St. Aidan's Cathedral
Encyclopedia
St. Aidan's Cathedral is the cathedral
church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns
. It is located in Enniscorthy
, County Wexford
in Ireland
. It was built in 1843
and was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. The saint to whom the cathedral is dedicated is Máedóc of Ferns (feast day 31 January), also known as Áedan or Aidan, who died in 626, and not to be confused with St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
(feast day 31 August), an Irish missionary who died in 651.
Notable features include the façade, a reredos
carved from Caen stone
and a great north window with intricate stone tracery. The cathedral was subsequently much renovated in line with reforms promulgated by the Second Vatican Council
. It was restored to its near original design in 1994 when authentic colours, materials and techniques were used. The restoration took a year, during which time cathedral services were held at St Mary's church (Church of Ireland
) nearby.
The cathedral is similar in structure to St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ferns
The Diocese of Ferns is a Roman Catholic diocese in south-eastern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the Archdiocese of Dublin. The incumbent Ordinary is Denis Brennan....
. It is located in Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It was built in 1843
1843 in Ireland
-Events:*January - Daniel O'Connell proclaims 1843 as the "Repeal Year".*31 January - Queen's Bridge in Belfast opens.*21 February - Repeal debate in Dublin Corporation....
and was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. The saint to whom the cathedral is dedicated is Máedóc of Ferns (feast day 31 January), also known as Áedan or Aidan, who died in 626, and not to be confused with St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
Aidan of Lindisfarne
Known as Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, Aidan the Apostle of Northumbria , was the founder and first bishop of the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne in England. A Christian missionary, he is credited with restoring Christianity to Northumbria. Aidan is the Anglicised form of the original Old...
(feast day 31 August), an Irish missionary who died in 651.
Notable features include the façade, a reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
carved from Caen stone
Caen stone
Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...
and a great north window with intricate stone tracery. The cathedral was subsequently much renovated in line with reforms promulgated by the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. It was restored to its near original design in 1994 when authentic colours, materials and techniques were used. The restoration took a year, during which time cathedral services were held at St Mary's church (Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
) nearby.
The cathedral is similar in structure to St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney.