Here’s one from Ireland - Galway Cathedral, or to be precise, The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and Saint Nicholas… So, normally the shorter form, “Galway Cathedral” is used. It’s the mother-church of the diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora in the west of Ireland. It is the last of the great European stone cathedrals, dedicated on the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady in 1965, by Cardinal Cushing of Boston.
crookhaven.net/images/galway/cathedral.jpg
It has the traditional cruciform structure, but there is a mixture of styles: built with local limestone (so it looks quite rugged!), a Renaissance-style dome, and the great arch which you can see springing from the ground to the roof at the front of the cathedral is an unusual feature in Irish churches - it recalls the city’s ancient links with Spain, as it was inspired by a church in Salamanca, Spain.
The Interior:
static.panoramio.com/photos/original/291648.jpg
This picture makes the cathedral seem somewhat smaller than it is, I think!
One’s eyes are immediately drawn to the massive mosaic of the Crucifixion behind the high altar, designed by Irish artist, Patrick Pollen. As many materials as possible came from the local area, and all of the artwork was designed by Irish artists. The floor, for example, is of Connemara marble. At the base of the dome there is more mosaic-work, including the purpose of building the cathedral: “Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis” - to give glory to God and peace to men. Originally the high altar had the tabernacle on it, along with tall candles - the tabernacle is now in the Blessed Sacrament chapel. However, we still have altar rails, which is a bonus!
The cathedral has three rose windows - and unusually, they actually do resemble roses!
web.simmons.edu/~fox/Ireland/galwayetal/galwaycathedral.jpg - this one depicts the five sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary (East Transept).
oasis.halfmoon.jp/extphoto2/ie2_photo/p9120231.jpg - this one depicts the glorious mysteries of the Rosary (West Transept).
ivan.tubert.org/gallery/albums/irlanda/IMG_0873.sized.jpg - the main window, beautifully encased by the organ pipes, shows the Immaculate Conception in the lowermost panel, and the joyful mysteries of the Rosary in the other five.
I couldn’t not mention the organ:
supertravelnet.com/iframe/?action=image&idcode=20016285&height=300 - it is the finest in the country, a delight to play. You only see some of the pipes in this picture - others are housed in the two bell towers on either side (you can see part of the two arches where these organ chambers are).
There’s so much more that I can’t describe here - it is a most beautiful building with real warmth and character, which one perhaps wouldn’t expect from a great building with bare limestone walls. So, if you want to see more, you’ll just have to take a trip over here!
media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/0b/e5/d4/outside.jpg
photos4webs.com/images/cathedral14m.jpg
eurotravelling.net/ireland/galway/images/cathedral_at_night.jpg
thecross-photo.com/images/Galway-Cathedral-Crucifixio.jpg
telefonica.net/web2/juanmedinadotcom/ire2005/thumb/089_Galway_St_Nicholas_Cathedral_4.jpg
So we love it