Dromore Cathedral

Dromore Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ the Redeemer
Dromore Cathedral in 2021
54°24′53″N 06°09′06″W / 54.41472°N 6.15167°W / 54.41472; -6.15167
Location	Dromore, County Down
Country	Northern Ireland
Denomination	Church of Ireland
Churchmanship	Evangelical
Membership	600 families
Website	https://www.dromorecathedral.org/
History
Status	Open for Worship
Founded	510AD by St Colman; 1609AD by Letters Patent made a Cathedral
Founder(s)	St Colman of Dromore
Dedicated	510AD
Events	destroyed 1641, rebuilt 1661
Past bishop(s)	Jeremy Taylor & Thomas Percy
Architecture
Functional status	Christian Worship
Heritage designation	Grade II Listed
Architectural type	Gothic Revival
Years built	1661 to 1899
Completed	1661 to 1899
Specifications
Capacity	c. 500
Nave width	30 feet
Number of towers	1
Tower height	55 feet
Bells	2
Administration
Province	Province of Armagh
Diocese	Diocese of Down and Dromore
Deanery	Iveagh
Parish	Dromore
Clergy
Archbishop	Most Rev John McDowell
Bishop(s)	Rt Rev David McClay
Rector	Very Rev Geoff Wilson
Dean	Very Rev Geoff Wilson
Chancellor	Canon Robert Howard
Prebendary	Canon Scott McDonald
Archdeacon	The Ven Mark Harvey
Laity
Organist(s)	Dr Matthew Milford
Churchwarden(s)	Mr Andrew McNeill & Mr Alan Turkington
Verger	Mr Jim McComb
Youth ministry coordinator	Mrs Christine Shanks
Flower guild	Mrs Sara McCorkell
Parish administrator	Mrs Jill Wylie

Dromore Cathedral, formally The Cathedral Church of Christ the Redeemer, Dromore, is one of two cathedral churches (the other is Down Cathedral) in the Diocese of Down and Dromore of the Church of Ireland (Anglican / Episcopal). It is situated in the small town of Dromore, County Down, Northern Ireland, in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh.

The cathedral is an active parish church with a wide demographic of about 600 families, but also serves an important role in Diocesan life. The pattern of worship reflects a wide range of tastes. The cathedral seeks to serve the community of Dromore by bringing Christ's compassion, love and hope of salvation to people of all ages. The mission is to grow God's Kingdom by being a centre of worship, healing and outreach to everyone in their community.

There is evidence of worship on the site since 510 AD, when St Colman of Dromore established a church on the banks of the River Lagan. The church was rebuilt numerous times in the 16th and 17th centuries and was made a cathedral by letters patent in 1609, before being destroyed by rebel insurgents in 1641. The present building was originally constructed in 1661 by Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down and Connor^[1] and has been expanded several times to its present size - the most recent section being added in 1899. The organ was installed by Conacher and Co. of Huddersfield in 1871 and rebuilt by Trevor Crowe of Donadea, County Kildare in 2008/9.

The first church on the site was a wattle and daub building constructed by St Colman c. 510. This was replaced by a medieval church which was destroyed in the late 16th century. The church was again rebuilt and in 1609 elevated to the "Cathedral Church of Christ the Redeemer" by letters patent of James I. In 1641 this building, too, was destroyed. In the twelfth century, the English King Henry II revised a system of dioceses and bishops which covered the entire island of Ireland. One of those dioceses, named Dromore, took as its base this cathedral church. There had been bishops and abbots before then, but from this time the history becomes more complete.

A medieval church, about which no record exists, was destroyed in the late 1500s. It was King James I who, in 1609, issued letters patent giving the Church of St Colman a new title and a new status: The Cathedral Church of Christ the Redeemer, Dromore (known as Dromore Cathedral). That building was destroyed in 1641 by Irish insurgents.

In 1661, a narrow structure of around 20 ft (6.1 m) wide and 100 ft (30 m) long was first built. This forms the base of the current tower aisle. A tower was then built, but soon dismantled. The Percy aisle was added by Bishop Thomas Percy in 1811. This aisle sits at right angles to the Tower aisle, opposite the pulpit. A semi-circular sanctuary in memory of Bishop Jeremy Taylor was designed by Thomas Drew FRSA during the ministry of Canon Beresford Knox in 1870. The organ aisle and baptistry were added at the same time, creating an L-shaped building. Finally, the church was made rectangular with the addition of the Harding aisle parallel to the Tower aisle in 1899.

• Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667), Bishop of Down and Connor
• Thomas Percy (1729–1811), Bishop of Dromore and ballad poet.

• Bishop of Dromore
• Dean of Dromore
• Diocese of Down and Dromore
  • Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore
  • Bishop of Down and Connor
• List of cathedrals in Ireland

• ^[1]Dromore Cathedral
• Dromore Cathedral