BY JOHN FITZGERALD
(Part two)
Continuing the story of the magnificent St. Mary’s cathedral that dominates the skyline around Kilkenny…
There’s an intriguing story behind a Madonna that stands outside the cathedral, but still within the grounds…a lonely but compelling figure that draws thousands of visitors annually to behold its heavenly visage.
This six-and-a-half foot life-size limestone statue wasn’t always at the cathedral. It made its initial appearance at the Greenvale Woollen Mills on the Bleach Road in Kilkenny in 1954 when it was unveiled and blessed at a special ceremony, with the delighted workers and their employer in attendance.
Andy Shaughnessy and his workforce had paid for the lovely carving, which had been commissioned by a Cork sculptor, Seamus Murphy. It meant the world to the workers at the Mills and they prayed daily at her feet in an age of intense Catholic devotion.
But then, after a fire damaged the factory, the Madonna was transferred to the grounds of the Bishop’s residence on Sion Road. There it continued to act as a focus for prayer and godly acts until, during construction work at the site, it came close to being discarded amid the rough and tumble of repairs, rebuilding and demolition.
Were it not for the timely intervention of a devout local woman, the statue might have been lost forever to Kilkenny’s spiritual heritage. A member of the Saturday Heritage Walkers group; she was alerted to the statue’s precarious position and decided to act, eco-warrior style, to save the much-loved likeness of the Blessed Virgin.
Her “rescue mission” was a success, reminding us yet again that personal initiative is sometimes all that stands between retaining our precious cultural assets and losing them forever. She ensured, with the help and advice of a sympathetic cleric and a Callan-based monumental sculptor, that the statue could be safely ensconced at another venue.
And not just any venue: The determined woman in question had her thoughts fixed on a piece of Holy Ground in the heart of the City.
On November 20th 2013 the Madonna was installed outside the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Since then it has become one of the most admired and photographed statues in Ireland, though with little public awareness of how close it was to becoming part of the City’s lost heritage.
The Cathedral bookshop and a very special café…
The bookshop at the cathedral has a wealth of material on the history and architecture of St. Mary’s, in addition to an assortment of gifts, mementos, and prayer beads. A lavishly illustrated book about the cathedral is available in no less than seven languages…a necessity to accommodate the never-ending flow of visitors from all over the globe.
And you might like to drop down to the Cathedral Café, which can be found in the deep recesses of the building in the restored Chapter House. It has an inviting tranquil atmosphere and the walls are adorned with the works of budding local artists.
It opens on Saturdays and Sundays and is run in aid of Teac Tom on the Ormonde Road, a most worthy cause as it offers much-needed mental health services and suicide intervention. It has won plaudits from far and wide for its work in supporting families and communities in need of help. Teac Tom’s founder Angela Hayes, and her dedicated group, have touched countless lives via this groundbreaking project.
The café itself, apart from being a welcoming space, is staffed by volunteers, all motivated by a wish to help Teac Tom to stay up and running. If you call to the cathedral, or just happen to be passing by, you might consider calling down to the café. You never know who you might meet!
Having a cuppa here is special because it helps to make the world a better, healthier, and happier place…better certainly than the cruel and unrelentingly harsh era in which the great cathedral was built.
So, if you haven’t visited St. Mary’s, do so this Christmas. It’s uplifting in this dark and dreary season to enter a Cathedral of Light.
You won’t be disappointed!
