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Towers, spires and pinnacles: a history of the cathedrals and churches of the Church of Ireland
Sam Hutchison
There are a number of worthy books dealing specifically with church architecture in Ireland. However, there is no single volume telling the story of the churches and cathedrals of the Church of Ireland, and the aim of this book is to fill that gap.
In 2000 there were approximately 1100 churches still open for worship (650 in the Republic and 450 in Northern Ireland). These range from the medieval cathedrals and ancient parish churches in the care of the Church of Ireland since the Reformation to the medley of new churches built in eastern Ulster during the second half of the twentieth century. Except for the medieval period it is not possible to include them all, but a brief description of those chosen is possible, and as a result the large cathedrals receive more or less the same space as an interesting but little-known country church. The former are, in any event, already well documented. The book is lavishly illustrated with colour photographs.
Many of these churches, especially in the Republic, are memorials to a civilisation and way of life that no longer exist. The Anglo-Irish aristocracy in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries had their faults but lack of taste was rarely one of them, and this is reflected in the many lovely churches handed down to us. Not all are beautiful, but even the plainest frequently has a certain charm — not least because of its location. Where known, the date of consecration (or completion) and the name of the architect of each church are indicated. Until about the middle of the eighteenth century the architect is rarely known and this is also true of those churches built in the early nineteenth century, which form the nucleus of those still in use.
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