Thomas John Duff was an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 architect

Architect

An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 from the town (now city) of Newry

Newry

Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...

, County Down

County Down

-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

. Duff was the principal architect of a number of Roman Catholic churches and cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

s in the northeast of Ireland.

His work included three churches dedicated to St.Patrick: St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral, Dundalk

Dundalk

Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...

 (modelled on King's College Chapel, Cambridge

King's College Chapel, Cambridge

King's College Chapel is the chapel to King's College of the University of Cambridge, and is one of the finest examples of late Gothic English architecture, while its early Renaissance rood screen separating the nave and chancel, erected in 1532-36 in a striking contrast of style, has been called...

); the Cathedral Church of St. Patrick and St. Colman, Newry, and Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh city. Duff also designed St. Patrick's School in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, the city's first National School and believed to be the last remaining Gothic Revival building in Belfast and the museum of the Belfast Natural History Society

Belfast Natural History Society

The Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society was founded in 1821 to promote the scientific study of animals, plants, fossils, rocks and minerals....

The Cathedral Church of St. Patrick and St. Colman, Newry

The cathedral in Newry was constructed between 1823 and 1829, and was the first Catholic church to be erected following Catholic Emancipation

Catholic Emancipation

Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...

. The cathedral was described by a contemporary guide book in glowing terms: "This edifice may be ranked among the finest public buildings in Ireland, and is another enduring monument of the genius of Mr. Duff, who has studded the north of the kingdom, as it were, with evidence of his own ability, and of the good sense of his countrymen in employing a native artist."

St. Patrick's, Armagh

The construction of St. Patrick's in Armagh began in 1840, but was suspended due to the intervention of the famine. Duff had died by the time construction resumed in 1854, the project being completed by J.J. McCarthy who finished the project in a decorated gothic style as opposed to the 16th century gothic preferred by Duff. This led to the situation, more familiar in genuine Gothic churches, whereby the cathedral was constructed in one style up to the aisles and a different style above this point.

St. Patrick's, Dundalk

St. Patrick's, Dundalk was also under development at the time of Duff's death and was likewise completed by McCarthy.