Cork's North Cathedral bells to become daily ritual after ringing out for first time in 56 years

Joan Casey, Cora Ward, Fr. Sean Crowley, Billy Keane, Francis Horgan and Angela Crowley pictured after the newly restored bells rang after mass on Saturday. Pictures: Colm Lougheed

The ringing of the newly restored bells of Cork’s landmark North Cathedral is set to become a daily ritual after they rang out this evening for first time in more than half a century.

The nine bells in the tower of the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne, an iconic feature on the city’s northern skyline, pealed out across the city for the first time in 56 years after mass on Saturday evening, marking the end of the first phase of a major restoration project.

They will herald a range of important religious events but cathedral administrator, Canon John O’Donovan, confirmed that the bells will also become a regular feature of the city’s soundscape, ringing out twice daily at midday and at 6pm.

“The chiming of the bells is an important part of any community,” he said.

“They are rung for happy events like weddings, and for sad events like funerals.

Bishop Fintan Gavin (Diocese of Cork + Ross) along with Fr. Eoin Casey (OP), Fr. Sean Crowley and Canon John O'Donovan blessed the bells at a special mass. Picture: Colm Lougheed

“And it’s important that the seat of the bishop for the diocese of Cork and Ross has a set of working bells.

“So we are delighted to be here this evening to mark the completion of the first phase of our restoration project.

“The restored bells can now send out a strong message that has been from this part of the city for the last five decades.” 

Bishop of Cork and Ross, Fintan Gavin, said the tower and the bells were put there by the generosity and the sacrifices of the people who have gone before us.

“We continue their work, their contributions, their sacrifices and their generosity by restoring these bells, using them for ourselves and for the people who come after us,” he said.

Fr. Eoin Casey (OP) and Sister Berchmans Photo: Colm Lougheed

“This is what we celebrate here today in the blessing and rededication of the bells and the illumination of the tower. 

"I would like to thank all those who have been involved in this project and given so generously of their time and talent.” 

The cathedral, known affectionately as the North Chapel, was dedicated in 1808 and has played an important role in the life of Cork, as the ‘mother church’ for the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

Its tower was built between 1862 and 1867 and the nine bells were commissioned in 1869 and placed in the belltower in 1870.

They are said to be fine examples of the work of the Murphy Byrne foundry in Dublin’s James’s St, ranging from 75cm to 146cm in diameter, with the biggest one weighing about one and a half tonnes.

Sean O'Donovan, Veronica Forde, Elaine O'Neill, Maria Downey, Jack Downey, Breda O'Donovan, Breda Flannery and Anne Twomey.

They have a fine clear tone, characteristic of many bells from that foundry which cast most of the bells in the country for many churches built following Catholic emancipation.

They became a familiar sound across Cork city as they announced the ordination of bishops and priests, weddings, first communions, confirmations, Sunday Masses, the Angelus, and funeral Masses for nearly 100 years.

But post-Vatican II, when the focus of many churches was on the reorientation and in some cases the redesign of their altars, the cathedral’s bells fell into disrepair with the final remaining working bell falling silent in 1966.

Then in 2019, a mammoth project began to restore the bells and install new exterior lighting at the cathedral.

The restoration work was overseen by architects, engineers, and bell experts, and was funded by personal donations, sponsorship, the parish lotto and parish donations, with some €170,000 raised.

Eileen Murphy, Kevin Murphy, Cllr. Michael Looney and Cllr. Ben Dalton O'Sullivan.

It included remedial works on the timber support structure and restorative works on the bells themselves.

Canon O’Donovan paid tribute this evening to all who were involved in the project, and to the outpouring of support from the parishes and the people of the area which he said is a testament to the maintaining of the heritage of this important building to the city of Cork.

“It is fantastic for the children and grandchildren of those who heard them last to hear the bells ring again,” he said.

And there are also plans to make the cathedral tower accessible to parishioners and visitors in the future, with the hope that visitors will be able to ring the bells as is the case in nearby Shandon church.

It’s part of an ongoing plan to establish the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne as a key heritage site in the historic greater Shandon area.