Architecture Paul Waddington on the Irish churches of George Goldie

At work in Ireland

George 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 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.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, exterior

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 church, the Bohola church has a belfry, but here we have something far more ostentatious, and unmistakably the work of Goldie.

Another one of Goldie’s early works in Ireland, although on a much larger scale, was the Cathedral of the Annunciation and St Nathy at Ballaghadereen in County Roscommon. Ballaghadereen is a very small town, and it became the unlikely location of the cathedral of the Diocese of Achonry because Viscount Dillon donated the site and was also willing to donate stone from a nearby quarry that he owned. The foundations of the cathedral had been laid in 1854 under the direction of John Sterling Butler, but work was soon suspended due to a lack of funds. When building resumed, George Goldie was the architect, and it is presumed that he was selected because Viscount Dillon’s Agent, Charles Strickland, was a relative of Thomas Strickland, one of Goldie’s fellow students at Ushaw College.

Goldie was constrained in his design by the existing foundations, which were for an eight-bay nave with side aisles and a two-bay chancel. Although Goldie had to work to a restricted budget, he did manage to provide a building of considerable height, which allowed the inclusion of an impressive six light East window. This is above a marble High Altar and Reredos, which are in a style typical of Goldie. Most noticeably, the reredos includes a monstrance throne with a very tall canopy.

When the cathedral was opened in 1860, it was incomplete, and it was not until 1912 that the tower and spire were added by W H Byrne to a design somewhat different from Goldie’s conception.

Goldie’s greatest work in Ireland was the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Sligo. In 1858 the Vincentian priest, Fr Laurence Gillooly, became the bishop of the Diocese of Elphin, and during his 37 years as bishop, he was responsible for the building of 30 churches in the diocese. The bishop employed George Goldie as the architect for several of these, including the cathedral at Sligo, which was started in 1869 and opened 1874.

The Cathedral occupies a prominent position on high ground, and its 210 ft tower dominates the city skyline. Unusually for Goldie, the cathedral is built in a Romanesque style, and is T-shaped rather than cruciform. The seven-bay nave is of great height, and includes a triforium as well as clerestory windows. A full height rounded apse with ambulatory at the eastern end accommodates the sanctuary. Beyond the ambulatory, Goldie provided a mortuary chapel, which is now used as the baptistery.

Despite being in a different style from most of his churches, Goldie managed to incorporate many of his hallmark features. The prominent tower capped with a pyramidal roof resembles those of many other Goldie churches, and the tympanum of the main entrance closely resembles that at St Wilfrid’s in York. The relatively short cylindrical columns of the nave are typical Goldie features, as are the extended wall mounted shafts that support the vaulting.

Less typical of Goldie is the arrangement of the sanctuary. No doubt Bishop Gillooly was looking for something rather special, and Goldie responded with an elaborate white marble High Altar approached by six steps, but instead of the usual reredos, he provided an elaborate brass tabernacle with brass framed tableau at either side. The High Altar is surmounted by a brass baldacchino supported on richly coloured marble columns.

Some of George Goldie’s finest Irish work appears in churches designed by other architects. An example would be the Redemptorist Church of Mount St Alphonsus in Limerick. This large church had been designed by the English architect Thomas Hardwick and completed in 1862. Only three years later in 1865, George Goldie was engaged to make improvements. He installed a new High Altar and reredos, several side altars and a spectacular pulpit, as well as designing new decorative schemes. He returned in 1876 to give the church a tower. Although its design is typical of Goldie, it is topped with a somewhat squat octagonal spire.

Goldie also worked on the Jesuit Church of the Sacred Heart in Limerick, where he installed a new High Altar and side altars as well as providing a new decorative scheme throughout the church. This church is now served by the Institute of Christ the King, and was featured in an earlier article in this series. It is gratifying that Goldie’s work is currently being restored by the Institute, and that the church is used daily for the traditional Latin liturgies.

Sligo, nave and high altar, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, exterior

Sligo, nave and high altar, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception