St Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen, is one of two cathedral churches in the Diocese of Clogher (the other is St Macartan's Cathedral, Clogher) in the Church of Ireland. It stands on high ground overlooking the town of

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from ga, Inis Ceithleann , 'Cethlenn, Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of ...

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. It was completed in 1842 as St Anne's Parish Church but rededicated as St Macartin's Cathedral in 1923. It incorporates elements of a former church building and has a 150-foot (45 m) tower and spire. The tower houses a peal of ten bells, which can also be chimed to play tunes. The three manual electro-pneumatic action organ consists of thirty-three operated speaking stops, together with full pedal board and enclosed swell and choir divisions. The dean and chapter of Clogher have their stalls in this cathedral and also at the senior cathedral in Clogher.

History

The first church building on the site was completed around 1627 as part of the original building of the town of Enniskillen. By 1832 that building had become structurally unsafe and was replaced by the present building, which was completed in 1842. The chancel was enlarged in 1889. In 1923 the church was rededicated as St Macartin's Cathedral, thus becoming the second cathedral of Clogher Diocese. On 26 June 2012,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

attended a thanksgiving service at the cathedral for her

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...

. The service was led by Kenneth Hall, the Dean of Clogher, the

address An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used to give the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along w ...

was given by Alan Harper, the Anglican

Archbishop of Armagh In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...

and the lesson was read by

Peter Robinson Peter Robinson may refer to: Entertainment * Peter Robinson (sideshow artist) (1873–1947), American actor and sideshow performer, known for his appearance in film ''Freaks'' (1932) * J. Peter Robinson (born 1945), British musician and film score ...

, the First Minister of Northern Ireland. The

intercession Intercession or intercessory prayer is the act of praying to a deity on behalf of others, or Intercession of saints, asking a saint in heaven to pray on behalf of oneself or for others. The Apostle Paul's exhortation to Saint Timothy, Timothy sp ...

prayers were read by Ken Lindsay, the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Seán Brady, the Roman Catholic

and Roy Patton, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the

Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI; ga, Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn; Ulster-Scots: ''Prisbytairin Kirk in Airlann'') is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the Republic of Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in ...

. Following the service, the Queen made the short walk to St Michael's Catholic church where she met representatives of local community groups. This was the first time that she had visited a Catholic church in Northern Ireland.

References

St Macartin's Cathedral - The History Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Macartin's Cathedral, Enniskillen

Diocese of Clogher (Church of Ireland) Gothic Revival church buildings in Northern Ireland Enniskillen Churches in County Fermanagh Churches completed in 1842

History

See also

References