St Muredach's Cathedral, Ballina

St Muredach's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala in Ireland. It is located on the east bank of the River Moy in Ballina, County Mayo. It is also the parish church of the parish of Kilmoremoy.

St Muredach's Cathedral
54°06′46″N 9°09′02″W
LocationBallina, County Mayo
CountryIreland
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
DedicationMuiredach of Killala
Consecrated1845
Architecture
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking1827
Completed1875
Specifications
Capacity240,000
Height600M
Administration
ProvinceTuam
ArchdioceseTuam
DioceseKillala
Clergy
Bishop(s)John Fleming
Laity
Director of music[1]

It is a detached six-bay double-height building on a cruciform plan comprising a four-bay double-height nave which opens into single-bay double-height transepts all centred on a single-bay double-height chancel.[2]

The cathedral's construction was initiated by Bishop John MacHale (1791–1881) who served as the Bishop of Killala from 1825 to 1834 and the completion of the cathedral in 1834 coincided with his translation to the Archdiocese of Tuam.

The spire was completed in 1855 to the designs of the celebrated architect James Joseph McCarthy and further embellishment continued throughout the nineteenth century.[3]

The cathedral is situated in the townland of Abbeyhalfquarter. When built, it was in County Sligo, but since the 1898 revisions of county boundaries, it has been in County Mayo.

Parish priests

18th century
  • Richard Hoare (1704)
  • Francis Beolane (1731)
  • John Finan (1743–1760)

19th century
  • John Lyons (1823–1825)
  • John McHale (1825–1834)
  • John Lyons (1835)
  • P.A. Lyons (1837–1838)
  • Patrick McHale (1839–1841)
  • Bart Costello (1842–1845)
  • Hugh Conway (1845–1848)
  • Patrick Malone (1849–1852)
  • Dominick Madden (1853)
  • Michael Conway (1854)
  • J. Gilvarry (1854–1858)
  • P.J. Nolan (1859)
  • P. Irwin (1862–1867)
  • J. Timlin (1867)
  • P. Conway (1867–1870)
  • H. Hewson (1870–1873)
  • J.J. O'Keane (1873–1879)
  • P. McNulty (1879–1881)
  • D. O'Donoghue (1881–1885)
  • A. Finnerty (1885–1890)
  • J. Mullen (1890–1891)
  • A. McHale (1891–1892)
  • M. Gallagher (1892–1900)

20th century
  • J. Naughton (1900–1906)
  • B. Quinn (1906–1913)
  • T.L. Beirne (1913–1915)
  • M. Tully (1915–1919)
  • W. Greaney (1919–1930)
  • D. O'Connor (1930–1942)
  • M.J. Feeney (1942)
  • P. Maloney (1942–1957)
  • J. Heverin (1957–1963)
  • T. McDonnell (1963–1970)
  • G. Moore (1970–1987)
  • P. O' Brien (1987–1994)
  • M. Flynn (1994–2005)

21st century

References
  1. "Archbishop John MacHale". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  2. "Saint Muredach's Catholic Cathedral, Cathedral Road, Abbeyhalfquarter, Ballina originally Ardnaree, Mayo". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  3. "Co. Mayo, Ballina, Cathedral of St Muiredach (RC)". Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
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