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St Eugene's Cathedral () is the
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
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 ...
located in
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. It is the "Mother Church" for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Derry, as well as the parish Church of the parish of Templemore.


History

It was not until the passage of the
Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 ( 10 Geo. 4. c. 7), also known as the Catholic Emancipation Act 1829, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that removed the sacramental tests that barred Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom f ...
that the possibility of building a Roman Catholic cathedral in Derry could be contemplated. Fundraising for the building of the cathedral took place from 1840. Work began on the construction of the cathedral in 1849. The cathedral's location is next to Francis Street and Creggan Street in Derry. The total cost of building the cathedral amounted to just over £40,000. Money was raised not just in Derry and
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 ...
, but also in
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
where around £4,000 was raised. The architect commissioned to design the cathedral was James Joseph McCarthy who had already built numerous cathedrals across Ireland. The plan of the cathedral is a simple
neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...
expression. The cathedral was officially opened on 4 May 1873 by the then
Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
, Francis Kelly. The project to build the cathedral's
bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
and spire was postponed, as no funds were available for the project. At first, the cathedral's windows were made of plain glass due to lack of funds. It was not until the late 1890s when
stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows were installed. Work on the bell tower and spire began on 13 August 1900, with the building contract awarded to Courtney and Co from
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
. Work was completed on 19 June 1903.


Post Vatican II changes

The changes to the Roman Catholic liturgy in 1962/1964 meant that the sanctuary of the cathedral had to be reorganised. In May 1964 a temporary wooden altar was placed in the sanctuary to accommodate the mass being said in English and facing the congregation. Further temporary work was carried out in late 1975 with the addition of a larger wooden altar on a newly extended wooden sanctuary floor, the removal of the
altar rails The altar rail (also known as a communion rail or chancel rail) is a low barrier, sometimes ornate and usually made of stone, wood or metal in some combination, delimiting the chancel or the sanctuary and altar in a church, from the nave and ot ...
and the removal of the smaller
pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...
on the cathedral's left-hand side of the sanctuary whilst retaining the main pulpit located at the right-hand side of the cathedral sanctuary. The wooden statues which adorned the main large pulpit's large canopy were removed and placed at other locations in the cathedral sanctuary just in time before Christmas Midnight Mass was transmitted live via Eurovision from the cathedral. In 1984 fundraising began for the renovation work to the cathedral, which its main structure was over a hundred years old and in desperate need of repair. From 1984 until 1988, exterior renovation work took place on the cathedral with the extension of the
sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is us ...
and the building of a brand new conference room. In June 1989 the cathedral was closed for six months for a permanent reorganisation of the sanctuary. The old temporary fittings were removed and a new sanctuary floor made from
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
n
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
was completed. A new square altar made from
Carrara Carrara ( ; ; , ) is a town and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey Carrara marble, marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, ...
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
was made and installed in the sanctuary under the
chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...
arch. The old pulpit was taken out and a brand new lectern made of marble was installed. The celebrant's chair and
tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instru ...
stand were all made from Carrara and Macedonian marble. A new tabernacle was made in silver-plated bronze, and was constructed by a
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 ...
silversmith, Peter Donovan. A new secondary porch was created in the main entrance in the 1989 renovations along with a new small porch in the North aisle. The main high altar table was taken out, however, the original
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
which was installed in 1904, was kept. A new lighting scheme was installed, to give the cathedral more brightness and warmth which it had lacked for many years. A new sound system was also installed which gave the cathedral excellent amplification. The whole interior of the cathedral was redecorated. The cathedral's brand new interior was opened and consecrated by the then Bishop of Derry, Edward Daly on 17 December 1989. On Monday 25 May 2015, extensive refurbishment and renovation work commenced in the cathedral. Details of the refurbishment and renovation work which would be undertaken in the cathedral in the coming months ahead was outlined in their
parish bulletin A parish magazine or parish bulletin, also called church bulletin, is a periodical produced by and for an ecclesiastical parish. It usually comprises a mixture of religious articles, community contributions, and parish notices, including the prev ...
. "As custodians of this sacred, listed building of St Eugene’s Cathedral, it has become necessary to carry out essential repairs and refurbishment primarily associated with damage caused by the entrance of moisture to the fabric of the building. This is affecting internal finishes, stained glass windows and external masonry (ie St Columba’s and St Patrick’s windows). The damp entering the aisle wall at the choir is causing large sections of internal plaster to boast. The spiral staircase to the bell tower is cracked and unsafe. The existing wrought iron ladder and platform to the spire from the bell tower are unsafe and as a result, the spire parapet gutter has not been maintained for several years. The works will cost £353,480. The works will begin on Monday, 25th May and will continue for 20 weeks. The main contractor is Stewart & McConnell, Derry (lowest tender)". On the week of 16 November 2015, restoration work on the cathedral concluded.


Current use

During Holy Week of 2013, the Good Friday liturgy and the Easter Vigil celebration was broadcast live from the cathedral on television by the Republic of Ireland state broadcaster RTE, with both ceremonies transmitted across Europe through Eurovision. The broadcasts were made to celebrate the City of Derry being the 2013 UK City of Culture. On Sunday 13 December 2015, the
bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
,
Donal McKeown Dónal McKeown (born 12 April 1950) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic prelate from Northern Ireland who has served as Bishop of Derry since 2014. Early life and education McKeown was born in Belfast on 12 April 1950, one of four children to J ...
, opened a "Holy Door" in the cathedral to commence the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in the Roman Catholic Church, which ran until Sunday 20 November 2016. The "Holy Door" is the main entrance door to the cathedral. The entrance porch has been completely refurbished. On entering the porch you are now greeted by eight newly positioned oak statues of Saints Columba, Patrick, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Mary and Joseph. These statues used to be part of the canopy of the old pulpit in the cathedral from 1906 to 1989. A stone statue of Saint Eugene adorns the outside of the entrance porch embedded in the main bell tower of the cathedral; it has been there since the cathedral was built in 1873. On the newly refurbished porch the words from the prophet Isaiah, "Do not be afraid I have redeemed you and called you by your name. You are mine", are engraved on the wall. On Sunday 13 November 2016, Bishop Donal McKeown officially closed the "Holy Door" to mark the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy which concluded on Sunday 20 November 2016 in the Roman Catholic Church. On Monday 8 August 2016, the retired bishop of Derry Edward Daly died at the age of 82. His remains were brought to the cathedral that evening, and over a period of two and a half days, an estimated 25,000 people came to pay their last respects to Bishop Daly's remains which lay at rest inside the cathedral on public display. His funeral mass took place in the cathedral on Thursday 11 August 2016, where over a thousand people packed into the cathedral. Irish President Michael D Higgins, Deputy First Minister
Martin McGuinness James Martin Pacelli McGuinness (; 23 May 1950 – 21 March 2017) was an Irish republican politician and statesman for Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during The Troubles. He was the deputy First Minist ...
and representatives of the Queen, the British and Irish governments and City of Derry dignitaries, including Deputy Mayor Jim McKeever, were also present. The sitting mayor alderman Hillary McClintock from the DUP didn't attend the funeral due to unforeseen circumstances. But paid tribute to Bishop Daly by article and opened a book of condolences in the Guildhall. The current bishop of Derry, Most Reverend Donal McKeown, was the celebrant of the
Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...
Mass, which was concelebrated by the Primate of All Ireland, Derry-born Archbishop Eamon Martin, retired archbishop of Armagh Sean Brady, other bishops and clergy from across the Derry Diocese and around Ireland. Representatives of the other Christian churches in Derry City, including former Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry and Raphoe – James Mehaffey, who was very close friends with Bishop Daly – attended. Immediately after the Requiem Mass, Bishop Daly was buried in a plot located within the grounds of the cathedral alongside his predecessor Bishop Neil Farren, Bishop of Derry from 1939 to 1973, who was buried there in 1980. In November 2016, the old confessional rooms in the cathedral which were built and opened in 1989 were closed and new confessionals which were constructed at the back of the cathedral near the main entrance doors during the summer of 2016, were opened. This was done to encourage people who enter the cathedral through the main entrance doors to think about going to confession. It also made it easier for people, having the confessionals located at the back of the cathedral and not away up near the top of the cathedral, adjacent to the sacristy. The new confessionals were blessed by Bishop Donal McKeown at Sunday Mass on 20 November 2016. The area which was the old confessional rooms since 1989 was converted into a new side chapel dedicated to Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The new chapel was blessed and dedicated by the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, during the cathedral parish's annual nine-day Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux. On Friday 12 May 2017 at a special prayer service at 7:30 pm in the cathedral, parishioners and clergy were joined by nuns from Mother Teresa's order, who joined the packed congregation in the cathedral for Evening Prayer and a special dedication ceremony for the new chapel. Today the chapel is used by prayer groups, and on Sunday mornings during the 11:00 am Mass it is used for the children's liturgy. In 2023, the cathedral celebrated its 150th anniversary. To celebrate this special occasion, a new statue was installed in the cathedral of Blessed Carlo Acutis. A diocesan mass to celebrate the anniversary was held on Sunday 30 April 2023 and a special anniversary mass for the cathedral parish was celebrated on Thursday 4 May 2023, on the same date the cathedral opened its doors in 1873.


Organs

The organ has always been located in a west-end gallery. The original organ was built by Telford of Dublin and installed in 1873. In the mid-1950s this instrument was replaced with an 11-rank extension organ by the John Compton Organ Company of
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Only for the cathedral's extremely lively acoustic, the instrument is of questionable musical quality. No pipes are visible, which detracts greatly from the overall appearance of the West end. The fine stone-carved gallery and rose window above, are marred by what looks more like a loudspeaker cabinet than an organ. By the late 1990s, this organ had fallen into only sporadic use, with the main Sunday services being accompanied by a Johannus electronic instrument located in the south aisle.


The cathedral today

Saint Eugene's Cathedral forms part of the Parish of Templemore in the city of Derry, which also includes Saint Columba's Church, Long Tower. The Bishop of Derry – Most Reverend Donal McKeown is the Parish Priest of the Templemore Parish. Bishop McKeown was installed as Bishop of Derry in the cathedral on Sunday 6 April 2014. The bells of the cathedral can be heard over the Derry area each day at 8:00am, 12:00pm, 6:00pm and 9:00pm, ringing out seasonal tunes and calling parishioners to masses. As of March 2025, the cathedral parish covers a Catholic population of 12,140.


Cathedral clergy

As of March 2025, Saint Eugene's Cathedral is served by the following clergy: Parish Priest – Bishop of Derry, Most Reverend Donal McKeown Administrator – Father Paul Farren Curate – Father Shaun Doherty Assisting Priest – Father Colum Clerkin http://www.steugenescathedral.com/pdf/280822.pdf


Cathedral timetable

As of March 2025, Saint Eugene's Cathedral timetable is outlined below: Mass Times * Sundays at 6:15 pm and 7:30 pm Vigil Masses on Saturday evenings; 7:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and 7:00 pm on Sundays * Holyday of Obligation at 6:15 pm and 7:30 pm Vigil Masses on the day before; 7:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:30 pm and 7:30 pm on the Holyday * Masses on a Holy day can be altered, so check the parish website for details * Mondays to Fridays Masses at 8:00 am, 10:00 am and 7:30 pm * Saturday mornings at 10:00 am * During the season of Lent, an extra Mass is held at 1:00 pm Mondays to Fridays Confessions * Saturdays from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm and from 7:00 pm – 7:20 pm * Day before Holydays from 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm – 7:20 pm * Mondays to Fridays from 7:00 pm – 7:20 pm Eucharistic Adoration * Tuesdays from after the 10:00 am Mass until 7:25 pm * Sundays from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, concluding with devotions at 6:00 pm * Mondays to Fridays Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary and Night Prayer is held from 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm * Angelus and Rosary recited Mondays to Fridays at 12.00pm * Chaplet of Divine Mercy recited Mondays to Fridays at 3.00pm Full details of all Mass times, confessions, and special ceremonies including extra services for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter are available on the cathedral parish website – www.steugenescathedral.com


See also

*
St Columb's Cathedral St Columb's Cathedral in the walled city of Derry, Northern Ireland, is the cathedral church and episcopal see of the Church of Ireland's Diocese of Derry and Raphoe. It is also the parish church of Templemore. It is dedicated to Saint Columba ...
in
Diocese of Derry and Raphoe The Diocese of Derry and Raphoe is a diocese of the Church of Ireland in the north-west of Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. Its geographical remit straddles two civil jurisdictions: in Northern Ireland, it covers all of ...
(Church of Ireland) * Roman Catholic Diocese of Derry


References


External links


St Eugene's Cathedral, Derry Diocese

Archiseek photographs of St Eugene's Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Derry, Saint Eugene Saint Eugene Roman Catholic cathedrals in Northern Ireland Religious buildings and structures in Derry (city) Churches in County Londonderry Gothic Revival church buildings in Northern Ireland Grade B+ listed buildings Roman Catholic churches completed in 1903 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United Kingdom 19th-century churches in Northern Ireland 20th-century churches in Northern Ireland