Cathedral of St.

Canice, Kilkenny
Source: The Dublin Penny Journal , Jul. 4, 1835, Vol. 4, No. 157 (Jul. 4, 1835), pp. 1-2
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 THE

DU[BLIN PENNY JOURNAL

CONDUCTED BY P. DIXON HARDY, M.R.I.A.

Vol. IV. JULY 4, 1835. No. 157.

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After his death, which happened in the year I2

CATHfEDRAL OF ST. CANICE, KILKENNY.
building proceeded with less spirit, through the
The Cathedral of St. Canice, Kilkenny,quacy
is notof
ofthe
more
funds set aside for that purpose; an
ancient date than the twelfth century, itsnot until after
foundations be-the succession of seven prelates, t
ing laid in the year 11so, by Felix O'Dullany, Bishop
last hand of to it by Bishop St. Leger, in t
was put
Ossory, (Ware's Bishops of Ireland, page 4o3.)
1280so. A partLedred was the next prelate th
Richard
considerable
of the editice was finished some time after, and the wholeattention to this Cathedral. He r
consecrated by this prelate about theand year 1200. The
beautified the entire, new.modelled and glazed
part of the church completed at that period
windows,appears to
particularly the grand eastern one, w
have been the choir, or eastern end, as the round-headed
filled with beautiful stained glass, (afterwards dem
by the
&axon windows on each side of it sufficiently sacrilegious hands of Cromwell's soldiers,)
provey
I
C4I, l.-NO.I, l,

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 2 THE DUBLIN PENNY JOURNAL4
however, the north and south windows of the choir in. ference at top is exactly filled up by an arch, which to the
eye beneath presents the appearance of a large millstone;
their original style of architecture, (the Saxon,) as they
still appear. David Hackett, who was Bishop of Ossory on the margin of this a small hole has recently appeared,
about two hundred years after Ledred, built the archthe of effect of time. The column is surrounded by a low
the steeple, so remarkable for its strength and beauty. battlement, which seems to have been the finishing origi.
He died in 1478. nally intended for the head.
Oliver Cantwell, a Dominican, who succeeded to this The wall at the entrance is three feet six inches in
see ten years after, considerably promoted the intereststhickness; and there are six offsets from the bottom to
of the Cathedral. He also obtained letters patent from the top, equidistant, and completely circular, each being
from four to five inches, in depth-so that the thickness at
Henry VII. confirming the ancient grant of a weekly mar-
top is between twelve and eighteen inches.
ket to
ried the monastery
in the Irishtown.ofHe hisdied , 15..
order, the 156,
Blackand was bu-IIn the upper part some corbels appear, probably in.
Abbey.
tended for scaffolding, for the purpose of turning the arch
At John
his ownParry
expensewas Bishop of
he furnished the Ossory in the
steeple with year 1672.. forming the cover. The apertures at the top do not cor-
a chime
of six bells. It does not appear, however, that Parry respond with the four cardinal points, but seem princi.
took any steps towards repairing the dilapidations the pally intended to give free passage to the wind, which,
church suffered in the time of Cromwell, And it was not thus meeting with little resistance, becomes less danger.
until after the succession of ten bishops, that Doctor Po- ous to the edifice at such a point of elevation.
cocke, who was promoted to tihe see in 175G, undertook BMOORE'S RHISTORY OF IRELAND.A
to retorethe e cathedral in some neasure to its ancient
,plendour. He repaired the entire edifice the tombs The appearance of Mr. Moore's History of Ireland was
and monuments of antiquity, that lay scattered and de- naturally looked for with mouch interest, excited as well
faced, lie had collected, repaired, and set up again in by the celebrity of the writer, as by a curiosity to learn
order; and he new modelled and elegantly finished the how a subject so difficult, and which had baffled the learn-
choir. The curious eye of Pococke discovered a portion ing and genius of so many, might be treated by an author,
of thde stained glass that once filled the grand eastern win- in some respects so well qualified for the task. The na-
dow, and placed it over the west door. The stained glass ture of one of Mr. Moore's earliest and most popular
of this window appeared so precious in the eyes of Re- works, the Irish Melodies-a collection of songs adapted
nuscini, the Pope s nuncio, (A, n. 1641,) .tlat he offered to the old Irish music, and illustrative of the most curions
Bi-hop Roth aid the chapter £X700 for it, a great sum in of the superstitions of our ancestors, and the' most memo.
th0oC days; which offor, however tempting, much to their rable of their historical traditions-must have demanded
honour, they refuSed-. much industrious research into the annals and antiquities
IFrom the time of Bishop. Pococke until the year 1795, of Ireland.t With knowledge of his subject thus early
ithe Cathedral remained in the same state; at which tuime acquired-inspired by an ardent attachment to the glory
the dean and chapter obtained the advance of a sum of of his native country-gifted with a poeticali genius of so
money, that enabled them to put an entire new roof on high an order, (which, in an inquirer into the ancient
the great western isle, then almost decayed, and to exe- traditions of a people, we think desirable, if it follow, and
cute some other necessary and essential repairs. The be not suffered to guide, the judgment)-Mr. Moore en-
trahisepts ha ve since been new.ropfed by the present dean tered on his labours with advantages which few can hope
and chapter, to whorm great praise is due for the excellent to equal. One volume of his work, which is to extend to
repair in which they keep this venerable pile. three,) has been published; and though, while it is only
This church is a large Gothic pile, built in the form of partially before us, we cannot form a judgment as to the
a cross. Its length from east to west 9i 226 feet, and manner in which he will have executed the task, we can
the breadth of the cross or transepts, from north to souIth, readily enter into the consideration of the difficulties
12 e tet. It has two lateral aisles, and a centre one, which beset the examiner into Irish history, and estimate
which to the eye produce a fine effect. The tower is low how far Mr. Moore has overcome these difficulties in the
and broad, about 37 feet square ; it is sustained by four portion of his book now presented to us.
1massy columnns, and its floor is supported by roins, spring- The present volume contains an account of the affairs
of Ireland from the earliest period to the eighith century;
iling tf1mrolm
many the columns
strigs or beads, until they as
all from
meet innthesingle
cen- point, spreadin.g oUt but little space is occupied by what is properly the history
tre, fotrmig a very strong and beautiful arch. The roof of that long interval, the greater part being devoted to
of the nave is. supported by tbur pillars, and two demi-
pillars, on each side, upon which are formed five elegrant various dissertations on the origin of the Irish! people, and
their numerous colonizations--on their civilization in
arches ; composin) g an entire scarcely tbe surpassed those distant times-their manners and customs; and to
in lightness and chastity of design, by any building of the an account of the numerous learned men, who, in the
kind in Ireland. The west window contributes also to
dark ages of European history, poured forth from Ireland
this efldc t. There are four principal doos-one on th'e to diffuse over the Continent the knowledge and wisdom
west, the exterior of which is a very fine specimen of of that era, of which this lone Iestern isle was then the
Gothic architecture, two on the northn ald one on the
chief retreat. To us, the nmost interesting part of the vo-
south. In theaisle there are several toibs. of thet Butler
lume are those chapters in which we are afforded an in.
famtlly, particularly that of Peter Butler, Earl of Ormond,
sigliht into the domesti:c state o f Ireland in those remote
and his wife, Mai garet Fitzgeriald, bearing the date 3539. centuries-into the habits and character of her people,
Also the tomb ofJohn Grace, Baron of Courtstowr, dated
and her early civilization, more advanced than in tle rest
1568. In the north transept is the parish church, and for-
of western Europe. But from the light of authentic his.
merly St. Marys chapel, whie~ I is now occupiedby the tory, but few and scattered rays pierce through the long
stairs leading to tihe galery. rIth chofir has nothing re-
dark vista of ages extending back to the period of Ire.
marikable, except its fine organ. . land's ancient renown. The same paucity of memorials,
At the distance of six and a half feet from the end wall
of the southern transept, stands one of those rotnd towers the same absence of authority, render his narration of
so commo n in Ireland; It is in a good state of preserva- historical facts brief and obscure. And this brings us to
what we consider to be the great difficulty in the way of
tion, its height is 'os feet, anid its cireti.ferenceat the
base 47 feet. The entrance facing the south, :narrow and
miconvemnient, is eight feet from the ground; and there
still remain, firmly imbedded in the large stones that form ' The Cabinhet Cyclopadia, conducted by the Rev. Dionysiot
the doorway, the remains of two strong iron hinges, very
Lardler, LL.D. Iistory-Ireland. By Thomas Moore, Esq,
much eaten away by rust. Exclusive of this opening, Vol. I. ,onLdon: iLongman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, isl
there are fiec small apertures, rising obliquely round the Longman;.. and: John
I The knowledge of Taylor.
Irish history hitherto possessed:by lth
wa!l, at regular distances, fiom the entrance to the u per
mass of society, has been just so much as may be gleanne& ~rm
extremity of: the ~pillar, in which are six openings of'the
the allusions
naotes, in the: Melodies or: the sc.nty, llustiatioi tbdi0
jamen kind, eh topposite to th other and tlh circum

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