St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral stands as a testament to the genius of William Burges, who was appointed architect in 1862.
Although initially budgeted at £15,000, Burges’ ambitious vision saw costs rise to an extraordinary £100,000 by completion, creating a landmark of unmatched splendor. The foundation stone was laid in 1865 by Bishop John Gregg, and the cathedral was consecrated on St. Andrew’s Day, 1870. The towers and spires are crafted from Cork limestone and much of the interior features red Cork marble.
Inside, the walls of Bath stone hold vibrant stained glass windows, some of the finest in Ireland, retaining their vivid, unfaded colors.
William Burges’ meticulous attention to detail extended to every corner of the cathedral, from the sculpture and mosaics to the furniture and metalwork.
Discover Cork’s Spiritual Landmark
St Fin Barre’s has grown into a thriving community dedicated to faith, service, and worship. Rooted in its mission to share God’s love, the church continues to be a beacon of hope and spiritual growth in Cork.
Live-Streamed Services & Recordings
For live-streamed services see the player below.
A recording of the 11.15am and 3.30pm Sunday services and additional special occasions can also be viewed after livestream on the ‘Recordings’ or ‘Featured Videos’ tab below.
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Discover Cork’s Saint Fin Barre’s Quarter
Where Cork began, this historic quarter is a wonderful insight into the heritage and culture that makes Cork City so special.
Congratulations to the 6th class at St Fin Barre’s National School who graduated today. A big day for the children, their parents, and the school. #StFinBarresCathedral
Yesterday the cathedral was full for Helios and today it is full for the Ordination of Deacons. Thank you to all who have helped to make the transition for this very important service of worship and celebration. #StFinBarresCathedral #Anglican #Ordination #ChurchOfIreland
As Helios draws to a close tonight, we reflect on the many wonderful ways in which people have interacted with this splendid sun installation. Yesterday we were blown away by this 28 metre scroll, made by a particularly creative church member!
He says:
“I made this 28m long scroll to explain the scale of the solar system at a space-themed summer camp for Beaver Scouts.…
On this scale, where the sun is 230mm diameter, earth is 2.1mm diameter and placed 25 metres from the sun. The linear scale is also scaled to show the positions of all the planets and minor planets to a distance of 50 times the distance of the earth from the sun.”
#HeliosCork #AstronomyCork #StFinBarresCathedralCork #Helios #ArtInCathedrals #AstronomyForChildren #CorkMidSummer #LukeJerramHelios #ThingsToDoInCork
The final day of Helios has arrived. From sun up to sun down on the summer solstice we will bid it farewell. Open from 4:30 to 22:00 booking essential. #StFinBarresCathedral #CorkMidsummerFestival #Helios
Thank you to the extraordinary Florida Atlantic University Vocalis with Musical Director Stacie Lee Rossow who preformed a free concert to the delight of the audience. The choir received a well deserved standing ovation. #StFinBarresCathedral #FloridaAtlanticUniversity #CorkMidsummerFestival #Helios
The Dean of the Creative and Performing Arts & Faculty at MTU Alistair Payne and Head of School at Crawford College of Art and Design, Rose McGrath were welcomed to Helios by our Cathedral Curator Orla O’Byrne. #StFinBarresCathedral #CorkMidsummerFestival #Helios
Behind the scenes with Alan McCarthy of Birdwatch Ireland and Sam Bayley of National Parks and Wildlife Service who tagged (ringed) our peregrine falcon chick recently. #StFinBarresCathedral #BirdWatchIreland #CathedralFalcons #PeregrineFalcon
Nice to see some folks out and about enjoying the sunshine today! ☀️
#StFinBarresCathedral #CorkMidsummerFestival #Helios
