St Macartan's Cathedral is the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

church of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher The Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher ( ga, Deoise Chlochair) was formed in 1111 at the Synod of Rathbreasail as the see for the Kingdom of Uí Chremthainn. It is part of the Province of Armagh. The original cathedral was in the village of C ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. It is located in the

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

of Latlurcan,

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...

town in the

ecclesiastical parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Monaghan and Rackwallace. It was built between the years of 1861 and 1893 and is the only Catholic cathedral in the county. Charles E. B. Brett, ''Buildings of Monaghan''. Belfast:

Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Ulster Architectural Heritage Society was founded "to promote appreciation and enjoyment of good architecture of all periods and encourage the conservation, restoration and re-use of Ulster's built heritage to regenerate and sustain our communitie ...

, 1970. Simon Walker. ''Historic Ulster Churches.'' (

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

: Queens University at Belfast, 2000), p.182.

History

The ''

cathedra A ''cathedra'' is the raised throne of a bishop in the early Christian basilica. When used with this meaning, it may also be called the bishop's throne. With time, the related term ''cathedral'' became synonymous with the "seat", or principal ...

'' of the

Bishop of Clogher The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the ot ...

was removed to Monaghan town in the mid-19th century. The plan for the cathedral was proposed in 1858 by Bishop Charles MacNally. The site was purchased in 1861. Architect James Joseph McCarthy (1817–1882) designed the cathedral in a 14th-century Gothic architectural style was begun in 1862. Most limestone was quarried locally. Architect William Hague Jr. (1840–1899) from Cavan oversaw the building of the spire after 1882, which stands 81 metres high, as well as the gate lodge. Bishop James Donnelly, bishop of Clogher from 1864 to 1893, oversaw most of the building and dedicated it on 21 August 1892 to the service of God and the patronage of

Macartan Saint Mac Cairthinn, also Macartan, McCartan (died 506), is recognized as the first presiding Bishop of Clogher from 454 to his death. One of the earliest Christian saints in Ireland, he is known as Saint Patrick's "Threin Fhir", or "Strong Man ...

, the diocese's patron saint. The cathedral was renovated and the beautiful interior was simplified and left feeling bare. For those looking to pray to the

Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of th ...

, the

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

can be found out of immediate eyesight on the right hand side of the sanctuary.

Burials

* Patrick Mulligan (1912–1990), Bishop of Clogher

References

External links

Monaghan Guide: St. Macartan's Cathedral

Archiseek: St. Macartan's Cathedral

Cathedrals and Churches of Ireland: Monaghan
{{coord, 54, 14, 40, N, 6, 57, 30, W, type:city_source:kolossus-plwiki, display=title Buildings and structures in Monaghan (town) Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Republic of Ireland Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher Religious buildings and structures in County Monaghan Roman Catholic churches completed in 1893 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Ireland 1861 establishments in Ireland

History

Burials

See also

References

External links