The Cathedral Church of St Mel is the cathedral church of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Geography
The diocese is entirely within the Republic of Ireland and contains most of counties Longford and Leitrim, with parts of counties ...
, located in the town of
Longford
Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...
in Ireland. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has been considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands region,
Longford's "landmark building"
and "one of the finest Catholic churches in Ireland".
The cathedral is dedicated to
Saint Mél (died 488), who came to Ireland with
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
and who was ordained bishop at
Ardagh, County Longford.
On Christmas Day 2009, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of the morning. The restored cathedral re-opened in December 2014.
Design history
The cathedral is a
Neoclassical stone building, at the north-east side of the town. Construction began in 1840 to the design of Joseph B. Keane, with the foundation stone (taken from the ruined cathedral in nearby
Ardagh) laid by the
Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, one of the suffragan dioceses of the Archdiocese of Armagh. The episcopal title takes its name after the town of Ardagh in County ...
,
William O'Higgins, on 19 May 1840. Work was then delayed by the arrival of the
Great Famine, but the church was opened for worship by O'Higgins's successor,
Rt. Rev. John Kilduff, on 29 September 1856.
The roof is supported by 24 limestone columns quarried at nearby
Newtowncashel
Newtowncashel () is a village located near Lough Ree in County Longford, Ireland. Newtowncashel won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1980.
History Name
Situated on the north-eastern shore of Lough Ree on the River Shannon, Newtowncashe ...
. The 1860
belfry
The belfry /ˈbɛlfri/ is a structure enclosing bells for ringing as part of a building, usually as part of a bell tower or steeple. It can also refer to the entire tower or building, particularly in continental Europe for such a tower attached ...
was designed by John Bourke, and the 1889 portico was designed by
George Ashlin. The cathedral was finally
consecrated
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
on 19 May 1893.
Harry Clarke
Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.
His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau ...
studios designed the
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 in the
transept
A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...
s. Ray Carroll designed the 1975 furnishings including "The Second Coming" tapestry behind the bishop's throne.
Imogen Stuart
Imogen Stuart (née Werner; 1927 – 24 March 2024) was a German-Irish sculptor, influenced by 19th-century Expressionism and early Irish Christian art. She mainly produced wood and stone for settings for churches but also created many secular ...
designed "The Holy Ghost" above the
baptismal font
A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...
. The tapestry was produced by
Donegal Carpets
Donegal Carpets is a trademark brand of handmade wool carpets produced in Killybegs, a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Donegal Carpets can be found in Dublin Castle, the Royal Pavilion of Brighton, Eltham Palace, and the U.S. White House as w ...
of
Killybegs
Killybegs () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the largest fishing port in the country and on the island of Ireland. It is located on the south coast of the county, north of Donegal Bay, near Donegal Town. Its Irish name means 'littl ...
.
2009 Christmas Day fire
Just after 5:00 am on 25 December 2009 a fire began at the back of the building.
Freezing weather disrupted attempts by firefighters to put out the blaze as their pipes were frozen solid,
causing the fire to go on for several hours. At one point flames were reported jumping 18 m into the air.
According to Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
Colm O'Reilly, who had celebrated
Midnight Mass
In many Western Christian traditions, Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christm ...
in the building hours before the fire began, St Mel's Cathedral was completely destroyed by the fire,
describing the cathedral as "just a shell" and "burned out from end to end".
However, there were rescue efforts underway to try to save the campanile before it too was destroyed.
As a result of the fire, Longford parishioners held their Christmas Day masses in the local
Temperance Hall.
Initial investigations into the cause of the blaze were hampered by the precarious state of the building; the
Gardaí conducted house-to-house inquiries in what a spokesman described as a "routine inquiry".
The estimated cost of the damage to the cathedral was approximately €30 million. Bishop O'Reilly committed to rebuilding it. St Mel's Crosier, a relic dating from over a thousand years ago, was destroyed in the fire.
Gardaí began examining the cathedral on 6 January 2010.
They determined two days later that it had not been arson.
A comprehensive investigation was undertaken by Gardaí and insurance forensic experts into the cause of the fire. It was established that the outbreak first arose in an old chimney flue at the rear of the cathedral and broke out into the sacristy through old inspection hatches located behind fitted units. It was concluded that the fire was entirely accidental in origin and could not have been foreseen.
Mass moved from the Temperance Hall to the sports hall and chapel of St Mel's College while the cathedral was being restored. Bishop O'Reilly issued a letter to his 41 parishes: "I am now writing the kind of letter that I never dreamt I would need to write. I must do so, since I wear a ring that Cardinal
Tomás Ó Fiaich placed on my finger as a reminder that for my time as Bishop I am bound to the Diocesan family in a bond that, like marriage, is for good times and bad. I write this letter to acknowledge that we must stay together in this time of sorrow and bewilderment. I also write to bring some solace to the many who are quite truly heart-broken."
Restoration
On 18 September 2011 the cathedral ruins were opened to the public for the first time since the Christmas Day fire, with thousands of people showing up to view the cathedral.
In 2012
Fine Gael
Fine Gael ( ; ; ) is a centre-right, liberal-conservative, Christian democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil Éireann. The party had a member ...
TD
James Bannon asked Bishop Colm O'Reilly to reconsider selecting an Italian organ maker to rebuild the organ in the cathedral.
A new altar was consecrated in March 2014, and the cathedral re-opened on Christmas Eve 2014.
The restoration project cost €30 million.
Among the features of the restored cathedral are a Carrara marble altar sculpted by Tom Glendon, a silver tabernacle created by Imogen Stuart and Vicki Donovan, a pipe organ consisting of 2,307 pipes, built by
Fratelli Ruffatti, and stained glass windows designed by Kim en Joong, a Dominican priest.
[
]
In popular culture
A silhouette
A silhouette (, ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhouett ...
image of St Mel's Cathedral features on the crest of League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is a national association football Sports league, league consisting of professional clubs in the Republic of Ireland and Derry, Derry City in Northern Ireland. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland. It was ...
club Longford Town
Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of I ...
. The cathedral is also depicted on the crest of all Co Longford GAA teams.
Gallery
Information on St Mel's Cathedral, Friends of St Mel's Cathedral and Longford Parish
A presentation on the recreation of the roof of St Mel's Cathedral
{{Authority control
Mel's Cathedral
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise
Mel's Cathedral
Longford (town)
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1893
19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Ireland
Neoclassical church buildings in Ireland
19th-century churches in the Republic of Ireland