St Mary's Cathedral is the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

church of the

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. It is situated on James's Street,

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Saint Mary's was designed by William Deane Butler (c.1794-1857). He was chosen by Bishop William Kinsella (1793-1845) who instigated the building of St. Mary's in February 1842. Work began in April 1843 and finished in 1857. On Sunday 4 October 1857, St. Mary's had its grand opening, which consisted of a two-and-three-quarter hour ceremony that began at 6.15am. The cost of the building is estimated to have been £25,000. St. Mary's is made from cut-limestone which was sourced locally. The cathedral has a

cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

plan and its style is described as ‘

Early English Gothic English Gothic is an architectural style that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches. Gothic architecture's defining features are pointed a ...

’. The design is believed to have been based on

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishme ...

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

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. It is situated on the highest point in Kilkenny City and is a significant local landmark. Its bell in the steeple was made by John Murphy, a Dublin foundry. St. Mary's has a noted sculpture of the

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Giovanni Maria Benzoni Giovanni Maria Benzoni (28 August 1809 – 28 April 1873) was an Italian neoclassical sculptor. He was trained in Rome, where he later set up his own workshop. Benzoni designed some of his sculptures with a production line in mind using ot ...

(1809-1873).

Gallery

File:Kilkenny St Mary Cathedral Nave 2007 08 29.jpg, Rear nave File:St Mary's Cathedral (13414140743).jpg, Nave facing the sanctuary St. Mary's Cathedral Kilkenny interior 2018f.jpg, Apse File:Kilkenny St Mary Cathedral Apse Vault.jpg, Vault in the apse Image:Kilkenny St Mary's Cathedral1.jpg, Main façade Image:Kilkenny 3, Ireland.jpg, Tower, transept (left) and apse (right) Image:Kilkenny Panorama.jpg, Kilkenny panorama with St Mary's Cathedral at background

References

External links

Parish website
* St. Mary's cathedral on th
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
website * A good history of St Mary'

* A biography o
William Deane Butler

A List of architects and designers
that worked on St Mary's Cathedral. {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny Roman Catholic cathedrals in the Republic of Ireland Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory Gothic Revival church buildings in the Republic of Ireland 1842 establishments in Ireland Religious organizations established in 1842 Roman Catholic churches in Kilkenny (city) Roman Catholic churches completed in 1857 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Ireland 19th-century churches in the Republic of Ireland