St. Mel's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of St Mel is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, located in the town of Longford in Ireland. Built between 1840 and 1856, with the belfry and portico as later additions, it has been considered the "flagship cathedral" of the Irish midlands region, Longford's "landmark building" and "one of the finest Catholic churches in Ireland". The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Mél (died 488), who came to Ireland with Saint Patrick and who was ordained bishop at Ardagh, County Longford. On Christmas Day 2009, the cathedral was destroyed by a fire in the early hours of the morning. The restored cathedral re-opened in December 2014. Design history The cathedral is a Neoclassical stone building, at the north-east side of the town. Construction began in 1840 to the design of Joseph B. Keane, with the foundation stone (taken from the ruined cathedral in nearby Ardagh) laid by the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, William O ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Longford
Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of Ireland's N4 and N5 roads, which means that traffic travelling between Dublin and County Mayo, or north County Roscommon passes around the town. Longford railway station, on the Dublin-Sligo line, is used heavily by commuters. History The town is built at a fording point on the banks of the River Camlin (), which is a tributary of the River Shannon. According to several sources, the name Longford is an Anglicization of the Irish , referring to a fortress or fortified house. The area came under the sway of the local clan which controlled the south and middle of the County of Longford (historically called or ) and hence, the town was known as (fort/stronghold of O'Farrell). A Dominican priory was founded there in 1400. St. John's ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Consecration
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a " sacred artifact" that is venerated and blessed), or places (" sacred ground"). French sociologist Émile Durkheim considered the dichotomy between the sacred and the profane to be the central characteristic of religion: "religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to ''sacred things'', that is to say, things set apart and forbidden." Durkheim, Émile. 1915. '' The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life''. London: George Allen & Unwin. . In Durkheim's theory, the sacred represents the interests of the group, especially unity, which are embodied in sacred group symbols, or using team work to help get out of trouble. The profane, on the other hand, involve mundane individual concerns. Etymology The word ''sacred' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Midnight Mass
In many Western Christian traditions, Midnight Mass is the first liturgy of Christmastide that is celebrated on the night of Christmas Eve, traditionally beginning at midnight when Christmas Eve gives way to Christmas Day. This popular Christmas custom is a jubilant celebration of the mass or service of worship in honour of the Nativity of Jesus; even many of those Christian denominations that do not regularly employ the word ''mass'' uniquely use the term "Midnight Mass" for their Christmas Eve liturgy as it includes the celebration of Holy Communion. History The tradition of a midnight Vigil on the eve of Christmas began in the East, and was observed in the late fourth century in Jerusalem by a Christian woman named Egeria on the night of January 5. The tradition reached the Western world in the year 430 under Pope Sixtus III in the Basilica of St Mary Major. By the twelfth century, the practice of midnight Mass had become more widespread as all priests had been granted ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Colm O'Reilly
Colm O'Reilly (born 11 January 1935) is an Irish prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise from 1983 to 2013. Early life and education The youngest of seven children, O'Reilly was born to John and Alicia O'Reilly in Colmcille, County Longford. His eldest brother, Peter (died 1988), was superior general of St. Patrick's Missionary Society for sixteen years, and another brother, Brendan (died 2000), was a member of the Divine Word Missionaries. He studied at St. Mel's College in Longford, and was ordained a priest on 19 June 1960. in Maynooth. He spent his priesthood in parishes in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise, ministering first in Granard for nine years. In 1969 he was appointed curate and later administrator at St. Mel's Cathedral. Episcopal ministry On 24 February 1983, O'Reilly was appointed Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 10 April 1983 from ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ray McAnally
Ray McAnally (30 March 1926 – 15 June 1989) was an Irish actor. He was the recipient of three BAFTA Awards in the late 1980s: two BAFTA Film Awards for Best Supporting Actor (for ''The Mission'' in 1986 and ''My Left Foot'' in 1989), and a BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor for '' A Very British Coup'' in 1989. In 2020, he was ranked at number 34 on ''The Irish Times''s list of Ireland's greatest film actors. Background Ray McAnally was born in Buncrana, a seaside town located on the Inishowen peninsula of County Donegal, Ireland and brought up in the nearby town of Moville from the age of three. The son of a bank manager, he was educated at St Eunan's College in Letterkenny where he wrote, produced and staged a musical called ''Madame Screwball'' at the age of 16. He entered Maynooth College at the age of 18 but left after a short time having decided that the priesthood was not his vocation. He joined the Abbey Theatre in 1947 where he met and married actress Ronnie ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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RTÉ
(; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on 31 December 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously operating public service broadcasters in the world. It is headquartered in Donnybrook in Dublin, with offices across different parts of Ireland. RTÉ is a statutory body, overseen by a board appointed by the Government of Ireland, with general management in the hands of a committee of senior managers, currently an interim leadership team, headed by the Director General. RTÉ is regulated by Coimisiún na Meán. It is financed by the television licence fee and through advertising, with some of its services funded solely by advertising, while others are funded solely by the licence fee. The current network consists of 4 main TV chan ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hands (TV Series)
''Hands'' is an Irish television documentary series broadcast by RTÉ between 1978 and 1989, covering traditional Irish crafts. Production Creator David Shaw-Smith began with Telefís Éireann in the 1960s, working as a cameraman with Gerrit van Gelderen and became an independent filmmaker in the early 1970s. he and his wife Sally, an illustrator, travelled Ireland in a VW van recording traditional craftsmen. Episodes Legacy ''Hands'' has been described as one of "Ireland’s favourite" television programs, and has been rebroadcast several times to the extent that it is one of the "most broadcast" RTÉ productions. Harvey O'Brien, in his ''The Real Ireland: The Evolution of Ireland in Documentary Film'' (2004), said "The series was marked by its close-up observation of the techniques involved, and though lacking an explicit social commentary always gave the sense that these skills were gradually disappearing.". For over 20 years, the original film sat in tea chests in a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Killybegs
Killybegs () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the largest fishing port in the country and on the island of Ireland. It is located on the south coast of the county, north of Donegal Bay, near Donegal Town. Its Irish name means 'little cells', a reference to early monastic settlements. The town is situated at the head of a scenic harbour and at the base of a vast mountainous tract extending northward. In the summer, there is a street festival celebrating the fish catches and incorporating the traditional "Blessing of the Boats". , the population was 1,258. History There are at least six Court Cairns dating from the Neolithic period located in the Killybegs area. Two of the largest are Shalwy (130 feet long) and Croagh Beg (120 feet long). In 1588, Killybegs was the last port of call for the Spanish vessel '' La Girona'', which had dropped anchor in the harbour when the Spanish Armada fetched up on the Irish coast during Spain's war with England. With the assistance ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Donegal Carpets
Donegal Carpets is a trademark brand of handmade wool carpets produced in Killybegs, a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Donegal Carpets can be found in Dublin Castle, the Royal Pavilion of Brighton, Eltham Palace, and the U.S. White House as well as many other parts of the world. History Although making carpets in Donegal is an ancient tradition, the company Donegal Carpets was founded in 1898 by Scottish textile manufacturer Alexander Morton (manufacturer), Alexander Morton. Before establishing Donegal Carpets, Morton had first established a carpet crafting house on the west coast of Ireland and put to practice the techniques of the Donegal people who had been working with wool for generations. In 1891 the Congested Districts Board for Ireland was set up to alleviate poverty and congested living conditions in the west of Ireland and hired Morton to develop its carpet industry.De Breffny, pg. 54 The first example of a Donegal carpet with Celtic designs was that carried out fo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Baptismal Font
A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's baptism, adult baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The earliest western fonts are found in the Catacombs of Rome. The fonts of many western Christian denominations that practice infant baptism are designed for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). The simplest of these fonts has a pedestal with a holder for a basin of water. The materials vary greatly, consisting of carved and sculpted stone (including marble), wood, or metal in different shapes. Many fonts are in Octagon, octagonal shape, as a reminder of the new creation and as a connection to the Old Testament practice of circumcision, which traditionally occurs on the eighth day. Some fonts are three-sided as a reminder of the Holy T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Imogen Stuart
Imogen Stuart (née Werner; 1927 – 24 March 2024) was a German-Irish sculptor, influenced by 19th-century Expressionism and early Irish Christian art. She mainly produced wood and stone for settings for churches but also created many secular works, and was exhibited internationally. Born and raised in pre-war Berlin as the daughter of the art critic Bruno E. Werner, she was exposed to modern developments in the visual arts from an early age and a significant influence on her later work. She studied in Bavaria under the sculptor and professor Otto Hitzberger, who became an early mentor. She met her fellow Hitzberger student and later important Irish sculptor Ian Stuart while in Bavaria in 1948. The couple moved to Ireland in 1961, at first living at his parents' house in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, before moving to Sandycove, Co. Dublin. Ian Stuart was the grandson of the Irish republican revolutionary Maud Gonne. They had three daughters but divorced in 1973. During her l ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |