Bicentenary - Parishes of Skibbereen & Rath and The Islands (original) (raw)
Bicentenary Celebrations for St Patrick’s Cathedral
6th May 2026
Be part of the Bicentenary Celebrations
The foundation stone for St Patrick’s Cathedral was laid in 1825, the building completed in 1826, and in the intervening two centuries it has served not only as a place where successive generations have gathered to worship and to mark the important faith milestones in their lives but also as a focal point for the wider community during times of celebration and times of strife.
To celebrate the bicentenary, a committee has been formed to prepare a programme of special events to raise funds for essential conservation and maintenance works.
Ireland has changed beyond recognition in the past 200 years, but St Patrick’s Cathedral remains as a testament not only to the commitment to faith of our forebears but also as a testament to what can be achieved when a wider community works together. Your generosity will ensure that this magnificent building remains a focal point for future generations.
Stage One: Conservation Management Plan
St Patrick’s Cathedral is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and on the Record of Protected Structures. With the assistance of donations received through our Bicentenary fund-raising appeal and grants available for such conservation projects, we have engaged a specialist Conservation Consultant to prepare a Conservation Management Plan.
This Conservation Management Plan will act as a road map for the essential conservation and maintenance works to the Cathedral over the next number of years. The achievement of Stage One, the Conservation Management Plan, will allow us to move onto Stage Two. That is, planning for and implementing the necessary work.
For more information on the history of St Patrick’s Cathedral, click here.
Fundraising Appeal
Book of Remembrance
We invite you to include the names of your deceased family, friends, or neighbours, to be remembered in perpetuity, by inclusion in a beautifully bound Book of Remembrance that will be created especially to mark the 200th anniversary of our Cathedral. It will remain on permanent display in the Cathedral from 2026 and a page will be turned each day. A digital copy of the Book of Remembrance will also be available on www.skibbereenandrath.ie
If you wish to have your deceased family, friends, or neighbours, included in the Book of Remembrance, please complete the form (see link below) and return it together with your donation to St Ciarán and All Saints Family of Parishes Office, The Presbytery, North Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, P81K767.
Skibbereen Cathedral Bicentenary
GARDEN PARTY
Skibbereen Cathedral Bicentenary Fundraising Garden Party – Sunday 18 August 2 pm in the Presbytery Garden, North Street. Great afternoon assured for all the family with Music, Games and Refreshments Please Support Adm €5 per person. Children go free.
HERITAGE WEEK:
Talk on the History of St Patrick’s Cathedral will take place on Thursday 22 August at 7.30 pm in Cathedral, North Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork
St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Skibbereen is one of Ireland’s generation of Georgian Cathedrals. For nearly two centuries St Patrick’s Cathedral has stood guard over the town, in the process, bearing witness to many of the key events in Irish history. This talk will draw upon previously unseen source materials to enhance not only our understanding of the development of this fine building, but also of the key characters who spearheaded this development. Gerald O’Brien and Con Hurley have been working on uncovering more of Cathedral’s story over the past year. Con Hurley will present their findings on the night. In addition, Denis O’Driscoll will update those gathered on the plans for the maintenance of the Cathedral.
