St. Patrick's Cathedral, Skibbereen, Neoclassical cathedral in Skibbereen, Ireland
St. Patrick's Cathedral in Skibbereen is a neoclassical church designed by Michael Augustine O'Riordan of Doneraile. Its façade has a tympanum topped by a belfry, and the interior is also neoclassical but appears uneven because of tunnelling in the transepts.
The foundation stone was laid in 1825 with completion achieved in 1826 as a parish church serving the Diocese of Cloyne and Ross. The building later underwent a significant administrative change when it lost its cathedral status following the diocese merger in 1958.
The church was the seat of the Diocese of Ross until 1958, when the see was merged with Cork and the building lost cathedral status; it remains a parish church of the Diocese of Cork and Ross. The altarpiece by Irish painter Samuel Forde is no longer here: it is kept in the church of St. Barrahane in Castlehaven.
The church stands in the town centre of Skibbereen, County Cork, and is still an active Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Cork and Ross. Visitors should time their visit around Mass and parish events rather than expect set opening hours, and dress and behave as in any working place of worship.
The altarpiece by Samuel Forde has been preserved at a separate church in nearby Castlehaven, creating an unusual connection between this building and another local place of worship. This reflects how religious artworks have moved and been redistributed over time.
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