Site of Cathedral

According to the OS letters the early cathedral was on the site of the present cathedral (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 39-60), however, other references and the OS 6-inch maps indicate that the pre-1700 cathedral was situated on the W side of the present graveyard. Only some architectural fragments of the cathedral survive in the graveyard. In 1058 the Annals of the Four Masters record that the daimhliag or great stone church and the cloictheach or round tower and the belfry of Emly were burnt (Barrow 1979, 190). By 1607 the cathedral was totally ruined and four years later the clergy and laity of the diocese were ordered to repair it at their own expense. (O'Dwyer and O'Dwyer 1987, 1-16). However, by 1615 only the chancel had been rebuilt (ibid.). A sketch of the buildings drawn in 1680 shows that although the cathedral was roofed a number of monastic buildings to the S were in a ruinous state (ibid.). In the 1827 a new cathedral was built to the S of St. Ailbe's well as indicated on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map, however, this was dismantled in 1877 and the stones were taken to build a church in Monard (ibid.). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 12 May 2014