The site of this cathedral has been used for worship since the 6th century, although the present building has only been around since the 13th century. This cathedral was originally used for Roman Catholic worship, but was taken over by the Irish Parliament to be used for the Church of Ireland, forcing all Roman Catholics to worship elsewhere. Our tour guide through the cathedral mentioned that Oliver Cromwell ordered attacks on this cathedral because of its association with Catholicism and all of the original stained-glass was destroyed in the attacks. The current windows are replicas of the originals, and still very beautiful. There are also many great monuments and items in this cathedral, including the organ pictured above which was first bought in 1854 for 600 pounds, and is now worth over 2 million.
The cathedral itself is of Early Gothic style and made of limestone. It appears to be of shell system, with its tensile strength being strong and meeting at the keystones probably placed at the top of the pointed arches throughout the building. The nave is very long, making up the majority of the 75-yard-long structure. You can also tell that the cathedral is Gothic because of the ornate details of the stained-glass and floor tiles. Overall a very beautiful church, and I am sad that Cromwell could destroy it so easily. Lucky for us it has been restored for present enjoyment, worship, and appreciation.
Just outside of the cathedral stands a round tower from the 9th century that was dedicated to St. Canice. It is one of the only two medieval towers in Ireland that can be climbed to the top, so of course that's what we did!
Climbing inside the tower!
A great view from the top.
This tower is specifically an Irish round tower, (which in Irish it literally means "bell house") and is made of medieval stone. This tower served the purpose of standing out and calling attention to itself--for the sake of alerting nearby people where the cathedral/place of worship was located. It also shows that this cathedral in particular was of great religious importance because of the massive size of the tower. These towers (usually only in the 8th century) were also used as refuge from Viking raids that tended to happen on occasion. Due to the references that suggest that this tower existed in the 9th century, this tower is thought to be the oldest structure (still standing) in the entire city.
This tower is probably a shell-system and of load-bearing construction because the stones look like they have been layered on top of one another. I know from research that this tower is made of medieval stone and was originally built with a cone top (but has been removed so that visitors can stand at the top and take pictures). Perhaps the top of the building could be called an oculus? Since it is in cylinder form, the ceiling is somewhat domed, minus the part that is missing to allow people to climb through. Even if not, this round tower symbolizes history and great religious significance of the time it was built, through the attacks on Catholicism, and today.
After visiting a really cool museum and eating a great lunch, our last stop was the Kilkenny Castle. This grand estate was built in 1195 by William Marshall as a symbol of Norman occupation. It still stands today with as much elegance and superiority as I'm sure it appeared back then.
During its time in the 13th century, this castle would have served as a great defense for the town (now Kilkenny). The site on which the castle now stands was where Richard de Clare (who we have learned about on many tours as Strongbow the warrior) first established his own castle in the 12th century. The site was later inherited by Strongbow's daughter and husband, William Marshall, who completed the construction of Kilkenny Castle in 1213. An interesting discovery about this castle was that a later owner, a member of the Butler dynasty (who bought the castle in 1391), Lady Margaret Butler, married the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn, a very important wife of King Henry VIII who changed the history of England and Ireland (and arguably Christianity across the world). In present day, the castle is owned by the people--the state of Ireland.
The architecture of this castle ranges from Norman influences from the original construction to the Classical gateway built in the 17th century and 19th century remodeling that introduced Castellated Baronial style and Ruskinian Gothic motifs. The final two influences are revealed through the evidence of battlement installments (turrets and square indentations throughout the castle) and the Gothic-themes inspired by inspiration from John Ruskin, an art critic from the Victorian era. The Gothic elements can be seen in the windows, which are shaped in pointed-arches. The structure also seems to be of load-bearing construction, layered with stone bricks. All of the mixtures of influences on the construction/remodeling of this castle makes it difficult to analyze it directly, but still makes it an interesting castle to examine.
Overall this was a great field trip full of adventure and exciting new discoveries! I can't wait for more.
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