On my walk to school every morning, and indeed every walk I take around Galway, I find myself face-to-face with a very impressive building. It was at one point the Galway City Gaol (jail), but today it is Galway City's famous Cathedral, located on the western bank of the River Corrib, on Nuns Island.
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| Galway Cathedral and Salmon Weir Bridge over the Corrib River |
This impressive Cathedral is one of the largest buildings in Galway City, and one of the last large stone cathedrals built in Europe. It is a young building, construction began in 1958. The Cathedral was dedicated on August 15, 1965 as
Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven & St. Nicolas. Today this beautiful cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora. In fact, the word "cathedral" comes from the Latin: cathedra meaning "chair" and from the Greek: kathedra meaning "seat."
Before it was home to the lovely cathedral, Nuns Island housed the Galway City Gaol. Today, the only reminder of the sad and scary past is a large white cross found in the pavement of the parking lot which marks the spot of the old jail graveyard.
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| Walking across the Salmon Weir Bridge |
Today the cathedral is one of the most well-known and beautiful buildings in Galway. It was designed by J.J. Robinson and combines many different styles of architecture that are influenced by many different time periods. One of the most distinguishing features of the cathedral is its huge octagonal dome which reaches 145 feet at its tip. This impressive height makes it possible to see the cathedral from almost any vantage point around Galway, indeed, it is the best way to give directions ("Head towards the cathedral dome and turn left just before the bridge." or "Walk to the Galway Cathedral and then hang a right.")!
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| View walking towards town from NUIG |
And if you think it is impressive from the outside, you ought to go in! There are mini mass rooms within the general huge one. The alter is surrounded on all sides... they even have a mini wooden model of the cathedral inside! It's pretty cool, and very pretty. There are gorgeous wall murals, beautiful stonework carvings, and, spoiler alert, the dome is painted an absolutely breathtaking shade of blue inside!
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| Galway City Cathedral in the distance as I walk to school |
Yeah, the Galway City Cathedral is quite cool, and my view on the way to school isn't too shabby either. To learn more about the Galway City Cathedral, or to plan a future trip check out the following links for more information:
Galway City Cathedral Website
Galway Official Tourism Website
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