St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick’s Cathedral stands on Sandy Hill on the edge of Armagh, a city long recognised as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland. It is the seat of the Catholic Primate of All Ireland and was built between 1840 and 1904 after the medieval cathedral was taken by the state church. The hilltop site was chosen because no Catholic land was available closer to the centre. Archbishop William Crolly began the project in 1838, collecting a weekly penny from congregations across the country. The original design by Thomas Duff followed Perpendicular Gothic lines similar to York Minster. Work stopped in 1847 during the Irish Famine and resumed only in 1854 under Archbishop Joseph Dixon. The architect James Joseph McCarthy changed the style to Decorated Gothic and raised the roof by more than six metres. Two tall spires of 64 metres replaced Duff’s planned lower towers, giving the west front a dramatic silhouette. Inside, McCarthy installed a hammer-beam roof with carved angels and a Caen stone reredos depicting scenes from the life of the Virgin. Archbishop Daniel McGettigan commissioned painted murals and a large pipe organ before the cathedral was dedicated in 1873. Visitors enter through the great west door beneath the twin spires and find a lofty nave with aisles and transepts. The Lady Chapel at the north side has painted murals and a stencilled ceiling. The east window holds stained glass by Earley & Powell, and the reredos fills the entire chancel wall. Outside, seven wide flights of steps lead up to the plaza in front of the cathedral. The surrounding hilltop offers views across Armagh and towards the Anglican cathedral on the opposite rise.