ARCHITECTURE
Sligo, nave and high altar, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
At work in Ireland Paul Waddington on the Irish churches of George Goldie
G
eorge Goldie was born in York in 1828 and educated at Ushaw College. At the age of seventeen, he was apprenticed to the architectural firm of Weightman and Hadfield which practiced in Sheffield, and, on completing his apprenticeship, he became a partner in that business. By 1860, Goldie had moved to London and was in practice on his own, although he later took on Charles Edwin Child as a partner. In 1875, George took on his son, Edward, as an apprentice, and he became a partner in 1880. Almost the entire architectural output of George Goldie was for the Catholic Church in one form or another. He designed around 50 churches, three cathedrals, and at least twelve convents, as well as many orphanages, colleges and presbyteries. In addition, he was
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responsible for numerous extensions and improvements to churches designed by other architects. Although most of his work was in England, Goldie built at least a dozen churches in Scotland, and was very active in Ireland. His Irish work included two cathedrals, six convents and at least sixteen churches. It may come as a surprise that an architect working in Sheffield and London should be doing so much work in Ireland. Part of the explanation may be that there were insufficient Irish architects capable of undertaking the design of the many churches which were being built at the time. However, it is likely that Goldie was introduced to Ireland through the Vincentian Fathers, for whom he designed St Vincent’s Church in Sheffield in 1856.
Goldie’s first Church in Ireland was in Charlestown, a small settlement in Co Mayo. Opened in 1858, St James’ Church (originally dedicated to St Charles Borromeo) is a modest building. Unusually, it does not include many of the hallmarks that later became features of Goldie’s churches, except perhaps the large reredos and the conspicuous Stations of the Cross. It has a simple belfry perched on the west end gable. Nearby, at Bohola, is the Church of the St Joseph & Immaculate Conception. In this church, which was opened in 1859, we begin to see some of Goldie’s typical features. Alas, the reredos incorporating statues and a prominent monstrance throne have gone, as has the pulpit, but a very typical baptismal font has survived, as has the High Altar, albeit moved to a forward position. Like the Charlestown
SUMMER 2021
