Cathedral — Limerick City,englishtown

The cathedral church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Limerick was described in the Urban Survey (Bradley et. al. 1989, 300-15) as following; 'The cathedral appears to have been established at the Synod of Rathbressail in 1111 (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 90) but the earliest parts of the present structure date to c. 1180-95 (fig. 61; Leask 1955-60, ii; Clapham 1952, 29). This late twelfth century building was essentially a cruciform structure consisting of nave, chancel, transepts and side aisles. A number of side-chapels were added in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and these have obscured somewhat the original cruciform plan; they have caused considerable alteration to the side aisles and a large tower has also been added onto the west end of the nave. There have also been extensive modern restorations, especially in the chancel. The masonry of all medieval phases is roughly coursed rubble limestone, but the original work is distinguished by the use of sandstone quoins and mouldings in contrast to the limestone of the later phases. Choir Externally the walls are c.10m high with the east gable rising to c.14-15m. The angles retain the original sandstone quoins and a battered plinth below a roll moulding in sandstone at the base. Angle buttresses in limestone ashlar, of late medieval date, have been added. The walls are topped with stepped battlements above a parapet c.2.5m high also of late medieval date, which are carried on moulded sandstone corbels which Hewson (1944, 55, 58) interpreted as the original cornice. The east window and much of the east wall is modern. The window consists of three graduated lancets set in a large pointed embrasure, with a modern reredos below. Most of the north wall is occupied by the large pointed recess of the late seventeenth century Thomond monument, which is flanked by two contemporary ogee-headed doorways. The doorway to the east has chamfered jambs and arch while that to the west, which is larger, has a double ogee chamfer on the east side and a plain chamfer with pyramidal stops bearing spiral ornament on the west side. The west side of the door seems to be of earlier date (late 15th/16th century) than the east side. At the east end of the north wall were two tall, twin-light windows, having pointed rear arches with chamfered jambs which were largely destroyed by the insertion of the Thomond monument. The easternmost window had pointed twin-lights with a multi-foiled rosette above. The south wall also has two twin-light windows at the east end, corresponding to those in the north wall; the easternmost window is modern with pointed lights and rosette above while the westernmost (which is blocked externally by the wall of a later chapel) has ogee-headed lights. Below the windows is a pointed recess containing the credence table; the arch was originally of two orders but only the outer survives, having limestone mouldings with three rolls, the outer two filleted and with a hood moulding consisting of a large filleted roll and a smaller roll. The arch springs from short columns above the mensa; the columns are engaged marble shafts, banded near the top and flanked by filleted rolls with moulded capitals and bases. The marble mensa is largely replaced by a modern one but it had a roll moulding at the edge and a chamfered underside. It is supported by filleted nook-shafts on the outer angles and inside these by short columns with moulded capitals and bases, the capitals having nail head and cable ornament. West of this recess is a modern doorway although the arch may be original. Hewson (1944, 56) noted wall foundations found about 14 feet [4.25m] west of the east wall and suggested that these marked the site of the original reredos of the high altar, behind which was a retro-chair. Crossing There is no evidence for a crossing tower, nor for arches to the chancel or nave. There may have been arches to the transepts originally because there seems to be an original sandstone abacus on the east face of the easternmost pier of the south nave arcade, at a higher level than the abaci on the other nave piers. The present arches, however, are later medieval inserts. They are large pointed arches with chamfered jambs having pyramidal stops bearing spiral and floral ornament, and chamfered soffit ribs springing from corbel shafts, the capitals of which bear low relief foliage decoration. The arches spring from plain hollow chamfered abaci. Nave The north and south walls have four-bay arcades of large pointed arches springing from massive square piers. The piers have sandstone angle-shafts rising from simple round bases, and sandstone abaci which, in most cases, especially in the south arcade, have trumpet scalloping although many are plain and may be replacements. Above the arcades are seven clerestory windows arranged over the apex of each arch and over each intervening pier. The windows are round headed, with chamfered and rebated sandstone jambs and round rear aches, although two of the windows in the north wall have twin trefoil-lights inserted. In the sides of each clerestory window embrasure are rectangular openings for a mural walk-way around the north, south and west sides of the nave. This is reached via a spiral stairs in the west wall, while spiral stairs at the east end of both the north and south walls originally led to the roof (Westropp 1898, 114). In the west wall is a round-headed door of four orders, in sandstone. The door is largely a reconstruction of the 1890s and Westropp (1898, 113) states that only the inner order and the hood moulding are original. The inner order has a plain arch and jambs of quarter round section with moulded bases and capitals having worn traces of foliate decoration. The 2nd order is chamfered with pendant chevrons in relief on the arch, incised horizontal zig-zag lines on the jambs, and moulded bases and capitals with foliate interlace in low false relief. The third and fourth orders are similar to the first, although the arch of the fourth order has alternating petal and gargoyle motifs in relief. The hood moulding is chamfered with foliate stops. The door has a round rear arch, outlined by a large pointed roll moulding in sandstone. The door is flanked by projecting buttresses, the southernmost of which contains the spiral stairs leading to the clerestory wall-walk. The stairs are entered from the nave through a round-headed doorway with chamfered sandstone jambs and flat lintelled rear arch, in the west wall. The stairs are lit by two splayed loops in the west face of the external buttress, and c.4.5m above ground a segmental-arched doorway leads from the stairs to a mural walk across the base of the west window, and thence via a mural stairs to the clerestory wall-walk in the south wall. The west window consists of three tall, graduated pointed lancets with pointed rear arches; the mouldings are modern. The west gable is missing, due to the insertion of a later tower. Transepts Both transepts have modern stepped gables, c.14-15m high. The SOUTH TRANSEPT is lit by a modern window of five graduated trefoil-pointed lancets, in the south wall. Hewson (1944, 56) suggests this is an imitation of the original window. Beneath the window, internally in the south wall, is a trefoil pointed piscina with twin foliated bowls, and mouldings having three rolls, the central one filleted. West of this is the fifteenth century Bultingfort-Galwey monument, and west of this again is a sedilia with three cusped pointed openings. The arches have multi-moulded jambs and a hood moulding with double ogee chamfer which spring from sugar-barley columns with moulded octagonal capitals and bases. The spandrels of the cusps are decorated, two with foliage, three with a monogram of the leters P and T, and one with a Gothic inscription "IONS BUDSTONS’. Between two of the arches is another monogram of the letters I and B set within a heater shaped shield. Westropp (1898, 38-9) point