St Canice's Cathedral
Encyclopedia
St Canice's Cathedral is a cathedral
of the Church of Ireland
in Kilkenny
city, Ireland
. It is in the ecclesiastical province
of Dublin.
Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Ossory, it is now one of six cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory
.
. It is dedicated to St Canice. It is one of only two such medieval round towers in Ireland that can be climbed to the top.
The cathedral stands on an ancient site which has been used for Christian worship since the 6th century. In the 1120s the see of Ossory was moved from Aghaboe
to Kilkenny
.
Following the English Reformation
, a new body was established by decree of the Irish Parliament to became the State Church
in the Kingdom of Ireland
. The Church of Ireland, as it was named, assumed possession of most Church property (and so retained a great repository of religious architecture and other items, though some were later destroyed). The substantial majority of the population remained faithful to the Latin liturgy of Roman Catholicism, despite the political and economic advantages of membership in the state church. Since St Canice's Cathedral was taken over in this way, Roman Catholic adherents were consequently obliged to worship elsewhere. St Mary's
, was later built for the Roman Catholic diocese. By 2011, some Anglicans were able to acknowledge that
The cathedral contains some 16th century monuments. The architectural style of the cathedral is Early Gothic and it is built of limestone. It is richly endowed with many stained glass windows including the East window which is a replica of the original 13th century window. The cathedral contains some of the finest 16th century monuments in Ireland.
, and St Canice's Cathedral stands on a site which has seen Christian worship since the 6th century. The name of Kilkenny itself retains the anglicised version of the Irish Cill Chainnigh, which translates as "Church of Cainneach", or Canice.
The earliest church on the site is presumed to have been made of wood, later to be replaced in the later medieval period by a romanesque-style stone church. This was in turn replaced by the current imposing medieval cathedral. A few yards from the present south transept stands an imposing 9th century round tower
, 100 ft high. Accessible only by a steep set of internal ladders, it may once have been both a watchtower and a refuge, and the summit gives a good view of Kilkenny and the countryside around. The hill on which the cathedral stands is believed to be the centre of the first major settlement at Kilkenny, and the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation. Much less is known about the early secular structures, but the area around the cathedral, called Irishtown, is the oldest part of the present city.
There is no mention of Kilkenny in the lives of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Ciarán of Saighir
or any of the early annels of Ireland
suggesting that in those times it was not of great importance. The Annals of the Four Masters
recorded entries for Cill Chainnigh in 1085 ("Ceall-Cainnigh was for the most part burned") and again in 1114 ("...Cill-Cainnigh ... were all burned this year").
The present building was begun in the 13th century, when it was at the western end of Kilkenny, and shows some similarities to St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, both dating from the same period and completed by the end of the 13th century.
In the Red Book of Ossory, fifteen pages dating from about 1324 contain sixty Latin
verses, or Cantilenae, written by Richard Ledred, Bishop of Ossory, better known for his connection with heresy and witchcraft trials. As stated elsewhere in the Red Book, Ledred wrote these verses "for the Vicars Choral of Kilkenny Cathedral, his priests and clerics, to be sung on great festivals and other occasions, that their throats and mouths, sanctified to God, might not be polluted with theatrical, indecent, and secular songs."
The cathedral was 'restored' between 1844 and 1867, without the removal of any important medieval features.
Cruciform
, the cathedral was built in the Early English
, or English Gothic, style of architecture
, of limestone
, with a low central tower supported on black marble columns. The exterior walls, apart from the gables, are embattled
, and there are two small spire
s at the west end. The cathedral is seventy-five yards long, and its width along the transepts is forty-one yards.
Inside, high pointed arches form entrances from the nave
into the choir and the two transept
s. Between the nave and each aisle
is a row of five black marble clustered columns, with high moulded arches. The nave is lighted by a large west window and five clerestory
windows, while the aisles each have four windows. The choir has a groined ceiling with fine tracery and a central group of cherub
s. The baptismal font
is medieval and the ancient stone of enthronement for bishops still exists under the seat of the medieval throne in the North Transept, where to this day the bishops of Ossory are enthroned.
The cathedral contains some of the finest ancient monuments in Ireland, including one to Bishop David, and the tombs of many bishops of Ossory and several owners of Kilkenny Castle
. The subjects of the memorials stretch widely across the social spectrum, from the great figures of the house of Ormonde to the humble shoemaker and carpenter. In the north transept is the ancient Chair of St Kieran
, made of carved stone, still used as the chair of enthronement for the bishops of Cashel and Ossory
.
There are continental carvings on the choir stalls and the hammerbeam roof. The cathedral has many stained glass
windows, including the fine East window, which is a replica of the 13th century original.
On the eastern side of the south transept is the consistory
court, built by Bishop Pococke, with the chapter house to the north of it. From the north transept a dark passage leads into St Mary's chapel, where the services of St Canice's parish once took place, and a later parish church next to it holds the tomb of Bishop Gafney (died 1576).
Despite some 19th century restoration, the cathedral has been carefully preserved in its original style and form.
Near the cathedral's east end is the Bishop's Palace.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
city, 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,...
. It is in the ecclesiastical province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of Dublin.
Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Ossory, it is now one of six cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory
Diocese of Cashel and Ossory
The United Dioceses of Cashel and Ossory is a diocese of the Church of Ireland in southern Ireland...
.
History
The present building dates from the 13th century and is the second longest cathedral in Ireland. Beside the cathedral stands a 100 ft 9th century round tower. St. Canice's tower an excellent example of a well-preserved early Christian (9th century) Round TowerIrish round tower
Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...
. It is dedicated to St Canice. It is one of only two such medieval round towers in Ireland that can be climbed to the top.
The cathedral stands on an ancient site which has been used for Christian worship since the 6th century. In the 1120s the see of Ossory was moved from Aghaboe
Aghaboe
Aghaboe is a village and parish in County Laois, Ireland. It is located on the R434 regional road in the rural hinterland west of the town of Abbeyleix....
to Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
.
Following the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, a new body was established by decree of the Irish Parliament to became the State Church
State church
State churches are organizational bodies within a Christian denomination which are given official status or operated by a state.State churches are not necessarily national churches in the ethnic sense of the term, but the two concepts may overlap in the case of a nation state where the state...
in the Kingdom of Ireland
Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland refers to the country of Ireland in the period between the proclamation of Henry VIII as King of Ireland by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 and the Act of Union in 1800. It replaced the Lordship of Ireland, which had been created in 1171...
. The Church of Ireland, as it was named, assumed possession of most Church property (and so retained a great repository of religious architecture and other items, though some were later destroyed). The substantial majority of the population remained faithful to the Latin liturgy of Roman Catholicism, despite the political and economic advantages of membership in the state church. Since St Canice's Cathedral was taken over in this way, Roman Catholic adherents were consequently obliged to worship elsewhere. St Mary's
St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny
St. Mary’s is the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Ossory. It is situated on James’s Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Kilkenny also has a second cathedral, Saint Canice’s which is Church of Ireland....
, was later built for the Roman Catholic diocese. By 2011, some Anglicans were able to acknowledge that
"The forced alienation of sacred places from one community to another leaves lasting scars"
The cathedral contains some 16th century monuments. The architectural style of the cathedral is Early Gothic and it is built of limestone. It is richly endowed with many stained glass windows including the East window which is a replica of the original 13th century window. The cathedral contains some of the finest 16th century monuments in Ireland.
Ancient history
Kilkenny was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of OssoryKingdom of Osraige
The Kingdom of Osraighe , anglicized as Ossory, was an ancient kingdom of Ireland. It formed the easternmost part of the kingdom and province of Munster until the middle of the 9th century, after which it attached itself to Leinster...
, and St Canice's Cathedral stands on a site which has seen Christian worship since the 6th century. The name of Kilkenny itself retains the anglicised version of the Irish Cill Chainnigh, which translates as "Church of Cainneach", or Canice.
The earliest church on the site is presumed to have been made of wood, later to be replaced in the later medieval period by a romanesque-style stone church. This was in turn replaced by the current imposing medieval cathedral. A few yards from the present south transept stands an imposing 9th century round tower
Irish round tower
Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...
, 100 ft high. Accessible only by a steep set of internal ladders, it may once have been both a watchtower and a refuge, and the summit gives a good view of Kilkenny and the countryside around. The hill on which the cathedral stands is believed to be the centre of the first major settlement at Kilkenny, and the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation. Much less is known about the early secular structures, but the area around the cathedral, called Irishtown, is the oldest part of the present city.
Ciarán of Saighir
Saint Ciarán mac Luaigne or Ciarán of Saigir was an early Irish bishop and patron saint of Ossory, who was supposed to have flourished in the second half of the 5th century. He is also referred to as Ciarán the Elder in order to distinguish him from Ciarán of Clonmacnoise...
or any of the early annels of Ireland
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end of Gaelic Ireland in the 17th century.Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days...
suggesting that in those times it was not of great importance. The Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
recorded entries for Cill Chainnigh in 1085 ("Ceall-Cainnigh was for the most part burned") and again in 1114 ("...Cill-Cainnigh ... were all burned this year").
The present building was begun in the 13th century, when it was at the western end of Kilkenny, and shows some similarities to St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, both dating from the same period and completed by the end of the 13th century.
In the Red Book of Ossory, fifteen pages dating from about 1324 contain sixty Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
verses, or Cantilenae, written by Richard Ledred, Bishop of Ossory, better known for his connection with heresy and witchcraft trials. As stated elsewhere in the Red Book, Ledred wrote these verses "for the Vicars Choral of Kilkenny Cathedral, his priests and clerics, to be sung on great festivals and other occasions, that their throats and mouths, sanctified to God, might not be polluted with theatrical, indecent, and secular songs."
The cathedral was 'restored' between 1844 and 1867, without the removal of any important medieval features.
Description
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
, the cathedral was built in the Early English
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
, or English Gothic, style of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, with a low central tower supported on black marble columns. The exterior walls, apart from the gables, are embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
, and there are two small spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
s at the west end. The cathedral is seventy-five yards long, and its width along the transepts is forty-one yards.
Inside, high pointed arches form entrances from the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
into the choir and the two 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. Between the nave and each aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
is a row of five black marble clustered columns, with high moulded arches. The nave is lighted by a large west window and five clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows, while the aisles each have four windows. The choir has a groined ceiling with fine tracery and a central group of cherub
Cherub
A cherub is a type of spiritual being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and cited later on in the Christian biblical canons, usually associated with the presence of God...
s. 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:...
is medieval and the ancient stone of enthronement for bishops still exists under the seat of the medieval throne in the North Transept, where to this day the bishops of Ossory are enthroned.
The cathedral contains some of the finest ancient monuments in Ireland, including one to Bishop David, and the tombs of many bishops of Ossory and several owners of Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways...
. The subjects of the memorials stretch widely across the social spectrum, from the great figures of the house of Ormonde to the humble shoemaker and carpenter. In the north transept is the ancient Chair of St Kieran
Ciarán of Saighir
Saint Ciarán mac Luaigne or Ciarán of Saigir was an early Irish bishop and patron saint of Ossory, who was supposed to have flourished in the second half of the 5th century. He is also referred to as Ciarán the Elder in order to distinguish him from Ciarán of Clonmacnoise...
, made of carved stone, still used as the chair of enthronement for the bishops of Cashel and Ossory
Bishop of Cashel and Ossory
The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory is the Ordinary of the United Diocese of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore with Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Church of Ireland...
.
There are continental carvings on the choir stalls and the hammerbeam roof. The cathedral has many 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, including the fine East window, which is a replica of the 13th century original.
On the eastern side of the south transept is the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
court, built by Bishop Pococke, with the chapter house to the north of it. From the north transept a dark passage leads into St Mary's chapel, where the services of St Canice's parish once took place, and a later parish church next to it holds the tomb of Bishop Gafney (died 1576).
Despite some 19th century restoration, the cathedral has been carefully preserved in its original style and form.
Near the cathedral's east end is the Bishop's Palace.
Burials
- Griffith Williams (bishop)Griffith Williams (bishop)Griffith Williams , was the Anglican bishop of Ossory. He was opposed to the puritans.-Life:He was born at Treveilian in the parish of Llanrug, near Carnarvon, in1589 or 1590, was the son of a freeholder in the parish. His mother was a descendant...
- David RotheDavid RotheDavid Rothe was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory, central Ireland.-Life:He was born at Kilkenny, of a distinguished family. Having studied at the Irish College, Douai, and at the University of Salamanca, where he graduated doctor in civil and canon law, he was ordained in 1600, and proceeded to...
- a cenotaph to his memory, though his remains were interred in St. Mary's Church
Further reading
- Prim's History and Antiquities of Kilkenny Cathedral (1857)
- Rae, E. C., 'An O'Tunney masterpiece reconstituted' [16th century cenotaph in St Canice's cathedral] in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 18 (1966), 62-71
- Woodworth, David, 'St Canice's library' in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 22 (1970), 5-10; 23 (1971), 15-22
- McCarthy, Michael, 'Eighteenth century cathedral restoration' [Correspondence relating to St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny] in Studies; an Irish quarterly review, 65 (1976), 330-343; 66 (1977), 60-76
- Crotty, G. 'The Foulkes monument in St Canice's cathedral' in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, ns, 2 (1982), 347-351
- Phelan, Margaret M. 'Butler tombs and furnishings in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny' in Journal of the Butler Society, 2 (1982), 164-166
- Lightbown, Ronald, 'Impressions of nineteenth-century Kilkenny (1800–50)' in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 48 (1996), 57-80
- Phelan, Margaret M., 'An unidentified tomb in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny', in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 48 (1996), 40-44
- Lynas, Norman, 'The restoration of St Canice's Cathedral 1844-1867 under Dean Vignoles', in Kirwan, John (ed.), op. cit., 183-191
- Ireland, Aideen M., 'Kilkenny Cathedral treasure trove', in Kirwan, John (ed.), Kilkenny: studies in honour of Margaret M. Phelan (Kilkenny: Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 1997), 159-167
- Phelan, Margaret M., 'A tomb frontal in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny', in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 50 (1998), 20-23
- Gillespie, Raymond, 'St Canice's Cathedral in an age of change 1500-1560', in Bradley, John; Healy, Diarmuid; & Murphy, Anne (eds.), Themes in Kilkenny's history: a selection of lectures from the NUI Maynooth - Radio Kilkenny academic lecture series 1999 (Kilkenny: Red Lion, 2000), 47-56
- Heckett, Elizabeth Wincott, 'The Margaret Fitzgerald Tomb Effigy: A late medieval headdress and gown in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny', in Koslin, Désirée G.; Snyder, Janet (eds.), Encountering medieval textiles and dress: objects, texts, images (the new Middle Ages) (New York: Palgrave, 2002), 209-22
- Law, Edward J., 'The tomb of John, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde, St Canice's Cathedral' in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 55 (2003), 141-148
- Integrated Conservation Group, 'The Bishop's Palace, Kilkenny' in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 55 (2003), 30-53
- Law, Edward J., 'The bells and bell-ringers of St Canice's Cathedral' in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 55 (2003), 6-10
- Ó Drisceoil, Cóilín, 'Probing the past: a geophysical survey at St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny', in Old Kilkenny Review: Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, 56 (2004), 80-106
- Bradley, John, 'Death, art and burial: St Canice's cathedral, Kilkenny in the sixteenth century', in Hourihane, Colum, (ed.), Irish art historical studies in honour of Peter Harbison (Index of Christian Art, Occasional Papers, 7) (Dublin: Four Courts in association with Princeton University, 2004), 210-218
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in County Kilkenny.
- Bishop of Cashel and OssoryBishop of Cashel and OssoryThe Bishop of Cashel and Ossory is the Ordinary of the United Diocese of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore with Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Church of Ireland...
External links
- St. Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny (Ossory)
- Photograph of the cathedral at sacred-destinations.com
- Photograph of the round tower at charnecki.com