Queenstown (now Cobh), IRELAND - St. Coleman's Cathedral

Description

Queenstown (now Cobh), IRELAND - St. Coleman's Cathedral: St. Colman’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Cobh, Ireland. It is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Cloyne. Construction commenced in 1867. The architects were E.W. Pugin, George Ashlin and Thomas Coleman. The clerk of works was Charles Guilfoyle Doran. The cathedral was begun in 1868 and finally completed in 1915, a total of 47 years. The foundation stone was laid on 30 September 1868 by Bishop William Keane. The roof was completed in 1879 and that same year the first Mass was celebrated on 15 June by Bishop John McCarthy. Building of the spire, the last of the major external works, was completed in March 1915. In 1868, when the cathedral was begun, Cobh or Queenstown, as it was then called as Ireland was under British rule, was a relatively prosperous place. This was because it was Ireland's principal emigration outlet. More than five million people left Ireland in the nineteenth century - mainly to the United States, Australia and Canada - and a large proportion of them left from Queenstown. This Divided Back Era (1907-15) postcard is in good condition, but shows some edge wear, and there is creases to the card's upper right and left-hand corner. Published by JH Towers, Queenstown, No. 75806.