St Mel's Cathedral, Longford
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Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.-Geographic remit:The diocese is spread over parts of seven counties in the centre of Ireland. It includes almost all of County Longford, half of County Leitrim and parts of counties Westmeath, Offaly, Cavan, Roscommon...
, located in the town of Longford
Longford
Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 7,622 according to the 2006 census. Approximately one third of the county's population resides in the town. Longford town is also the biggest town in the county...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has been considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands region, Longford's "landmark building" and "one of the finest Roman Catholic churches in Ireland". The cathedral is dedicated to St. Mel
Saint Mel
Saint Mel or Moel died in 488. He is said to have been a Briton who came to Ireland with Saint Patrick, his uncle, with whom he worked until he was ordained in Ardagh. He helped evangelize Ireland while supporting himself through manual labor. He is one of the earliest Irish saints and gave the...
(died 488), who came to Ireland with St. Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
and who was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
at Ardagh
Ardagh, County Longford
Ardagh is a village in County Longford, Ireland about from Longford Town. It is located off the N4 road.There are several important Early Christian sites in and near Ardagh, including the Church of St. Mel...
, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Longford.
On Christmas Day 2009, St. Mel's Cathedral was destroyed by fire in the early hours of the morning.
Design history
The cathedral is a Neo-Classical stone building, at the north east side of the town. It was begun in 1840 to the design of Joseph B. Keane, with the foundation stone (taken from the ruined catherdral in nearby ArdaghArdagh, County Longford
Ardagh is a village in County Longford, Ireland about from Longford Town. It is located off the N4 road.There are several important Early Christian sites in and near Ardagh, including the Church of St. Mel...
) lain by the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Armagh...
, Dr. William O'Higgins, on 19 May 1840. Work was then delayed by the arrival of the Great Famine, but the church was opened for worship by Dr. O'Higgins's successor, Rt. Rev.
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
John Kilduff, on 29 September 1856. The roof is supported by 24 limestone columns quarried at nearby Newtowncashel
Newtowncashel
Newtowncashel is a village located near Lough Ree in County Longford, Ireland. It is within the townland of Cornadowagh. Newtowncashel won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1980.- Brief history :...
. The 1860 belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
was designed by John Bourke, and the 1889 portico was designed by George Ashlin
George Ashlin
George Coppinger Ashlin was an Irish architect, particularly noted for his work on churches and cathedrals. He had an early association with leading architect E.W. Pugin.-Work:*Adelaide Memorial Church, Myshall...
. The cathedral was finally consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on 19 May 1893.
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.- History :...
studios designed the beautiful stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows in the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s. Ray Carroll
Ray Carroll
Ray Carroll, Irish sportsperson, born 1977.A native of Salthill, Galway city, Carroll was part of a four-man crew that set a new record for trans-Atlantic rowing in August 2010. His crewmates were skipper Leven Brown , Don Lennox , and Livar Nysted , their ship the Artemis Investments...
designed the 1975 furnishings including "The Second Coming" tapestry behind the bishop's throne. Imogen Stuart
Imogen Stuart
Imogen Stuart is a sculptor.Born in Berlin, she moved to Ireland in 1951. She was married for a time to Irish artist Ian Stuart, son of writer Francis Stuart.-Works:She works in wood, bronze, stone, steel, clay and terracotta...
designed "The Holy Ghost" above the baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
.
2009 Christmas Day fire
The cathedral was destroyed by a mysterious fire just after 5 am on 25 December 2009 (Christmas Day). The fire began at the back of the building. Freezing weather disrupted attempts by firefighters to put out the blaze as their pipes were frozen solid. The fire went on for several hours and at one point flames jumping sixty feet into the air were reported. According to Bishop of Ardagh and ClonmacnoiseBishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Armagh...
Colm O'Reilly
Colm O'Reilly
Colm O'Reilly is an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.The youngest of seven children, O'Reilly was born to John and Alicia O'Reilly in Colmcille, County Longford. His eldest brother, Peter , was superior general of St...
, who had celebrated Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass
Midnight Mass is a Christmas Eve liturgical tradition in the Roman Catholic church.Midnight Mass may also refer to:* Midnight, Mass., a Vertigo comics series* Midnight Mass, a 2004 novel by F...
in the building hours before the fire began, St Mel's Cathedral is now completely destroyed. He described the cathedral as "just a shell" and "burned out from end to end". Rescue efforts are underway to try to recover the steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
before it too is destroyed. The fire disrupted Christmas Day Masses for Longford parishioners, which had to be held in the local Temperance Hall
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
.
Initial investigations into the cause of the blaze have been hampered by the precarious state of the building, but the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
(Irish national police) have been conducting house-to-house inquiries in what a spokesman described as a "routine inquiry".
The estimated cost of the damage to the cathedral was . Bishop O'Reilly said that it will be rebuilt, with a fund beginning to be gathered in 2010. St Mel's Crosier, a relic dating from over a 1,000 years ago, was burned.
Gardaí began investigating the cathedral on 6 January 2010. They determined two days later that it had not been arson. Mass moved from the Temperance Hall to the sports hall and chapel of St Mel's College while the cathedral was out of business.
Bishop O'Reilly issued a letter to his 41 parishes:
One contributor to boards.ie
Boards.ie
boards.ie is an Internet forum based in Ireland. It is considered one of the largest indigenous Irish websites online. As of July 2010, the site has 365,000 registered accounts, more than 1,300,000 threads and more than 20 million posts...
summed up the devastation:
On 18 September 2011, the cathedral ruins were opened to the public for the first time since the devastating Christmas Day fire ripped it asunder, with thousands of people turning up to take a peep. The cause of the inferno had still not been determined at the time.