Cathedral of the Assumption

The entire county of Carlow is located in the Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Until the middle of the seventeenth century they were two separate dioceses but under reforms they were joined together. One of the key buildings of any diocese is the Cathedral. During the eighteenth century the Bishop’s residence was in Tullow, Co. Carlow. It must be remembered that this was a time of the Penal Laws, which were designed to keep both Catholics and Dissenters out of positions of power and for the most part out of property and land ownership. In the late eighteenth century some relaxation to the Penal Laws begun to take place such as allowing for Catholic schools to be opened.

The then Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Dr. James O’Keeffe begun to look for a site in Tullow to accommodate a Diocesan College and a Cathedral. Having failed to do so he obtained a 999 year lease from William Fishbourne for a four acre site in Carlow Town. Here he began to build Carlow College, Ireland’s first post penal Catholic third level institute.

In March 1828 the foundation stone of the Cathedral was laid by the Diocese’s most famous Bishop, James Doyle, better known as J.K.L., the initials he used as his signature referring to James of Kildare and Leighlin. The Cathedral was designed by the noted 19th century architect Thomas Cobden (who also designed Duckett’s Grove). The Cathedral was completed in 1833 and is built on the site of an earlier church, close examination of the building will show where parts of the old church have been incorporated into the Cathedral. Local material were used in the construction, the stone coming from a quarry on the Tullow Road, while Colonel Bruen from Oak Park supplied the white granite from his Graiguenaspidogue quarry and oak timbers from his forests at Oak Park. The Cathedral was completed and dedicated by Dr. Doyle on December 1st 1833 and cost £9,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Carlow College Bicentenary Cross erected in its grounds in1993 adjoining the Cathedral.
Photo Carlow County Museum.

Over the years the interior has seen many changes from its initial sparse furnishings. During the mid 1990s it was completely reordered and was rededicated in June 1997. The reordering saw the removal of the altar railings and the oak pulpit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Side view of the pulpit showing panel of. St Patrick and the ornate balustrade of the stairs.  Photo Carlow County Museum.

The pulpit was inaugurated on Sunday October 15th 1899 by Dr. Foley, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin in honor of the late Dr. Comerford, Co-adjutor Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin who died in 1895 and whom Dr. Foley had replaced.

The Pulpit, which was made in Bruges, Belgium, is designed in rose-cushioned oak and contains four main panels depicting preaching scenes from both the gospels and from Irish religious history.

The first panel depicts St. Patrick preaching at Tara to King Laoghaire and his chiefs on Easter Sunday, 433AD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Carlow County Museum.

The Sermon on the Mount by Christ is the subject of the front and main panel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christ preaching. Photo Carlow County Museum.
 
St. Paul at the Areopagus, Athens, in the third panel, is inspired by the famous Raphael painting in the Vatican.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Paul preaching in Athens. Photo Carlow County Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Laserian addressing the 630AD Leighlin Synod. Photo Carlow County Museum

At the base stands the figures of St. Laserian, St.. Patrick's Angel Victor and St. Conleth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each of the angles of the pulpit, which is hexagonal in shape, is occupied by statuettes resting on figures of cherubim. The first statuette at the stairs side represents St. Brigid, the Patroness of the Diocese. The other statuettes represent the Evangelists writing the Gospels.

 

 

 

Statuette of St Brigid with the figure of a cow lies at her feet, symbolical of the fact that during her life she was the guardian of the flocks and herds of the Curragh, Co. Kildare. Photo Carlow County Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the front of the pulpit is a tablet with the Latin inscription (in English is):
 “Pray for the soul of the Most Rev. Michael Comerford, Co-adjutor Bishop Kildare and Leighlin, who died on the 19th day of August, 1895,  in the seventh year of his episcopacy and the-sixty-fifth year of his age. May he rest in peace”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Carlow County Museum