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CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE CATHEDRAL

Introduction The following is a chronological account of the building of St. Colman's Cathedral which begins with the lease for the site of the new cathedral being secured. Most of the information below has come from research carried out at the Diocesan Archives in Cobh. Only the documentation relating to the building of the cathedral during the time of Bishops Keane and McCarthy has to date been catalogued. However, their successor, Bishop Brown, was an extremely conscientious record keeper and kept a detailed ledger, which records monies paid to all the tradesmen and craftsmen employed on the project. It is from this that much of the information pertaining to works to the interior of the cathedral was gathered.

January 1867 A diocesan building committee is formed with a view to erecting a new Catholic cathedral at Cobh (then Queenstown). Reverend Dr. J. Rice, the Administrator, is appointed secretary to the committee.
There was a significant amount of controversy surrounding the appointment of an architect for the new Catholic cathedral at Queenstown. Rev. Rice is asked by the committee to obtain designs from three firms - Pugin & Ashlin, J.J. McCarthy, Dublin and George Goldie, London. Goldie and McCarthy immediately object to the terms of the competition and suggest the addition of further conditions, including the founding of an impartial sub-committee who would examine the proposed plans. Apart from the unfair advantage they seem to have thought Pugin & Ashlin may have because of their close connections with members of the committee (which included Ashlin's brother Fr. Stephen Ashlin as assistant to Dr. Rice) they were also concerned that the budget outlined in the competition, £25,000, would not be adhered to. Goldie and McCarthy therefore proposed that respectable builders who would be prepared to undertake the construction of the proposed cathedral for the amount specified offer the plans and specifications for inspection.

However, Pugin & Ashlin refuse to agree to the additional conditions proposed by the other two architects, stating that they have already agreed to compete on the terms mentioned by Rev. Rice's circular. Goldie is infuriated by the committee's refusal to push through the additional conditions McCarthy and he have suggested and write to them on 27th February that 'they would rather deprive themselves of the chance of this noble work than subject themselves to the indignity which the present attitude of the committee threatens'. By July of 1867 the impasse has resulted in the competition being called off.

February 1867 On 6th of February Reverend Rice writes to the Bishop that they have finally secured ownership of Clarence Terrace for the cost of almost £1025.
The church, which previously stood on the site, was taken down, although it had only been built in 1835. A building was by this date being constructed that would act as a temporary place of worship for the congregation and was known as the 'chapel of ease' or 'pro-cathedral'. The ledger of Charles Doran, Clerk of Works, logs in February 1868 that all the labourers are employed in taking down the old church, piling timbers, taking down slates and then taking down the walls. The south aisle and transept were the first sections to be dismantled with the north aisle last.
During this time stonecutters were already cutting stone for the new cathedral, preparing angle stones and dressing quoins.

Excavation work on the site began immediately although the difficulties caused by the location meant it was to be the beginning of over a year of intensive labour. The Irish Builder, October 15th 1868 gives a good account of how the rock had to be cut into at the level of the yard surface for the foundations on the north side, whilst for those on the south side excavations to a depth of 24 ft. had to be made before a tolerable bearing stratum was obtained. The whole of the area to be occupied by the towers, trenches for south aisle, transept and side chapel foundations were excavated to this depth. In all cases the rock was reached and stepped so as to counteract any sliding tendency that might arise from the natural inclination of its surface. The excavations were then filled up with Portland cement to a height of 10ft. to maintain the resisting qualities of the rock and as to equalise the depth of masonry in the trenches.

24th July 1867 A letter from Pugin and Ashlin to Reverend J. Rice the administrator of St. Colman's states that since there is now to be no competition for the design of the new cathedral they suggest submitting preliminary sketches before the actual plans are put in hand.

8th August 1867 By this date Pugin and Ashlin's preliminary designs are in hand and they intend to forward them to the Bishop and Rev. Rice for consideration that week.

13th November 1867 Pugin and Ashlin's plans for the cathedral have increased so that the site is now too small for the proposed building, and the possibility of moving back the retaining wall is suggested. The confined position of the site posed a challenge to the architects who had to design a building commensurate with the requirements of a cathedral on a site that was surrounded on three sides by roads and to the other by buildings. Furthermore, the Bridewell buildings to the western boundary of the site remained standing long after the cathedral had been erected. These buildings were not to be removed until the time of Bishop Browne.

3rd December 1867 Pugin writes to the Bishop that the plans are now in a form and shape to be ready for his approval and for the builders to estimate from. At this time they also consider the names of builders who would wish to tender for the project.

15th July 1868 The first stone of the building was laid by the Right Rev. Dr. Keane and from that time the work progressed steadily.

30th September 1868 The south west quoin of the tower reached the level on which the superstructure was to commence, at a height of 24ft. from the bottom of the excavation

15th October 1868 The Irish Builder mentions that foundations are complete, but that construction of superstructure has not yet begun. Messrs. Pugin and Ashlin have been appointed as architects and the plan for the cathedral completed. To date the works have been carried out by Mr. C.G. Doran, Clerk of Works, under the architects but it is planned to appoint a contractor when the foundations are levelled.

October 1868 A circular is sent out to invite builders to tender for phase one of the building work of the new cathedral. Messrs. Meade and Son, Dublin are successful.

1st February 1869 The Irish Builder of the date notes that the outlay on the temporary chapel, its fittings, on the purchase of the terrace houses, on clearing away the old buildings, on widening the road and on preparing the foundations for the cathedral has used more that the £15,000 which had been collected by September 1868.

March 1869 The contract with Michael Meade is settled, with the builder eventually agreeing to the conditions which he thought too stringent initially. Tracy and Nagle Solicitors, Cork are employed to oversee the agreement.

April 1869 Messrs. Meade and Son begin building the superstructure of the cathedral.

22nd May 1869 Rev. J. Rice sends a progress report to Bishop Keane writing that works have been suspended due to rain 'and the races'. Another setback is that the asphalting to the site has been a complete failure and that Meade is making preparations to do the work again. A cargo of Granite to be used in the construction work is at the Quay in Queenstown.

3rd June 1869 In another progress report work on the cathedral seems to be going well, despite the setbacks of May. All the southern piers are finished and those to the north 'will D.V. be in a good way on Saturday night'.

13th June 1869 Rice writes to Keane that the piers are nearly finished and that Meade has taken a quarry at Monkstown.

3rd August 1869 Rice writes to the Bishop that he is not happy with the slow progress of the building work. He notes that there are only 9 masons on site, but admits the number of stone cutters is much greater.

25th January 1870 The number of masons on site has risen to 25 with a further 14 stone cutters employed on the construction of the new cathedral. The rate of building work has obviously accelerated and Rice writes to the Bishop that the masons 'work is now very manifest and most beautiful'.

6th March 1870 Rice writes to the Bishop (who is in Rome) that the superstructure of the cathedral averages all round 8 feet. On site at the time 32 stone cutters and 30 masons are working.

29th March 1870 By this time the rewards of the energy and expense spent on constructing the new cathedral for Cloyne are at last becoming evident. Rice writes to Keane that there is 'a treat in store for the Bishop when he returns'.

23rd May 1870 Another progress report from Rice numbers the stone cutters on site now at 35 with 14 masons employed. He notes that the number should be greater but there has been a setback as a cargo of granite has been delayed.

9th June 1870 By now this cargo has evidently arrived, with 41 stone cutters and 21 masons employed. This number has increased again by the end of the month

January/February 1871 Tension between the Clerk of Works Charles G. Doran and the builder Michael Meade has increased. Meade writes to the architect suggesting that Doran be replaced. In turn, Ashlin is unhappy with the work that is being carried out. At the start of February Meade discharges all workers from the site, except for four and informs Ashlin that he is unable to continue work unless payment of at least £2500.

3rd May 1871 Rev. Rice writes to Ashlin apparently backing Meade's criticisms of the Clerk of Works, adding that Doran is 'a wild revolutionist who sympathises with the Paris communists', and that while outside politics he is a willing man, inside he is ' a dangerous fanatic'.

June 1871 Building works are still completely suspended and Ashlin makes it known that he would prefer to carry on the works without a contractor. On June 11th a letter from Rice to Keane states that the church has decided to trust to the clerk of works and the architect and feels that thousands will be saved without a contractor. He notes that 'Mr Meade is crest fallen'.

On June 30th Meade releases the contract for the cathedral.

6thJune 1871 The Cathedral Sub-Committee meet and decide the following:
    1. there shall be a time keeper distinct from the Clerk of Works
    2. a pay clerk distinct from the other two
    3. that Doran go to Dublin as requested by the architect.

1st August 1871 By this date building works are progressing well once again, and there are 81 men employed on site. Doran write to Rice that there is good progress with the masonry and that he has found a place to store the Bath stone cuttings.

10th February 1872 In a letter to the Bishop, Pugin asks that he be paid his commission directly rather than through Ashlin. He notes that by agreement he himself received 2/3rds of the fee, with the remaining 1/3rd to Ashlin. Interestingly, Bishop Keane has added a note to the bottom of this correspondence - 'Better to make no changes'.

26th May 1872 Rice writes to Keane that all is going well at the cathedral with work continuing until 8 o'clock in the evening. He mentions 'large quantities of beautiful stones got from Copstown and Fermoy'.

January 1874 John McCarthy succeeds William Keane as Bishop of Cloyne and vows to continue the work of his predecessor.
There is some controversy over the amount of money being spent on the building work and a meeting between the Bishop and the Building Committee in May 1875 is called because the people of Queenstown want a detailed account of the expenditure of the money contributed by them and other parishes before they contribute more. Meanwhile, collections for the cathedral fund are being carried out as far away from home as Tasmania.

17th March 1876 Charles Doran writes that considerable progress has been made with the transept walls, but not as much as should have been due to the lack of granite. The cargo which had left Dublin a month ago has not arrived in Queenstown.

15th June 1879 The first mass is held in the new cathedral. By this time the roof of the cathedral is basically complete, with only the finishes outstanding.

September 1879 The architect Ashlin and Rev. S. Ashlin, Queenstown write to each other regarding employing suitable plumbers for the cathedral. They also discuss stonecutters and carvers, but it is noted that the work is 'all but finished' with the exception of the north transept where the Bishop hasn't yet decided on the subject.

October 1879 Craftsmen to carry out the finishes to the cathedral are being selected. WF Dixon from Liverpool sends sketches for the stained glass window to the Sacred Heart chapel for inclusion in the competition and a Mr. Barnett is asked by Ashlin to make a design for the south transept window.

November 1880 Tenders are sent to the Bishop and Ashlin for the roof ridge cresting. The work is finally given to a Mr. A. Webb, from Belfast, who by August 1881 has sent through diagrams and dimensions for the erection of the cresting. The cross and cage stays are promised for the following week.

19th March 1883 Ashlin writes to Bishop McCarthy to explain why he is not in a position to reduce the architect's fees, showing that the funding of the cathedral was still a continuous concern.

1883-89 Work is stopped on the cathedral due to lack of funds.

30th January 1889 There is some controversy over the retention of the services of the clerk of works Charles Doran. Ashlin states however, in a letter to the Bishop, that he wishes to see his position secured, despite Doran's 'strictness with regard to details and his unbending nature creating problems for the contractor'.
Doran's reputation and behaviour seems to have had a significant influence on the ongoing building works at the cathedral. In February 1889 a builder from Glasgow, one Mr. Devlin, withdraws his tender because of the clerk of works. Ashlin's faith in him, however, was to prove the deciding factor and he writes to the Bishop again at the end of this month stating that there is no one in whose ability he would have as much confidence.

July 1889 By this time a Reverend Barry has taken over as cathedral administrators from Reverend Rice.

4th July 1889 Ashlin writes to the Bishop regarding the alteration to the west gable. He also notes that the down pipes are being fixed, the confessionals completed and the chancel completed internally.

27th March 1891 Ashlin writes to the Bishop that he has recently visited the site and has approved the works carried out on the cathedral. The ceiling and the carving in the chancel are by this date almost complete. Sketches for the mosaic flooring have also been received by the architect.

9th November 1891 Tenders are received for the work to create the high altar from the following:
    PJ O'Neill, Dublin
    James Pearse, Dublin
    Edmund Sharpe, Dublin
    Earley & Powells, Dublin
    Cox, Sons, Buckley and Co., Youghal
    John A. O'Connell, Gillabbey St., Cork.
The successful candidate was Earley and Powells.

In November tenders are also received for the Sacred Heart Chapel and Mortuary Altars from:
    PJ O'Neill, Dublin
    Earley & Powells, Dublin
    John A. O'Connell, Gillabbey St., Cork
    T. Ryan & Sons, Dublin.
The successful candidate was O'Connell, who was also responsible for much other work to the interior, including the carving of the side chapels and the carving and instalment of the marble pavement in the mortuary chapel.

11th November 1891 The builder Barry McMullen is paid for the contract for the tower of the cathedral.

12th February 1892 Pat John Scannell is paid £30 for his work on the marble communion rail. He is paid again on the 21st of June.

1892 The payments made during the year show what other work was continuing to the interior of the cathedral. Such payments were made for:     - cleaning down and carving side chapels
    - instalment of marble pavement in mortuary chapel
    - fixing a confessional
    - sheeting a 'side chapel' with timber

1892 At a meeting with the church committee Bishop McCarthy states his intention to finish the upper part of the cathedral and to convert the Blessed Virgin's Chapel into a mortuary chapel to the late Bishop Keane.

December 1893 The requiem mass for Bishop McCarthy is the first mass offered on the new high alter, erected as a gift to him by the priests of the diocese.

1893 Records of payment made again show what work was continuing:

    - the mortuary altar, Sacred Heart altar and floor to the mortuary chapel
    - Materials supplied for and work executed on the Memorial Altar.

1893-94 Ludwig Oppenheimer works on the mosaics in the interior, which include the floors to the Lady Chapel, floating Lady Chapel and Sacred Heart Chapel, mosaic panels for the high altar (1893), predillae and inscriptions.


Also, importantly he works on the passage at the communion railing in 1893, showing that the rails were already complete and in place at this time.

In 1894 Oppenheimer completes ten enamel mosaics for the high altar.

August 1894 Robert Browne succeeds John McCarthy as Bishop of Cloyne.
A note in the ledger kept by Bishop Browne recording the expenditure on the cathedral reads - ' I began the continuation of the building of the cathedral on 29th of April, 1895'.

1895 The Pieta in the Mortuary Chapel (now the Pieta Chapel) is completed by Meyer Munich.

1896-1897 Work on the groined ceiling of the aisles is carried out as per contract, as is stone carving and the installation of four confessionals, as well as the positioning of Portland stone steps up to four of the shrines. The stairs behind the high altar are put in place, carved oak panelling installed to the choir stalls and services such as heating, chimney shafts and a reading desk to the organ gallery fitted. Pointing to the south end of the cathedral is ongoing as is job work in and around the cathedral, especially excavating rock outside.

1898 A lot of the finishing materials to the interior are being fitted at this time, especially the marble work, such as to the recesses behind the high altar and marble slabs to the apse and the baptistery. The Good Counsel shrine is being completed with the altar installed and Oppenheimer working on the mosaics.

Mosaic passages to the floors in the nave, aisles and transepts are completed by a Mr. Edwards from Roubon. The Wood Block Flooring Co. from London carry out work to the floors of the cathedral and further stone carving work continues.

The elaborate oak pulpit is being carved at this time by a Mr. Bull, Dublin.

Benches are put in position in the interior and the details for these appear in the ledger kept by Bishop Browne:     24 cathedral benches 13ft long
    70 cathedral benches 11ft long
    A barrier railing separating the aisles.
    4 extra benches 13ft long and 3 benches 9ft long are also provided. (There is a second entry for additional cathedral benches, which suggests the demand was high).

30th July 1898 A photograph from the pictorial supplement of The Cork Weekly Examiner shows the main body of the cathedral built and roofed, complete with cresting filials and statures, but without its spire. A section of the sacristy is complete but an older, smaller building still stands where the main body of the sacristy is to be later erected.

6th August 1898 A photograph of the interior of the cathedral by Mr. P. Garvey of Queenstown in the pictorial supplement of The Cork Weekly Examiner shows the extent to which the interior was completed by this date. The pews are in place, the mosaic floor complete to the nave, the capitals and spandrels carved and the reredos in place behind the altar. The apse already contains its stained glass windows. The carved oak lectern is also complete and stands in the same position as today.
Additions were also made to the plan at this time. The sacristy was extended to two rooms and then floored with presses fitted. Also work began to the mortuary chapel to the south west corner, below the tower.

1898-99 At this time a huge amount of final fittings and fixtures were provided to the cathedral. Such items included the following: Gas standards, sanctuary lights with incandescent burners and shades, 13 brass rods for the altar steps, 6 chandeliers for the shrines and altar, various candelabra, holy water stoups for the doorways. A new organ was also installed at this time.


Carving:Carving over the tympanum to the west door and other carving work to this doorway (Mr.C.W. Harrison, Dublin), the Sacred Heart group in carved wood, stations of the cross, croquets and cornices in confessionals, and statuary such as - the Calvary group, Holy Family Group, Agony group (Messrs. Mayers, Munich), statues of the four Evangelists in the transepts (Mr. Stacks), 12 marble statues of angels behind the high altar (Angelo Farretti, Carrera).


Stained Glass:A large number of stained glass windows were inserted at this time, most carried out either by Messrs. Mayers & Co. of Munich - mortuary chapel, Sacred Heart chapel, south aisle, Blessed Virgin chapel and baptistery, Or Messrs. Hardman & Co. of Birmingham - clerestory windows, apse, south transept, west window, north transept.

Services:Heating boilers and the installation of electric light in the cathedral


Exterior:Structural works to the grounds were being completed, including forming the plateau outside the cathedral, making the road and partly building the parapet walls with arches. The tower windows were glazed, the external railings and fencing fitted, chains and standards for the cathedral grounds, the top of the tower was asphalted, outside statues and roof cresting were painted.

1900 Oak panelling is fitted to the choir and the organ gallery, and the stairs behind the high altar are built. Work continues on finishing the shrines, including fitting lamps. Payments are made for work to the baptistery and the tower, and for extension works to the sacristy.

1905 A lot of finishing work was carried out to the baptistery at a later date than the rest of the cathedral, including the marble lining to the walls, the stone carving, the brass gates and the mosaic flooring (Mr. Edwards). A design for the marble lining of the baptistery by Ashlin and Coleman showing the marbles and stones to be used is dated 1905 (Diocesan Archives).

November 1906-December 1909 The new sacristy and the Chapel of Blessed Thaddeus
Ashlin and Coleman were responsible for the design of these additions to the cathedral and the construction was carried out by Mr. Sisk, builder, Cork.

The stone carving in the new chapel is by JA O'Connell with Oppenheimer again responsible for the mosaics. In the new sacristy the mantel pieces and lavabo are of carved stone with oak benches and tables. In 1915 the sacristy was panelled in oak.
A carved altar and reredos is completed for each transept and carved figures are added to these areas also. Further ornamentation of the interior is completed by carving additional diapering to the walls of both transepts.

When all the chapels were complete they were divided by carved stone screens designed by Ashlin and Coleman (the Sacred Heart chapel from the Mortuary chapel and the B. Thaddeus chapel from the Blessed Virgin's chapel).

1909 By this time the works to the exterior of the cathedral and the site and terraces were complete. The old Bridewell buildings had also been removed and the new roadway to the south and west constructed.3

1911-1917 The last phase of the building of the cathedral was the erection of the tower and spire, designed by Ashlin and Coleman and carried out by John Maguire, builder, Cork. A Mr. Scannell was the clerk of works. In March 1915 a copper cross was raised to the top of the spire, which was actually completed by March 1915 when the last scaffolding surrounding the spire was taken down. The clock and chimes of 52 bells installed in May 1916.
At this time also a further 3 stone figures were added to the west doorway, completed by a George Smyth.

12th August 1919 St. Colman's Cathedral is consecrated by the Most Rev. Robert Browne.