St John the Baptist Cathedral, Sligo

St John the Baptist Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Sligo designed with Roman-influenced architecture featuring a spacious interior framed by stone pillars and vaulted passageways. The building displays a structured layout where arches and columns create distinct sections throughout the worship space.

The current structure was designed by German architect Richard Cassels in 1730, making it the oldest continuously used building in Sligo Town. This design established standards for church architecture in the region during that era.

The cathedral is closely tied to the Yeats family heritage, with a brass plaque commemorating Mary Butler Yeats and the 1863 marriage of the poet's parents taking place within these walls. This connection shows how the building remains woven into local memory and literary culture.

The cathedral opens to visitors during the warmer months and offers guided tours by request, giving insight into the building's layout and details. Regular worship services occur throughout the year, so timing your visit can let you experience the space as it is actually used.

The cemetery soil contains a rare chemical property that converts bodies into adipocere, a wax-like substance, rather than allowing normal decay. This geological quirk means visitors walking through the graveyard are standing above an unusual preservation process occurring beneath the ground.

Location: Sligo

Website: http://sligocathedral.elphin.anglican.org

GPS coordinates: 54.27030,-8.47722

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:08