St. Colman's

Proposals by Bishop John Magee of Cloyne to reorder the sanctuary of Pugin's magnificent St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh were yesterday the subject of an oral hearing by An Bord Pleanala after a number of parties objected to the decision of the local Council to grant permission for the changes. Among the expert witnesses opposed to the reordering were English Benedictine Dom Alcuin Reid, an authority on Catholic liturgy, who claimed that the proposals were based on outdated liturgical preferences.

What Bishop Magee is proposing is mild compared to the mindless vandalism that was inflicted on so many Irish cathedrals and churches. The fact that St. Colman's survived this wave of destruction, however, makes it all the more precious. It certainly seems that the local parishioners are not happy about the proposed changes.

Given that the present arrangement of the Sanctuary is based around a temporary altar, it is clear that something needs to be done. It should not be impossible to devise an arrangement which adequately accommodates the liturgy while sensitively respecting the architectural heritage.

Indeed, if the Bishop wanted to be a real trend-setter, there is no reason not to use the original altar. Wouldn't that be something.