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| ST. FINN BAR'S CATHEDRAL, CORK. -This modern edifice, devoted to Episcopal worship, occupies the site of the ancient cathedral founded by St. Finn Bar in the seventh century. Not even tradition has preserved any record of the architectural character of the original building, although it seems to have vanished entirely only as late as 1725. It is said that Oliver Cromwell, on the surrender of Cork to the Parliamentary army in 1679, ordered the bells to be taken down and cast into field pieces. On being remonstrated with by some of the citizens, the cynical regicide uttered the only "joke" attributed to him, remarking profanely that "since gunpowder was invented by a priest, he thought the best use for bells would be to promote them into Canons!" So the act of descecration was duly carried into effect. The second cathedral, erected in 1735, was an architectural failure, and was taken down about the middle of the sixties. The present structure was built in the Transition-Norman style, after the design of an English architect Mr. Burges, and was consecrated in 1870 by the Right Rev. Bishop Gregg. Internally it consists of a nave, aisle and trasnspt, and has an apsidal choir and ambulatory. The Episcopal residence is adjacent to the cathedral and is a handsome and commodious structure. |
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