St Mel's Cathedral
St Mel’s Cathedral is a historic and impressive landmark and a central point for the community of Longford Town. Visitors are warmly welcomed to St Mel's, one of the finest classical-style buildings in Ireland.
When you visit, you will take in its impressive Neoclassical architecture and the beauty of the building. It is a place for quiet and contemplation in the heart of Longford town. When you visit, you will learn about the history, restoration and reopening of St Mel's.
History of the Cathedral
Named in honour of St Mel, a contemporary of St Patrick, who died circa 487, the Cathedral is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. The original cathedral of the Diocese has stood in the village of Aragh until the Reformation of the mid-1500s.
On 19 May 1840, a crowd of an estimated 40,000 people gathered for the laying of the foundation stone for St Mel's Cathedral. This foundation stone was taken from the cathedral in Aradagh and laid by the Bishop of Aragh and Clonmacnoise, William O'Higgins. The walls were completed in 1846; however, with the onset of the Irish Famine (1845-1849) the work was delayed. O'Higgins' successor, Dr John Kilduff, Bishop from 1953-1867, appointed John Bourke as architect to complete the building. The cathedral was consecrated and finally opened to worshippers in 1856. The building was fully completed in 1863, when the bell tower and portico were all in place.
A Neoclassical stone building, it was inspired by Bishop O'Higgins' travels and the grand churches of mainland Europe, such as Madeleine Church in Paris and San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John’s Lateran) in Rome. Respected Irish architect John Benjamin Keane provided the original plans for the cathedral.
Set in a cruciform plan, the interior of St Mel's was dominated by 24 limestone Ionic columns which enclose the nave of the cathedral. The limestone was quarried from nearby Newtowncashel, County Longford. Chapels run along the side of the building, flanking the sanctuary and altar. The original organ and gallery were located high above the main entrance to the nave.
The Cathedral's entrance lobby and 200-foot-high bell tower were designed by John Bourke and were completed in 1863.
In 1889, George Ashlin was commissioned by Bishop Woodlock to complete the front of the cathedral. The front portico created a grand entrance into the cathedral. Its six large 37-foot-high Ionic columns held up a magnificent frieze depicting the consecration of St Mel as a bishop by St Patrick. It was completed in 1893.
Light flooded into the interior from windows in the side aisles and high-level clerestory windows. The transepts house two stained glass windows from the renowned Harry Clarke Studios, depicting Christ in Majesty in rich red tones in the eastern funerary chapel and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the west transept.
It was intended for the back of the building to become the Bishop’s palace, and it held the Cathedral offices. It also included the Diocesan Museum, which contained many religious artefacts from the Diocese and abroad. It included a crozier (bishop’s staff) from Limoges in France.
The Cathedral stood proudly in the heart of Longford and welcomed congregations until Christmas Day 2009.
Christmas Day Fire
On Christmas Day 2009, the people of Longford awoke to the news of a fire at St Mel's Cathedral. The building and its contents, including the many religious artefacts held within its museum, were destroyed. However, the portico, the bell tower and the main walls of the cathedral stayed standing. A small number of items also survived, including St Caillin’s book shrine dating from the 16th century. Fragments of St Mel’s crozier also survived.
Following the fire, the community and congregation railed and gave huge support to rebuilding the cathedral. An extensive programme of repair and restoration began so that one day St Mel's Cathedral could once again stand proudly in Longford.
Following five years of work, the Cathedral reopened on Christmas Eve 2014.
The newly built cathedral is as impressive as the original structure, with the building's architectural features restored by talented craftspeople. It includes a Carrara marble altar sculpted by Tom Glendon, a silver tabernacle by Imogen Stuart and Vicki Donovan, a pipe organ made up of over 2,300 pipes built by Fratelli Ruffatti and stained glass windows designed by Kim en Joong.
During repair works, a list of names of all the children of the Diocese who donated money for the creation of the Sacred Heart statue was discovered within the statue. This statue had been located on the front of the cathedral.
Learn more about St Mel's Cathedral by listening to Longford Tourism's podcast with Father James MacKiernan.
