St Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork, a building steeped in history

St Fin Barre’s Cathedral has as much history as the bricks that make up its exterior - which is a lot! This is where Cork’s Patron Saint and Bishop (Fin Barre) founded his first church and school. In fact, this establishment has celebrated its 150th year anniversary - the perfect occasion to go over its long lasting history!

In the 7th century, the original building served as a monastery. Following this, the building suffered from a collapse in 1100 due to British conquerors. By the 16th century, during the protestant reformation, the building became part of the Church of Ireland. A new cathedral was built in the 1730s to accommodate a larger Anglican community. However, by the mid 19th century, the Anglican Church decided to demolish it to work on an entirely new cathedral in 1863 which was consecrated in 1870 to what the building looks like today.

Now that you’ve learnt a bit more about the cathedral’s ancestral history, let’s talk about what you might see inside.

In addition to the 1,200 statues and gargoyles you may see in and around the cathedral, it hides a few wonders that you will definitely be surprised about. For instance, as soon as you walk through its grand doors, you may notice that its walls are entirely covered with authentic Cork Red Marble and its ceilings complete with Chancel decorations. But there are two especially surprising objects that live within its wall that you cannot miss: a cannonball and an exceptionally large organ!

The cannonball displayed in the cathedral dates back from 1690 when it was fired from the Siege of Cork with over 1200 wooden carvings. Whereas the ‘Pit Organ’ dates back to 1889 and is known as the largest Cathedral Organ in Ireland, with over 4,500 pipes! Moreover, the cathedral is blessed with beautiful stained glass windows telling the story of the Bible and magnificent floor mosaics made by Italian craftsmen. Finally, on your way out, make sure to stop by the burial plaque dedicated to the only female Freemason in Ireland.

The cathedral is closed to visitors on Sundays, but is open every other day from 10 AM to 5 PM (where guided tours are available). There is a 6 euros fee for adults and 3 euros for students. Finally, you may enjoy a musical set by Peter Stobart (musical director) performed every day!