Christ Church Cathedral, Lisburn (also known as Lisburn Cathedral), is the cathedral church of the

Diocese of Connor The Diocese of Connor, Territory of Dalriada, was established in the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111. The diocese itself was erected in 480. Tradition holds that St. Patrick herded sheep on Slemish, in the heart of the Diocese, when first brought ...

in the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...

. It is situated in

Lisburn Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...

, Northern Ireland, in the ecclesiastical province of

Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...

. Previously St Thomas's church, it is now one of two cathedrals in the Diocese, the other being the shared Cathedral Church of St Anne, Belfast. The Dean and Chapter of Lisburn Cathedral are known as the Dean and Chapter of St Saviour, Connor in honour of the original cathedral of Connor. The current building was started in 1708, after its predecessor was burnt down. Its noteworthy features are the gallery seating in the nave and the octagonal spire. At approximately 55m (181 feet) it is the tallest and most prominent building in the city of Lisburn.

History

A church was built on the cathedral site in the early 1600s by Sir Fulke Conway as a chapel of ease for his new castle at what was then called

Lisnagarvey Lisnagarvey or Lisnagarvy () is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Lisnagarvey is also an Anglicisation of the original name of Lisburn. The townland was named after an earthen ringfort (''lios''), which was in the area of present-day ...

. It was consecrated in 1623 and dedicated to St Thomas, but was destroyed along with much of the town during the

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

of 1641. The church was quickly rebuilt and in 1662 St Thomas's was designated the cathedral church and episcopal seat of the United Diocese of Down and Connor by Charles II and renamed Christ Church Cathedral. Additional gallery seating was introduced in 1674 with access via a bell tower. The cathedral burned down a second time in 1707. Again it was quickly rebuilt starting in 1708 und was completed 11 years later in 1719, retaining the galleries in the nave with access via the tower which had survived the fire. The octagonal spire was added in 1804 and the chancel built and consecrated in 1889. In the year of 2003, the front gates from 1796 were replaced and in 2004 the clock chimes refurbished.

Suffragette bombing

On 31 July 1914 protesting

Suffragette A suffragette was a member of an activist women's organisation in the early 20th century who, under the banner "Votes for Women", fought for the right to vote in public elections in the United Kingdom. The term refers in particular to members ...

s bombed the cathedral. A small explosion blew out one of the oldest stained glass windows. Four women arrested after the attack, at the home of Lillian Metge (a middle-class widow who lived in Seymour Street), had to receive police protection when arrested. All the windows of Mrs Metge's house were broken by residents opposed to their actions and the government threatened to raise the rates to pay for the damage caused. No charges were pressed due to the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and they were released by order of the Home Secretary.

Notes

References

* * * {{Cathedrals of the Church of Ireland

Buildings and structures in Lisburn Grade A listed buildings 1623 establishments in Ireland Diocese of Connor

History

Suffragette bombing

See also

Notes

References