From Galway, we take the bus to Cork (pop 222,333 in 2022). Arriving in a construction zone on MacCurtain Street, we check into our hotel and go in search of lunch. Immediately, we grasp the change in scale. The buildings are bigger, the river is bigger, the streets are bigger. But there is a warning just past our hotel door: "Romans V:VI-XI; Christ died for the ungodly" – that's an ominous welcome.
Crossing the River Lee, we enter the shopping district of St Patrick's Street. It's busy but not crowded; the sidewalks are bigger, too. We turn south down Cooks Street, and the spire of Holy Trinity Church comes into view, then west again on Oliver Plunkett. All these streets have limited traffic, and the walking is comfortable.
We reach the Grand Parade, turn right, and find our way into the English Market (eighteenth century). Well, it's lunchtime, so it's crowded. But the Market is prepared; the exterior may be eighteenth century with its eye-catching arches on Princes Street, but the interior is spacious and modern.
As we pay, the waitress gives directions to the Cathedral, and tells us to go south and cross the river. Again? Is Cork an island in the middle of the River Lee? Checking the map, it's clear – Cork is an island. The waitress insists no, not an island. Either way, the location of the Cathedral is the same. But it's an island.
So we go around Bishop Lacey Park, head south, and cross the River Lee, again. We turn west. The houses are shorter in stature, but there is an menacing rampart behind them, which belongs to Fort Elizabeth (seventeenth century). Still, the three spires of the Cathedral dominate the cityscape.
We first see Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral (Anglican, nineteenth century) from the east, with the stacked, semi-circular ambulatory and apse. At the high point is Goldy, the Resurrection Angel, with his twin trumpets. He is an early-warning system for the The Apocalypse. The good people of Cork get a head start; from what, we may learn inside.
Dusky gargoyles radiate from the back of the church: angry pigs, bears rabbits, and all sorts. A damp patina covers the dull stone all the way up the extraordinary central tower. At the front of the church there is a small cemetery and plaza, where we finally turn and take in the facade.
The Cathedral's architect is William Burges, just 35 when he receives the commission. He is known as a Victorian eccentric, and part of the Gothic Revival movement that swept Europe in the late-1800's.
The west facade of Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral continues Burges' theme of The Last Judgement. Two bell towers frame the gabled nave section and large rose window, over a twin, double-door portico. In the corners of the square that enclose the rose are the symbols for the Four Evangelists: St Matthew's angel, St John's eagle, St Luke's ox, and St Mark's lion.
The central archway delivers the narrative; an image of the Last Judgement is in the tympanum. Three more of the seven trumpets stand in the middle; the center figure has two instruments (perhaps, the Resurrection Angel). On the left, a pair of angles helps the worthy up to the Kingdom of Heaven (two Renaissance-looking towers). To the right, St Michael wields his sword, weighs the souls of the dead, and spurns the damned. Behind all these figures is a ground of glittering gold-toned tesserae.
On the sides of the doors is the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-12). On the left are five 'wise' virgins who brought enough oil for their lamps, on the right are five 'foolish' virgins whose lamps have gone dark. In the middle, holding a rose, the bridegroom of the Parable welcomes the 'wise' five to the marriage feast – you may enter the church. So, we suppose it's best to use the left-hand doors (?).
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Here are some details in the pedestals of the virgins' niches. The base of first 'wise' virgin shows the doors open; the base of the first 'foolish' virgin shows the doors shut. The base of the second 'wise' virgin has the Phoenix; the base of the second 'foolish' virgin has two torches carelessly turned downward. The bases of the third virgins have a 'wise' church organ and a 'foolish' lute and pipe. The fourth bases have a 'wise' pelican and a 'foolish' closed treasure chest. The fifth bases have the 'wise' chalice and a 'foolish' flask and biscuits (no transubstantiation).
The carvings are detailed and expressive. To be honest, the 'wise' virgins look a little smug, such sensible women with their practical head scarves. Not sure, for example, the closed chest is on the correct side – who is ungiving? And the 'foolish' virgins look really upset, with their messy hair and worthless torches; they simply did not plan ahead. The faces carved on either side of the bridegroom also tell a story: the blindfolded face of the just opposite the horned face of the wicked.
The minor portals under the bell towers are also impressive. In the north portal's tympanum, St Rapael expels Adam and Eve; below, Adam, and Eve live in shame, while Cain attacks Abel. In the south portal's tympanum, King Solomon dedicates his temple; below, Abraham binds Isaac.
The standing figures in the side portals depict the Four Evangelists and the Twelve Apostles; each saint holds his signifier. Eight of the apostles are in the north portal (left to right): St Philip (cross), St Bartholomew (flaying knife), St Simon (crosscut saw), St John (baptist, lamb of God), St Andrew (saltire cross), St James (major, pilgrim's staff), St Thomas (square & calipers), St Matthias (scimitar).
In the south portal the statues are especially crisp and compelling. The two outer pairs represent the Four Evangelists (their symbols on the pedestals). The two inner pairs are: St Jude (an image of Christ) and St Peter (Keys of Heaven) on the left, and on the right St James (minor, fuller's club) and St Paul (or St Matthew, apostle, martyr's sword). Their particularity and presence are exceptional; the architecture is Gothic Revival, but the sculptures look Neoclassical.
And then we scan up into the delicate domestic scenes in the archivolts and the wild gargoyles – just fantastic.
The interior is equally fascinating, with richly tinted stained glass. According to Burges' intent, the panels run the 'full cycle' of the Bible. The Old Testament is on the north wall, as shown by the images of Cain and Abel. The New Testament is on the south wall, such the angel visiting Joseph, with Mary and the Christ child.
The blue glow over the altar is reminiscent of Christ Church in Dublin, but here the surface of the ceiling is blue. Looking back, the rose window, known as the Creation Window, is visible above the staggered pipes of the Great Organ. In the center, God, holding calipers, sits on a rainbow (don't tell DeSantis). The eight petals seem to follow Genesis ("Let there be light… the firmament… tree yielding fruit… divide day from night… fowl that may fly… creatures after their kind… man in His own image… green herb for meat…"), though even the Cathedral's Dean claims they are zodiac signs.
Further down the aisles, there is Moses and the burning bush, as well as David holding the head of Goliath. Each window contains a single story-panel, along with geometric designs and family crests (of the patrons?).
At the crossing we find that the choir is between the two arms, so we must cross through the sides. In each transept, the matching set of rose windows and the four, four-part windows. The north rose is another telling of Revelations, seemingly out of sequence – Christ at the center (on a rainbow), with trumpeters, scenes of salvation on His right and serious distress on His left. The south rose features the Salvator Mundi (on a rainbow), and a small army of angels. The two sets of sixteen panels are magnificent, but unlabeled. The top-most designs, up against the arches, feature cartwheels (north) and circular patterns (south), and truly shine.
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Now we come to the blue ceiling (top picture), though the image of Christ in the quarter-dome is obscured by the timber ties. Christ holds the Bible (the chapter and verse are very hard to read), praying angels on all sides. Around the U-shaped array are twenty-two painted characters, though only the eight in the curve are labeled: Principalities, Powers, Throne, Seraphim, Cherubim, Dominations, Virtue, Archangels. The seven angels on the north line are holding small buildings (saints with churches?), and seven on the south line are holding candles.
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
So all the holy angels are with Him; even Goldy is just on the other side of the roof. These quotes also resolve the left-hand door situation at the front portal: the door is on His right hand, not ours.
Now we enter the ambulatory, with smaller triple-panel windows arranged in sets of three. The images are still unlabeled, but we can see Christ's baptism, and His entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Seven trumpets put in one more appearance at the back of the ambulatory, just above a memorial with a rabbit, and the words, "Sola virtus invicta (the only invincible power)".
Nearby, a small maquette sits in a case, a portrait of Burges himself. The note states that the full-size sculpture is near the rose window, and straining the iPhone's camera, we confirm he is up there on the south side.
Passing through the choir, we take a moment to inspect the mosaic floors. At the north entry, a 'holy' farmer sows his fields. In the center, the pelican reappears. Across the floor are birds, butterflies, fish, and people with various professions: venator (hunter), piscator (fisher), doctor, rex (king). And at the south, a 'holy' shepherd frees an animal from thorns (apparently Abraham).
Exiting to the south, we come upon David's door. Four snarling lions guard the arch, with winged serpents left and right. David wears his chainmail and plays the Irish harp, and we leave on a cheery note:
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
Starting north to the hotel, we notice the old crypt entrance on Bishop Street, blackened by the passing traffic and time. A bat-winged demon hangs at the top of each passage. While still visible way above, Goldy waits, ready to sound the alarm.
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