irish Builder, 1 May 1889, p.115; UAHS Dungannon & Cookstown no.63, p.19.
St. Patrick’s, Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, by Jj. McCarthy (1870-1876), interior completed by CJ. McCarthy in 1889.
J J McCARTHY
[Extract from J J McCarthy and the Gothic Revival in Ireland, by Jeanne Sheehy, published by the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society in 1977.]St Patrick’s, Dungannon
The church was begun about 1870, and by 1871 was well under way. The contractor was Mr. Thomas Byrne of Belfast. The building was dedicated on Trinity Sunday 1876. The interior,
however, remained unfinished, and the High Altar, reredos, side altars, and painted decoration were added, to the design of C.J.McCarthy (who succeeded to his father’s practice) about1889. The church was designed to accommodate about 4,000 persons.St. Patrick’s is one of McCarthy’s ambitious town churches, not usually so successful as his smaller country ones. It has a nave with aisles, a chancel, eastern chapels, a sacristy at the south eastern corner, and a tower,whose base serves as a porch, in the north western corner.
The tower and spire are very tall, and dominate the building, which is fairly elaborate on the outside. The east end has two two-light windows, with a buttress between and a rose window above. There are buttresses clasping south corners of the east end, topped with pinnacles and crosses, and the sacristy, at the south-eastern corner, has a corner round tower with a conical cap. The west front, with a rose window set in a pointed frame, a canopied west doorway with a trumeau figure and carved tympanum, many buttresses, and the tall tower and spire, is no less elaborate.
Inside, the pointed nave arcade is carried on cylindrical pillars with carved capitals. The second capital on the south side represents earth, air, fire and water, and includes a monkey. There is an open timber roof, and no chancel arch.
The style is ‘French Gothic of the 13th century’ and the building material ‘the fine warm-coloured yellow sandstone of the district’ . This has been very roughly dressed for the outside walls, which, in combination with the quantity of ornament and carved detail, makes for a very fussy appearance.
Refs: RHA Catalogue 1870; Builder 4 March 1871, pp.166-67; Building News 23 June 1876, p.636; Irish Builder, 1 May 1889, p.115; UAHS Dungannon & Cookstown no.63, p.19.
St. Mary’s Church, Ballingarry, Co. Limerick, by Jj. McCarthy (1872).
By a miracle of providence the church seems to have escaped the ravages of vandalism and looks mostly intact.
St. Mary’s Church, Ballingarry, Co. Limerick, by Jj. McCarthy (1872).
By a miracle of providence the church seems to have escaped the ravages of vandalism and looks mostly intact.
