Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

The construction of St. Colman's Cathedral commenced in 1867. The architects were E.W. Pugin, George Ashlin and Thomas Coleman. 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.

At the exterior of the cathedral are found 49 sculptures: 29 statues, 6 reliefs and 14 small archivolt statues. The sculptors are:

• Harrison & Sons, C.W. - tympanum
• Lawlor, John - 'several statues for Queenstown church' (Strickland, Dictionary of Irish Artists)
• Smyth, George - statues in the central porch.

West Front

Statue on top:
1. St. Colman
   St. Colman of Cloyne (530 - 606), monk, founder and patron of Cloyne, Co. Cork, Ireland, and one of the earliest known Irish poets to write in the vernacular (Wikipedia).
   Statues in niches in the gable:
2. St. Mary worshipped by angels.
   (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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Choir

3. (Top of roof) Christ King, copper statue of Christ with orb
   (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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   Twelve apostles on the ballustrade, starting at the corner of the south transept around the choir to the north transept:

   (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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   5

   6

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4. St. Bartholomew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Protector of shepherds and winegrowers. His attribute is a knife, which signifies the way in which he died (Wikipedia).
5. St. Thomas one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Patron saint of architects, builders and land surveyors, usually holding a right-angle (Wikipedia).
6. St. James the Lesser one of the Twelve Apostles. Depicted with a club, since he is said to have been clubbed to death (Wikipedia).
7. St. John the Apostle one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. The patron saint of book engravers, booksellers and authors, John, is holding a book and a chalice, and he, according to legend, prayed for it to become non-poisonous - considered to be the same person as John the Evangelist (Wikipedia).
8. St. Andrew apostle and the brother of Saint Peter; founder and the first bishop of the Church of Byzantium. Protector of fishermen, in particular. He is shown with a saltire cross, in accordance with the way in which he died (Wikipedia).
9. St. Peter (possibly died AD 67), apostle, first pope; patron saint of locksmiths and confessors. Usually holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven in his hand (Wikipedia)
   (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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10. St. Paul the Apostle, (c. 5 - c. 67 ), persecuted the early followers of Jesus before switching sides and seeking to join them. He was instrumental in creating the Christian Church. He is the protector of tent-makers, theologians and the ecclesiastical press and is depicted with a sword. (Wikipedia).
11. St. James the Greater (d. 44), one of the Twelve Apostles. Patron saint of pilgrims, soldiers and cavalrymen. Depicted holding a pilgrim's staff decorated with a scallop shell. His remains are in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Spain) (Wikipedia).
12. St. Philip one of the Twelve Apostles. He is protector of trinket merchants. He is depicted holding a cross in his left hand as a symbol of the way in which he died, and a book in his right hand as an emblem of dying for the Word of God (Wikipedia).
13. St. Matthew one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the four Evangelists. His attribute is an angel. As patron saint of book-keepers, tax collectors and security forces, he is also depicted with writing utensils (Wikipedia).
14. St. Simon the Zealot or Simon Zelotes, one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. He is depicted with a saw (Wikipedia).
15. St. Matthias the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot. Protector of carpenters, butchers and smiths. His attribute is a halberd, signifying the way in which he died (Wikipedia).

North Transept

Statue on top:
16. St. Joseph, inscribed: ite ad JOSEPH, signed and dated confratres ... .... Ao. 1880
    St. Joseph the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ (in distinction to God, his "heavenly father") (Wikipedia).
    Relief in the gable:
17. The Holy Family in the carpenter's workshop.
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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South Transept

Statue on top:
18. St. Mary Star of the Sea, inscribed ... MARIS STELLA filiæ, white marble statue of an unknown sculptor, 1879.
    Relief in the gable:
19. St. Mary crowned (?)
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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west:
20. St. Barnabas, inscribed St. Barnabas
21. Unknown, bishop, inscribed ... celesc...
    east:
22. St. Patrick, bishop with staff and church model, and his foot on a snake.
    St. Patrick (Modern Irish: Pádraig) 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the 'Apostle of Ireland', he is the primary patron saint of the island.
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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west:
23. Unknown monk with book and cross.
24. Unknown bishop with staff and church model, inscribed st. b..sius
    east:
25. St. Nicholas, bishop with staff and book with balls, inscribed st. nicolaus
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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Tower

In the east facade:
26. Unknown female saint with crown and cross, inscribed per cruce...
    On the ballustrade between tower and nave:
27. Unknown female saint with staff and church model, inscribed naomh ...
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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Porches

28. North The Annunciation
29. Christ in Majesty, with the emblems of the four evangelists Matthew (angel), Mark (lion), Luke (bull) and John (eagle); Saint Patrick (right) and Saint Ita (left); on the lintel the Twelve Apostles, left: Philip, Thomas, James the Greater, John the Apostle, Simon the Zealot and Peter; and right Paul, Matthew, Matthias, Andrew, Bartholomew and James the Lesser.
    - lintel
30. South Jesus baptised by St. John the Baptist
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

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    lintel

31. St. Joseph
32. Virgin with child
33. St. John the Baptist
    (click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

    31

    32

    33

(click on the photo for an enlargement in a separate window.)

Zacharias

Daniel

Jeremias

Jonas

Job

Moses

Abraham

Malachy

Ezechiel

Isaias

David

Aaron

Melchisedeck

Noe

Sculptors

• Charles W. Harrison & Sons, Dublin, Art workers in stone, marble and wood, active 1860-1972(Irish Architects).
  
• John Lawlor (Dublin c. 1820 - London 1901), Irish sculptor and medallist (Wikipedia).
  
• George Smyth (Dublin 1858/59 - after 1911), Irish sculptor (Irish Architects).

Sources & Information

• Friends of St. Colman's Cathedral, Website.
• Ann Wilson, 'The Gothic Revival in Ireland: St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh (1868-1916)'. Antiphon 11.2 (2007): 14-42 (PDF on-line).
• The Pugin Society, Cathedrals.
• Wikipedia, St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh.

Tags

Locatie (N 51°51'5" - W 8°17'37") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

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