Sligo Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Immaculate conception is famous for being the only Norman-style church in Ireland. The church was constructed in 1874 by the Bishop of Elphin, upon deciding that the local diocese was in need of a larger space. It is also notable for its impressive spire and large apse in the sanctuary.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Bob Embleton

Cathedral of St John the Baptist

The 18th-century Cathedral of St John the Baptist is Sligo's Anglican cathedral. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was almost certainly built on the site of a medieval hospital and parish church in honour of the Trinity, founded in the 13th century. Part of the medieval structure is included in the present west tower. When the German-born Irish architect Richard Cassels (1690-1751) came to Sligo in 1730 to design Hazelwood House for the Wynne family, he was also commissioned to build St John's Church.

Wikimedia Commons/Bernard Gagnon

St Columba's Church

St Columba's Church is a neo-gothic 19th- century church built on the site where in the 6th century, the Drumcliff Monastery was founded. The last monks of the Drumcliff Monastery are mentioned as present in 1503, although when it was finally abandoned is unknown. Not much remains on the site of the monastery. The nearby high cross is the only example of its kind surviving in county Sligo. It is carved in the Urnes style. It has been dated tentatively on artistic grounds to the 9th or 10th century.