St. Finbarr's South, also known as the South Chapel, is an 18th century church in

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

in Ireland. Constructed in 1766 as the "first Catholic church built in Cork since before the Reformation", the Penal-era church was deliberately built to be relatively unimposing. It is the oldest Catholic church still in use in Cork city, and is the parish church of St Finbarr's South parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross. The church is included in the Record of Protected Structures maintained by Cork City Council. Built of local limestone and red sandstone, the church was commissioned by the then parish priest, Daniel Albert O'Brien, to replace an existing thatched building. O'Brien, who had been appointed as parish priest and vicar general in 1760 by the then

Bishop of Cork The Bishop of Cork was a separate episcopal title which took its name after the city of Cork in Ireland. The title is now united with other bishoprics. In the Church of Ireland it is held by the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, and in the Roman C ...

, Richard Walsh, was a member of the Dominican Order. O'Brien was succeeded as parish priest, in 1774, by

Francis Moylan Francis Moylan (1735–1815) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork, having first served as Bishop of Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe in Kerry. Life He was born on 17 September 1735 in Cork, Ireland, second son of John Moylan, a well-to-do merchan ...

(later Bishop of Cork). Originally built to an "L" shape, the church was extended and an additional transept was added in 1809. The main altar holds a statue, known as ''

The Dead Christ ''The Dead Christ'' or ''The Redeemer in Death'' is a statue of Jesus Christ executed in white Carrara marble by the Irish sculptor John Hogan in Rome. Hogan created three versions of the statue in the early 19th century: * the first (1829) is l ...

'', which was sculpted by John Hogan (1800–1858). A painting of the crucifixion, behind the altar, is attributed by some sources to the artist John O'Keeffe (c.1797–1838). The church was further extended in the 1860s, and additional work undertaken on the altar, in the 1870s, by ecclesiastical architect George Goldie (1828–1887). Notable parishioners include John Stanislaus Joyce, who was baptised in the church in 1849. Other former parishioners include educator

Nano Nagle Venerable Honora Nagle ( – 26 April 1784), known informally as Nano Nagle, was a pioneer of Roman Catholic education in Ireland despite legal prohibitions. She founded the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM), com ...

, hospital founder

Mary Aikenhead Mother Mary Frances Aikenhead (19 January 1787 – 22 July 1858) was born in Daunt's Square off Grand Parade, Cork, Ireland. Described as one of nursing's greatest leaders, she was the founder of the Catholic religious institute, the Relig ...

, military general Daniel O'Leary, sculptor John Hogan and Arctic explorer

Jerome Collins Jerome Vincent Collins (born August 18, 1982) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Early years Jerome attended Wheat ...

References

{{reflist Roman Catholic churches in Cork (city) 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Ireland

See also

References