St Fin Barre's Cathedral
A Sacred site:The site of St. Fin Barre's cathedral has been a place of worship since the 7th century, and the school founded by him there continued to be listed among the five principal monastic schools of Ireland down to the 10th century. No trace of the early foundation remains, except for the cemetery in which he was buried, a site marked by the present cathedral and a succession of previous buildings. The Medieval Cathedral:Few traces remain of the medieval buildings, though entries in the chapter minute books give some idea of its size and appearance. A square stone font, some carved heads, a piscina, and a carved doorway (now inserted in the south boundary wall: see adjacent) are from the period. The communion vessels, still in use, include a silver gilt chalice of 1536 and a silver chalice and patens made by the Cork Huguenot goldsmith Robert Goble in 1712.The cathedral suffered exceeding damage in the siege of Cork in 1689/90 when it came under fire from the nearby Elizabeth Fort. When the steeple was demolished in1865 a 24-pound cannon was discovered imbedded deep in the masonry. It now hangs from a chain in the ambulatory. |