"St. Finbarr's Cathedral" Top 5 Page for this destination St Finbar's Cathedral Tip by challenger

Overlooking river Lee, St. Finbarr’s Cathedral is one of the most prominent features of Cork City whose fabulous architecture can easily be detected from all over town. In actual fact, its location also marks the founding spot from which the city of Cork finally emerged.

It was named after St. Finbarr who had spent most of his early life in solitary contemplation in beautiful Gougane Barra (West Cork) before he accepted the invitation of two local chieftains and around the year 606 settled in the area of what is now St. Finbarr’s Cathedral.

He quickly established a school (located at the site of present day University College Cork (UCC) on Western Road) and a monastery that occupies the current Cathedral.

The present building is the eleventh church since St. Finbarr’s original monastery. It is one of the nicest churches on the island. Just watch out for those goblins and take a close look at the Golden Angel outside the East wing: Local legend has it that the start of the apocalypse will be marked by the angel blowing into his horn.

Both the neo-gothic outside as well the inside were designed by English architect William Burges. Built between 1865-1870, it was opened to the public as a Church of Ireland Cathedral on November 30, 1870.

Very few things in Irish life are still free, so it comes as no surprise that you will be charged €3 for visiting the Cathedral during the weekdays, i.e. outside of regular times of worship.

Opening hours are from 09:00-17:00 in autumn and winter, between 09:00-17:30 in the warmer months.

Once inside watch out for Burges’ stained glass windows, the North aisle with its coat of arms, the pulpit showing St. Paul on an upturned pagan altar and the four evangelists together with their symbols (a human figure for St. Matthew, a lion for St. Mark, an ox for St. Luke and an eagle for St. John), the Cathedral’s organ, the magnificent Bishop’s Throne carved of oak and with a figure of St. Finbarr towards the top as well as the ambulatory with its magnificent marble mosaics.