Hearing into Cobh cathedral plans - Irish Architectural News

Interior

An oral hearing by An Bord Pleanála into the controversial re-ordering of the interior of St Colman's cathedral, Cobh, gets under way in at the Midleton Park Hotel, Co Cork, tomorrow. Three days have been set aside to hear submissions. Six parties have lodged appeals against the decision by Cobh Town Council last September to grant planning permission to the trustees of the cathedral for the re-ordering of the interior of the cathedral. Fr James Killeen, spokesman for Bishop John Magee of Cloyne, who is behind the interior design plans for the cathedral, yesterday declined to comment on the hearing. Among the objectors are the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, An Taisce, the Irish Georgian Society and Friends of St Colman's Cathedral. The magnificent cathedral was designed by Edward W Pugin (Pugin the Younger) and George Ashlin and took 47 years to build (1868-1915). Since then it has retained its imposing majesty as both a place of worship and a major tourist attraction. The trustees are proposing to relocate the altar rails and extend the sanctuary area to the nave, which would involve disturbing the mosaic sanctuary floor designed by architect Ashlin and made by Ludwig Oppenheimer of Manchester in 1892. The trustees, who include Dr Magee, want to create a permanent altar on an extended sanctuary. The proposals would involve removing and relaying some mosaics and placing others in storage.

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