Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne, Cork

Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne, Cork

The Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Anne, also known as Saint Mary's Cathedral, The North Cathedral or The North Chapel, is an important Roman Catholic cathedral located in Cork. It serves as the seat of the Bishop of Cork and Ross and is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross. The cathedral's name comes from the combination of the ecclesiastical parish of Saint Mary and the civil parish of Saint Anne.

Baptismal records at the Cathedral date back to 1731, and the parish boundary originally included areas such as Blackpool and Clogheen/Kerry Pike. However, in 1981, two chapels of ease to the cathedral became parish churches, while the Vincentian Parish of Sunday's Well returned to the Cathedral parish after the closure of Saint Vincent's Church in 2016.

The Cathedral was built during the tenure of Bishop Francis Moylan, and construction began in 1799 on the site of a former church built in the 1730s. The cathedral was dedicated on 22 August 1808 by Archbishop Thomas Bray of Cashel. However, the building was extensively damaged by an act of arson in 1820. George Richard Pain undertook the restoration of the cathedral, enlarging the sanctuary and creating a Chancel Arch. The cathedral re-opened in 1828.

Beginning in January 1965, at the request of Bishop Cornelius Lucey, the cathedral was extended and renovated. The internal layout was simplified and reorganized following the directives of the Second Vatican Council, and these works were completed by 1968. The most recent large-scale works were completed between 1994 and 1996, which included the renovation and refurbishment of the tower and sanctuary, as well as the removal of the high altar, altar rails, and side altars. The contemporary artwork collection in the lady chapel is the work of Irish artist, Patrick Pye.

The Cathedral's bicentenary was celebrated in September 2008, and in 2017, a visitor center was established underneath the sanctuary of the cathedral, with tours of the Cork Folklore Project's exhibition and work.

Designed in early Neo-Gothic Revivalist style, the Cathedral combines sandstone with limestone dressings. The tower over the main door was added in 1869, designed by John Benson. The original altar was fashioned in wood by Italian craftsmen in Lisbon. The nine bells of Benson's tower were cast in 1870 by John Murphy of Dublin and were restored in December 2022.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Cork. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne on Map

Sight Name: Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne
Sight Location: Cork, Ireland (See walking tours in Cork)
Sight Type: Religious

Walking Tours in Cork, Ireland

Create Your Own Walk in Cork

Create Your Own Walk in Cork

Creating your own self-guided walk in Cork is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Cork Heritage Pub Trail

Cork Heritage Pub Trail

A truly fun way to explore Cork is by visiting the local heritage pubs, a cherished part of the city's cultural and social fabric. Situated in the heart of Cork, these establishments are not just places to grab a drink but living time capsules that take you back to a bygone era in a warm and welcoming setting. Let's take a look at some of Cork's notable “watering holes”.

Sin...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Cork Introduction Walking Tour

Cork Introduction Walking Tour

One of the largest and most populous cities in Ireland, Cork was originally a monastic settlement, reputedly founded by Saint Finbarr in the 6th century AD. It grew more urbanized between 915 and 922 with the arrival of Norsemen (Vikings) who set up a trading port alongside the ecclesiastical settlement, providing otherwise unobtainable trade goods for the monastery, and perhaps also military aid....  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles