A SPECIAL mass celebrating the bicentenary of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Skibbereen will take place this Sunday, May 10th.

The mass will be celebrated by Bishop Fintan Gavin, marking 200 years since the Cathedral was completed.

The foundation stone for St Patrick’s Cathedral was laid in 1825, and the construction was finished the following year in 1826.

The build was organised by Father Michael Collins, the parish priest who had a small church in Skibbereen, the remains of which are still visible in the Chapel Lane graveyard.

Father Kevin O’Regan, current co-parish priest in Skibbereen, explained that the Cathedral’s location on North Street was very unusual at the time:

‘For a Catholic church to be built on the main road into a town in 1826 was unusual because the penal laws hadn’t been lifted. The last of the penal laws weren’t lifted until 1829 when there was the Catholic Emancipation Act.

‘Before that, Catholic churches, they were allowed to build them, but they weren’t allowed build them in such a prominent place.’

The site where the Cathedral stands today was secured from Sir William Wrixen-Becher. He leased the site out for 999 years at the cost of a peppercorn per year.

Becher, one of the most extensive landlords in this area, was an outspoken supporter of the Catholic cause.

The stone to construct the church came from Sherkin Island, and was landed at Church Strand in Baltimore (hence the name of the beach). The stone was then drawn to Skibbereen by horse and cart.

The building began as a simple church, and gradually as more money became available, features like the stained-glass windows, marble altars and altar rails were installed.

Following the construction of the church, Fr Collins was appointed the coadjutor Bishop of Cloyne and Ross.

However, the Bishop refused to move to Cobh as he was meant to, and made Skibbereen his pro-cathedral.

Unfortunately, Bishop Collins died in 1932, just a year after his appointment.St Patrick’s was granted full cathedral status in 1851.

For Fr Kevin O’Regan, who has organised the bicentenary alongside a dedicated committee, marking 200 years of St Patrick’s Cathedral is not just about celebrating the history. It’s also about the people of the parish.

‘It’s celebrating a place than has been so important to the life of the parish, the people of the parish and the area,’ he said.

During renovations to the cathedral in the 2000s, many of the funds came from the people of the parish, which Father O’Regan says highlights the importance of the church for Skibbereen.

‘We’re celebrating what it has meant to people over the generations, and what it means to people nowadays as well.’

As part of the bicentenary celebrations, a conservation management plan has been put in place to ensure the building remains structurally sound for generations to come.

Funds raised during the bicentenary appeal will go towards conservation projects and maintenance works.

A book of remembrance including the names of parishioner’s loved ones will go on display in the Cathedral to mark the bicentenary

A journal detailing the history of the cathedral has been written to commemorate the event, and is expected to launch soon.

Mass will begin in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Skibbereen on Sunday May 10th at 11am.

Refreshments will be served afterwards in the parochial house gardens.