The Church of Ireland
News Briefing

CHURCH OF IRELAND NOTES
For Saturday 3rd August 2002

From: The RCB Library
Email: RCB Library

Stained Glass in St Patrick's

Since its earliest days the institutional church has been a patron of the arts, even if it did not always describe itself as such. The need to provide those things which were necessary for worship - buildings, utensils, apparel - and the desire that such things, because they were to be dedicated to the service of God, should be of the highest quality, combined to produce workmanship of great style and beauty. The great medieval cathedrals of western Europe are, perhaps, the epitome, of this - Romanesque and Gothic architecture of stunning proportions, stained glass of miraculous lightness, wood carving of great delicacy, frontals and vestments of incredible richness.

Much of this concern for physical beauty as an aid to worship was lost at the Reformation and the development of protestant thought laid greater emphasis on the apprehension of God through learning than through the aesthetic senses. The recent writings of Eamon Duffy have highlighted the artistic destruction which followed the Reformation in England and of that which survived much was subsequently destroyed by the Cromwellians on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The Tractarian movement in the late nineteenth century began the recovery of a sense of beauty in the Church of England and the effective use of modern art in cathedrals such as Coventry, Chichester and Winchester are fine examples of continued artistic vibrancy. The Church of Ireland, however, has, in general, remained suspicious of ecclesiastical art which it has been all too ready to equate with idolatory. One exception, however, is stained glass and there are few Church of Ireland churches which do not boast at least one window with coloured glass.

In recent years the church authorities have begun to take more seriously their stewardship of stained glass windows and the surveys of Dr David Lawrence have added enormously to our knowledge. Lawrence's photographs provide the illustrations in the latest book on stained glass, The Stained Glass of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin which has been written by Lesley Whiteside. Mrs Whiteside has previously written an account of the stained glass in Christ Church Cathedral and an illustrated study of St Patrick in stained glass while her Book of Saints provided an account of some sixty of the best loved saints illustrated in stained glass.

The St Patrick's book is both a guide for the visitor and an invaluable work of reference for the scholar providing information on the artists and manufacturers, describing the iconography of each window and explaining its significance. A clear introduction provides a context, a map of the cathedral identifies the location of each window and a series of plans identifies the different panels within each window. Sound scholarship, clear design and sharp photographs are the hallmarks of this valuable publication.

The Stained Glass of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, is published by St Patrick's Cathedral at 7.95 euro.

Today (Saturday) there will be a lunchtime recital in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, by the Ullensaker Brass Band from Norway. In Christ Church Cathedral Evensong will be sung by the Aularian Singers who will sing the services tomorrow (Sunday) while in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, Evensong will be sung by the choir of Croydon parish church and tomorrow (Sunday) the visiting choir will be from Carryduff.

On Bank Holiday Monday the Donoughmore and Donard parish fete will begin in Donoughmore, Co. Wicklow at 2.00 pm.

The penultimate recital in the Festival of Classical Music in St Barrahane's Church, Castletownshend, Co. Cork, will take place on Thursday evening when the Fidelia Trio will perform works by Brahms, Ravel and Corea.