St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

Saint Patrick's Cathedral (exterior)
Saint Patrick's Cathedral near its base

Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, formally known as The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick, Dublin or in the Irish language as Árd Eaglais Naomh Pádraig, founded in 1191, is the larger of Dublin's two Church of Ireland cathedrals, and the largest church in Ireland. Unusually it is not today the seat of a bishop, as Dublin's Church of Ireland Archbishop has his seat in Christ Church Cathedral, with Saint Patrick's being (since 1870) the National Cathedral for the whole island, drawing chapter members from each of the twelve dioceses of the Church of Ireland. Saint Patrick's is headed by a Dean, an office which has existed since 1219, the most famous holder being Jonathan Swift.

Contents

History

Medieval

Saint Patrick's Cathedral (interior)

In 1192, John Comyn, first Anglo-Norman Archbishop of Dublin, elevated one of the four Dublin Celtic parish churches, the one dedicated to St. Patrick, beside a holy well of the same name and on an island between two branches of the River Poddle, to the status of a collegiate church, i.e., a church with a body of clergy devoted to both worship and learning. The new collegiate church fell outside the City boundaries, and this move created two new civic territories, one under the Archbishop's temporal jurisdiction. The church was dedicated to "God, our Blessed Lady Mary and St. Patrick" on March 17th, 1192.[1]

Comyn's charter of 1191 or 1192, which allowed for a chapter of thirteen canons, of which three held special dignities (as Chancellor, Precentor and Treasurer), was confirmed by a Papal Bull (of Pope Celestine III) within a year. The thirteen prebendaries attached to the church were provided with archepiscopal lands.

Over time, a whole complex of buildings arose in the vicinity of the cathedral, including the Palace of the St. Sepulchre (seat of the Archbishop), and legal jurisdiction was divided between a Liberty controlled by the Dean, around the cathedral, and a larger one belonging to the Archbishop, adjacent.

While it is not clear when precisely the church was further raised to the status of cathedral, a unique move in a city with an existing cathedral, it was probably after 1192, and Comyn's successor as Archbishop, Henry de Loundres, was elected in 1212 by the chapters of both Christ Church and St Patrick's, this election being recognised by Pope Innocent III. See below for more on the question of status. Henry granted a number of further charters to the Cathedral and Chapter between 1218 and 1220, and one of these in 1220 created the office of Dean to head the Cathedral[2], the right of election being allocated solely to the canons of the Chapter.

The basis of the present building, as noted, the largest church in Ireland, was built between 1191 and 1270, though little now remains of the earliest work beyond the Baptistry. Much of the work was overseen by the previously mentioned Henry of London, a friend of the King of England and signatory of the Magna Carta, who was also involved in the construction of Dublin's city walls, and Dublin Castle.

An order from King Henry III in 1225 allowed the collection of donations from across the island for reconstruction for a period of four years, and the work, in the Early English Gothic style, lasted at least until rededication in 1254. The Lady Chapel was added around 1270[3].

In 1300 Archbishop Ferings of Dublin arranged an agreement between the two cathedrals, the Pacis Compostio, which acknowledged both as cathedrals and made some provision to accommodate their shared status[4]. For more, see Status below.

Memorial to Thomas Jones, Dean of St. Patrick's from 1581 to 1585.

From the mid-1300s, and for over 500 years, the north transept of the building was used as the parish church of St Nicholas Without (i.e. the part of the Parish of St. Nicholas outside the city proper).

The tower (Minot's Tower) and west nave were rebuilt between 1362 and 1370, following a fire.

From the very earliest years there were problems with seepage of water, with a number of floods, especially in the later years of the 18th century, caused by the surrounding branches of the River Poddle - even in the 20th century, it is reported that the water table was within 7.5 feet of the floor[5]. This situation ensured there would never be a crypt or basement area[6].

After the English Reformation (an uneven process between 1536 and 1564 but at St. Patrick's, effective from about 1537), St. Patrick's became an Anglican Church of Ireland Cathedral, although most of the population of the surrounding Pale remained Roman Catholic. During the confiscation process, some images within the cathedral were defaced by soldiers under Thomas Cromwell, and neglect led to collapse of the nave in 1544.

Under King Edward VI, St. Patrick's Cathedral was formally suppressed, and the building demoted back to the status of parish church. On April 25, 1547, a pension of 200 marks sterling was assigned to "Sir Edward Basnet", the Dean, followed, some months later, by pensions of £60 each to Chancellor Alien and Precentor Humphrey, and £40 to Archdeacon Power. The silver, jewels, and ornaments were transferred to the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church. The King designated part of the building for use as a court house, and the Cathedral Grammar School was established in the then vicar's hall, and the deanery given to the archbishop, following the transfer of the Archbishop's Palace to the Lord Deputy of Ireland. In 1549, it was further ordered that the walls be repainted and inscribed with passages from the scriptures.

In 1555 a charter of the joint monarchs Philip and Mary restored the cathedral's privileges[7] and initiated restoration and a late document of Queen Mary's reign, a deed dated 27 April 1558, comprises a release or receipt by Thomas Leverous, the new Dean, and the Chapter of St. Patrick's, of the "goods, chattels, musical instruments, etc.," belonging to the Cathedral, and which had been in the possession of the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church.

In 1560, one of Dublin's first public clocks was erected in "St. Patrick's Steeple".

1600s

By the early 1600s, the Lady Chapel was said to have been in ruins, and the arch at the east end of the choir was closed off by a lath and plaster partition wall. There was also routine flooding and a series of galleries was added to accommodate large congregations.

During the stay of Oliver Cromwell in Dublin, during his conquest of Ireland the Commonwealth's Lord Protector stabled his horses in the nave of the cathedral. This was intended to demonstrate Cromwell's disrespect for the Anglican religion, which he associated with Roman Catholicism and political Royalism.

After the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, repairs to the building were begun.

In 1666, the Cathedral Chapter offered the Lady Chapel for the use of French-speaking Huguenots who had fled to Ireland, and after some repair and preparation works, it became known as L'Eglise Française de St. Patrick. A lease was signed on the 23rd December 1665 and was renewed from time to time until the special services ceased in 1816, when the Huguenots had been fully absorbed into the city population.

In 1668 the roof, in danger of collapsing, was taken down, a new roof being completed by 1671. Buttresses were erected and the west window was replaced with a perpendicular window. Then, in the 1680s, the choir was reformed.

Mid 18th century floor plan

In 1688-90, during the Williamite War in Ireland, James II and his fellow Roman Catholics briefly repossessed St. Patrick's. James attended Mass services there with his Jacobite supporters for a time, however, the victory of the Protestant Williamites in this war meant that the cathedral was restored to Anglican ownership in 1690 when James abandoned Dublin after his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne.

Dean Swift and the 1700s

Bust of Jonathan Swift

Throughout its long history the cathedral has contributed much to Irish life, and one key aspect of this relates to the writer and satirist Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, who was Dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745. Many of his famous sermons and "Irish tracts" (such as the Drapier's Letters) were given during his stay as Dean.[8]

His grave and epitaph can be seen in the cathedral, along with those of his friend Stella. Swift took a great interest in the building, its services and music and in what would now be called social welfare, funding an almshouse for poor women and Saint Patrick's Hospital.

The Choir School, which had been founded in 1432, supplied many of its members to take part in the very first performance of Handel's Messiah in 1742.

In 1769 the cathedral spire was added; it remains one of Dublin's landmarks.

In 1792, divine service was temporarily suspended due to the poor condition of the south wall, then two feet out of perpendicular, and of parts of the roof.

Knights of Saint Patrick

From 1783 until 1871 the cathedral served as the Chapel of the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick, members of which were the Knights of St. Patrick. With the dis-establishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871 the installation ceremony moved to St. Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle. The heraldic banners of the knights at the time of the change still hang over the choir stalls to this day.

The 19th century and restoration

Celtic cross discovered near the church in the 19th century.

By 1805, the north transept was in ruins and the south transept was in a poor condition; urgent work was carried out to the nave roof, held up by scaffolding.

In 1846, the post of Dean of Saint Patrick's was united with that of Dean of Christ Church, a situation which lasted in law until 1872.

An attempt at major restoration began under the direction of Dean Pakenham (Dean, 1843 - 1864), limited by poor economic circumstances. The Lady Chapel was restored, the floor (then raised several feet) reduced to its original level and other urgent matters were at least partly addressed.

In the mid-19th century, a Celtic cross was found buried near the cathedral. This has been preserved and it is thought it may have marked the site of the former holy well.

The major reconstruction, paid for by Benjamin Guinness, in 1860-65, and inspired by the fear that the cathedral was in imminent danger of collapse, means that much of the current building and decoration dates from the Victorian era; medieval chantries were removed among other actions, and few records of the work survive today.

Though the rebuilding ensured the survival of the Cathedral, the failure to preserve records of the scale of the rebuild means that little is known as to how much of the current building is genuinely mediæval and how much is Victorian pastiche. Guinness (a brewer) came in for gentle criticism when he donated a stained glass window of 'Rebecca at the well'; its motto read: 'I was thirsty and ye gave me drink'. His statue is outside the south door.

The other great change for the Cathedral occurred in 1871, when, following disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, the newly-independent church in general synod finally resolved the "two cathedral" issue, making Christ Church the sole and undisputed Cathedral of the Dublin Diocese, and St. Patrick's the National Cathedral.

Today - National Cathedral

Today the cathedral is the location for a number of public national ceremonies. Ireland's Remembrance Day ceremonies, hosted by the Royal British Legion and attended by the President of Ireland, take place there every November. Its carol service (the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols), celebrated twice in December, including every 24th December, is a colourful feature of Dublin life.

The funerals of two Irish presidents, Dr Douglas Hyde and Erskine Hamilton Childers took place there, in 1949 and 1974 respectively. At President Hyde's funeral, the whole of the Irish government and opposition contingent, bar Noel Browne and Childers, stayed out in the foyer of the church. This was because at the time of the funeral, the Holy See forbade its members from entering churches that were not Roman Catholic. Because President Childers died in office, his state funeral was a major state occasion. The attendance included the King Baudouin of the Belgians, the Vice-President of the United States, Spiro T. Agnew (representing President Nixon), Earl Mountbatten of Burma (representing Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom), British Prime Minister Harold Wilson and former prime minister Edward Heath.

In 2006, its national prominence was used by a group of 18 Afghan refugees seeking asylum, who occupied it for several days before being persuaded to leave without trouble.

Status

State pew of the President of Ireland, still retains a British Standard carving on the front

There is almost no precedent for a two-cathedral city[9] , and some believe it was intended that St Patrick's, a secular (diocesan clergy who are not members of a religious order, i.e. under a rule and, therefore, 'regular') cathedral, would replace Christ Church, a cathedral managed by an order.

A confrontational situation persisted, with considerable tension, over the decades after the establishment of St. Patrick's, and was eventually settled, more-or-less, by the signing of a six-point agreement of 1300, Pacis Compositio. Still extant, and in force until 1870, it provided that:

Over the following centuries, the two cathedrals functioned together in the diocese, until in the period of disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, the current designation of one as the cathedral of Dublin and Glendalough, and one as the National Cathedral, was developed.

Dean and Chapter

Floor of the cathedral

The Cathedral is headed by the Dean, and governed by the entire Chapter, originally 13 in number and having been as many as 30, now numbering up to 28, whose foundation, and whose members' rights, derive from the charter of 1191, as approved by Pope Celestine in 1192.

The members of the Chapter, which today represents in part the whole Church of Ireland, hold one of four dignities or special offices, or one of 24 prebends (22 regular, 2 ecumenical), as noted below. One prebend is reserved for the Archbishop of Dublin, an unusual arrangement which is only actively used for elections of the Dean.

Of the 13 original prebends, several were later re-allocated, new ones created to replace them, and later, yet further prebends were designated. For many years, the Chapter comprised the four dignities, the archdeacons of Dublin and Glendalough and twenty four prebendaries, but the archdeacons ceased to be members based on those offices in the late 19th century.

The offices, prebends and their current holders

Ecumenical Canons

As noted above, in late June and early July 2007, Saint Patrick's appointed two ecumenical canons, one Presbyterian and one Roman Catholic, who can be invited by the Dean to say Morning or Evening Prayer in the cathedral, read Holy Scripture and assist at baptisms, marriages, funerals or celebration of Holy Communion, as well as participating in the meetings and decisions of the Chapter.

Friends of Saint Patrick's Cathedral

The Cathedral is supported by a volunteer organisation, with both subscribing (annual and five-year) and Life members, who perform various tasks and contribute materially to the work and fabric of the Cathedral. In addition, there are a range of voluntary groups performing specific tasks, such as bell-ringing, welcoming of guests and cleaning.

Access

The cathedral, which generally receives no State funding, welcomes all, with a chapel for those who come simply to pray and a small fee for those who wish to sight-see. The Cathedral website mentioned in 2006 that visitor numbers had reached around 300,000 a year. There are a range of publications and other items in a gift shop, some of which are now available directly via the Cathedral's website.

Points of Note

Legend has it that Saint Patrick's was the origin of the expression "[1]chancing your arm" (meaning to take a risk), when Gerald, Earl of Kildare cut a hole in a door there, still to be seen, and thrust his arm through it, in an effort to call a truce with another Earl, James of Ormond, in 1492.

Choir School and Grammar School

The Choir School continues and although originally all-male, now also admits girls; a Cathedral Girls' Choir was founded in 2000 and sings once or twice a week. The girls are mostly drawn from either the choir school or St. Patrick's Grammar School, which provides a secondary education. It is no longer compulsory for grammar school pupils to be in the choirs although many of the girls are and a few boys (fewer as they are no longer allowed in the choir once their voices break). Choirboys were considered professional singers and were actually paid weekly for their services. They also sang at weddings for the more well off and received payment for this too. They received free education. While non choirboy students had 2 months' holidays during the summer, half of the boys were on duty every day during the summer and had to attend choir practice and 2 services each weekday, one service on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. This arrangement persisted until 1998.

Organ

The Organ of St. Patrick's Cathedral is one of the largest in Ireland with over 4,000 pipes. Parts of it date from a Renatus Harris instrument of 1695.

The organ was re-built in the 1890s by Henry Willis and Son, in consultation with Sir George Martin. It was restored in 1963 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd

List of Organists

  • 1509 William Herbit
  • 1555 William Browne
  • 1606 Anthony Willis
  • 1631 Randal Jewett
  • 1661 John Hawkshaw
  • 1686 Thomas Godfrey
  • 1689 Thomas Finell
  • 1691 William Isaac
  • 1695 Robert Hodge
  • 1698 Daniel Rosingrave
  • 1727 Ralph Rosingrave
  • 1748 Richard Broadway
  • 1761 George Walsh
  • 1765 Henry Walsh
  • 1769 Michael Sandys
  • 1773 Samuel Murphy
  • 1780 Philip Cogan
  • 1806 John Mathews
  • 1827 William Warren
  • 1828 Francis Robinson
  • 1830 John Robinson
  • 1844 Richard Cherry
  • 1845 William Henry White
  • 1852 Sir Robert P. Stewart
  • 1861 William Murphy
  • 1879 Charles George Marchant
  • 1920 George H P Hewson
  • 1960 William Sydney Grieg
  • 1977 John Dexter
  • 2002 Peter Barley

Cathedral Group of Parishes

As part of a reorganisation of city-based parishes (many with long histories), several were attached to each of the Dublin cathedrals. The Saint Patrick's Cathedral Group of Parishes has one other operational church, St. Catherine and St. James, Donore Avenue (formerly St. Victor's), which is the working centre of the parish.

Sources

Bernard, J.H. (Provost of Trinity College Dublin and former Dean of St. Patrick's); The Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick, A History & Description of the Building, with a Short Account of the Deans; London: G. Bell and Sons, 1924

Notes

  1. ↑ Bernard, 1924: p. 8
  2. ↑ Bernard, 1924: p. 9
  3. ↑ Bernard, 1924: pp. 9-10
  4. ↑ Bernard, 1924: pp. 73-74
  5. ↑ Bernard, 1924: p. 10, note 3
  6. ↑ Bernard, 1924: p. 10
  7. ↑ Bernard, 1924: p. 13
  8. ↑ History of St. Patrick's Cathedral by Monck Mason
  9. ↑ Although in Zaragoza, Spain, the cathedral shares its role with a key church, half the Diocesan Chapter being based at each location, and the Dean moving between them every six months.

See also

External links

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