Newry Cathedral
The Cathedral of Saint Patrick and Saint Colman or Newry Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Newry, Northern Ireland. It acts as the seat of the Bishop of Dromore, and the Mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dromore. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, over 200,000 people visited the cathedral each year. The cathedral sits on Newry's Main Street and is a Grade A listed building.
The cathedral replaced St Mary's Church, which had been constructed by Bishop Lennan in 1789 and which, for forty years, doubled as both a parish church and quasi-cathedral, two bishops having received episcopal consecration there. Newry Cathedral, dedicated under the joint patronage of St Patrick & St Colman, was designed by the city's greatest native architect Thomas Duff; work began in 1825, with the basic building completed in 1829. Built of local granite, it was the first Catholic cathedral in Ireland opened after Catholic Emancipation.
Work continued to enlarge and beautify the cathedral at various stages in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: the tower and transept were added in 1888 and the nave was extended in 1904 under the supervision of Bishop Henry O'Neill.
History
Background
The See of Dromore was founded in the sixth century by Colman of Dromore, and has had its own independent jurisdiction ever since. The old cathedral of Dromore, which had been taken by the Protestants, was burnt down by the Irish insurgents in 1641 and rebuilt by Bishop Taylor twenty years later; the Catholic Church was erected later. In 1750 the seat of the cathedral was transferred to Newry, the largest town of County Down, situated at the head of Carlingford Lough.Securing the site in 1823
Bishop Thomas O'Kelly immediately after his appointment as Bishop, inaugurated plans for the building of the Cathedral. The old minute book of the committee in charge of St. Mary's, Chapel Street, tells of a meeting inspired by Bishop O'Kelly, in the house of Denis Callan, Mill Street, on the evening of Wednesday 7 March 1821, with Mark Devlin in the chair. The business of the meeting, at which Father Thomas O'Hare, ADM., was present, is recorded in the following resolutions:The deputation of leading Catholic citizens thus appointed duly visited Lord Downshire, for the Minute book later records that their expenses amounted to £6 4s. That they met with initial success seems unlikely, since two and a half years elapsed before the site was purchased. The original lease now presently stored in the episcopal archives shows that a grant of the "swamp beside the Mill Race, known as Seymour's Green," was obtained from John Johnson and James Coulter by Daniel Jennings and others, on behalf of the parish, on 20 September 1823.
Foundation stone
Details of the actual ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone are lacking. The Newry Telegraph records the fact that Bishop O’Kelly performed the ceremony on 8 June 1825.Under his successor, Dr. Thomas Kelly, work on the cathedral continued. Within four years, the fabric of the church was completed, and the dedication ceremony was performed by the Primate, Dr. Curtis, on 6 May 1829 at 12 O'clock. The dedication sermon was preached by Dr. Doyle, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. A contemporary writer referred to the ceremony as "the greatest attendance of Bishops and clergy seen for three centuries in the north of Ireland."
The Bishop's of the province dressed in Pontificals, walked in procession from the Sacristy to the Great West Door. After the Dedication ceremonies were concluded Solemn High Mass was offered. A collection was taken up by several Noblemen and Gentlemen to help defray the building costs. The sum of the collection was £141, 2s. 8d. The inside of the Cathedral was unfinished at the time of the Dedication. The galleries were also unfinished. Admission to the service was regulated by tickets at 5s. each. Upon opening the Cathedral was known as the Cathedral Church of St. Patrick. Locally it was known as the "New Chapel."
Second phase of the building, 1888 - 1890
The second phase of the building works was undertaken between the years 1888 - 1890. shortly after the appointment of Dr. Thomas McGivern as Co-adjustor under Bishop Pius Leahy. The arrival of a Papal Envoy suggested to Bishop Leahy that his Cathedral Church was not in keeping with the dignity of the diocese; as a response Bishop Leahy initiated the Second Phase of the building work under the direction of Bishop McGivern. The structural extensions carried out came to a cost of over £12,000. In 1888 the two transepts were added, the south transept being smaller than the north transept due to the mill in what is now the Cathedral garden. In 1890 the Great Bell Tower was completed and a new sacristy was erected. In 1891 a new High Altar was erected in the sanctuary in memory of Bishop Leahy. Despite the tower being completed in 1890 the peal of joy bells was not installed until 1898; along with the toll bell which had previously been on a temporary structure behind the church. The Joy-Bells were installed through the bequest of Rev. Bernard McAleenan, Parish Priest of Tullylish.Third phase of the building 1904 - 1909
The third phase of building works was carried out under the direction of Bishop Henry O'Neill, who was Bishop of Dromore from 1901 - 1915. Monsignor Campbell a future administrator of the Cathedral Parish states, "it is to the refined taste and noble ideals of Bishop O'Neill, perhaps more than anyone else, that the proportions and grandeur of the Cathedral, as we know it today, are due." the architectural firm for the third scheme was Ashlin and Coleman of Dublin. Denis Neary who at the time was Newry's leading contractor was appointed contractor.The third phase of the scheme involved extending the body of the Cathedral 40 feet towards Hill Street and approximately 30 towards Lower Water Street. The entire original facade of the cathedral was demolished and rebuilt in its original form following the extension of the nave of the church. The Sacristy which had been built behind the original Sanctuary, was removed and rebuilt as originally designed, to the North-East corner where it currently stands. The new sanctuary was panelled in marble and divided off from the side chapels by carved rood screens in Carrara Marble. Five new stained glass windows, the work of Hardman of Manchester, were erected around the rear of the Sanctuary. The entire walls of the church from floor to ceiling, the sanctuary floor, the floors of the side-chapels and the passages of the nave, were covered in richly coloured mosaics. When Dr. O'Neill undertook his work there were many who considered his plans rather ambitious given the financial constraints of Diocesan coffers. However, sufficient funds kept coming which gave encouraging hope and work progressed smoothly.
Generous sums of money was raised by the parish and diocese, a number of priests were appointed to travel further afield to other parts of Ireland, England, Scotland and the United States of America.
The mosaic work was carried out by Oppenheimer of Manchester. The Cathedral contains the largest quantity of gold leafed mosaic in Ireland. The sections of mosaic were put together in a workshop and were glued, face downwards, on strips of parchment. These were applied to the walls in a similar manner to hanging wallpaper.
A new tubular triple manual organ was built by Telford and Telford in Dublin. A new heating system, seating and other general church furnishings were added during this time.
Two years after the completion of this work Dr. O'Neill purchased the spacious grounds to the south of the Cathedral where a mill once stood; which was destroyed in a fire which threatened the Cathedral.
Cathedral Dignity 1919 - Solemn Consecration 1925
The great sums collected by Dr. O'Neill did not liquidate the cost of the reconstruction work. Though £30,000 had been raised, a heavy debt still remained. This debt was cleared in 1918 by the Most Reverend Edward Mulhern two years after his appointment to the See of Dromore. Though usually designated as a Cathedral, the premier Church of the Diocese ranked canonically only as a pro-cathedral, with Saint Patrick as its only Titular.At the instance of Bishop Edward Mulhern, the Holy See, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated 7 March 1919, raised the present church to the rank and dignity of a Cathedral. By the same decree the name of St. Colman, Patron of the Diocese, was added to that of St. Patrick as joint Titular aeque principalis.
The Cathedral of SS Patrick & Colman is one of the few church's in Ireland to be privileged with Solemn Consecration. With all debts cleared and the purchase of ground rents secured, Bishop Mulhern solemnly consecrated the building on Tuesday, 21 July 1925 - just one hundred years after the laying of its foundation stone. On the following Sunday impressive centenary ceremonies amid great jubilation marked the solemn occasion. At this function the Most Reverent Dr. Mulhern presided and over twenty Archbishops and Bishops were present including the Primate, Most Rev. Dr. O'Donnell, several Irish Bishops and also a number of foreign Bishops representative of five continents. The streets of Newry were tastefully bedecked with shrines, arches, bunting and papal flags for the occasion.
Features
The High Altar and cathedral sanctuary
Set in the cathedral sanctuary, the High Altar is the largest shrine, measuring 25 feet in height from the base to the apex cross. It is in gothic style with reredos gracefully turreted, it is mainly of Sicilian, Carrara and Statuary marble, relived by columns in Sienna and Verde Alpi with small panels in Porta Santa and onyx stone from Mexico. The Tabernacle is enclosed by a handsomely - wrought golden doors beset with coloured jewels. In the reredos two fine marble panels are shown - a sculpture of the Nativity, and on the Gospel side and on the Epistle side a sculpture of Christ commissioning the Apostles. On either side of the altar is a marble seraph bearing a torch. On either side of the tabernacle is as adoring angel, presented by Bishop Mulhern. Originally one piece it is now separated into three sections following the reordering of the Sanctuary to reflect the changes of the Second Vatican Council. The Altar is decorated with candlesticks bearing enamel figures of the saints; a crucifix to match rests on a marble throne above the tabernacle and bears an ivory figure of Christ Crucified.The High Altar was erected in 1894 in memory of Bishop Pius Leahy. It originally stood in the space where the current main altar occupies. The work was carried out by Messers Harrison and sons, Great Brunswick Street Dublin to a cost estimated to be £3,700. Charles Lloyd Harrison of that same company made the Pulpit depicting the sermon of the mount on the front panel. Formally the last supper depicted in Carrara marble occupied its place beneath the altar table. Presently it adorns the front of the new altar. Within the Main Altar are the relics of SS. Oliver Plunket, Malachy, Felicissimus, Virginia and Columbanus.
The Main Sanctuary offers a splendid and fitting setting to the High Altar. the lower portion of the Sanctuary walls are panelled in marbles - Levanto Red, Porta Santa and Paonazzo - while the upper walls are finished in gold and richly coloured mosaics exhibiting a variety of emblematic symbols and a number of angelic figures. Handsomely carved screens in Carrara marble divide the main sanctuary from the two side chapels of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph. The large cluster of columns are of polished stone - Newry grey and Balmoral Red, these stones are Finnish imports. The coloured mosaic sanctuary floor, in floral design, carries in the centre in front of the High Altar the Coat of Arms of Bishop O'Neill. Overhead hangs the sanctuary lamp executed in Sterling Silver, a present from Mr. & Mrs. John J. McArevey, Newry.
The clerestory walls in the sanctuary contain a vast quantity of gold and Blue Venetian mosaic work which depicts the objects associated with Christ's Crucifixion..
The Stained glass windows in the sanctuary which depict the life of Christ, the life of his Apostles & various saints and Missionaries. These windows differ from the German windows found in the rest of the Cathedral as they were made by Hardman a Birmingham company between 1908-1914. Only the centre panel was complete for the opening of the new Sanctuary. It is interesting to note the depiction of St. Therese of Lisieux portrayed without a halo as at the time of the windows' installation she was not yet beatified.