Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Tuam

Church in Tuam, Republic of Ireland

53°30′53.334″N 8°50′50.510″W / 53.51481500°N 8.84736389°W / 53.51481500; -8.84736389LocationBishop Street, TuamCountryRepublic of IrelandDenominationRoman CatholicWebsiteTuam ParishHistoryFormer name(s)St. Jarlath's CathedralFounded30 April 1827^[1]Founder(s)Archbishop Oliver O'KellyDedicated18 August 1837^[1]ArchitectureArchitect(s)Dominic MaddenStyleDecorated GothicConstruction cost£14,204 0s 5dSpecificationsCapacity1,100 seatedHeight43 metresTower height43 metresMaterialsLimestoneAdministrationDioceseArchdiocese of TuamClergyArchbishopMichael Neary, D.D., L.S.S.

The Cathedral Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Tuam, commonly called Tuam Cathedral, is the cathedral for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam in Ireland. The geographic remit of the Archdiocese includes half of County Galway, half of County Mayo and part of County Roscommon. Prior to the English Reformation, the diocesan cathedral was St Mary's, which was constructed in the 14th century, on the site of an earlier building. Upon the appointment of William Mullaly by Queen Elizabeth I of England as Archbishop of Tuam for the Established church, the Roman Catholic clergy were dispossessed of the cathedral. Almost three centuries were to elapse before a relaxation of the Penal Laws permitted the building of a replacement – the current edifice.

Burials

John de Burgh (Archbishop) – in the Oratory of St. Jarlath.
John MacHale, Archbishop of Tuam – before the high altar
Joseph Cunnane, Archbishop of Tuam – in the cathedral grounds

Gallery

Cathedral Interior
Exterior looking southeast
East transept and window
Monument to Archbishop John MacHale

Bibliography

Jeremy Williams A Companion Guide to Architecture in Ireland 1837–1921, Irish Academic Press 1994
Peter Galloway The Cathedrals of Ireland, The Institute of Irish Studies, The Queen's University of Belfast, 1992