ONE of the many fundraising events that have been organised in aid of the Skibbereen Cathedral’s bicentenary is a garden party, which will take place at the presbytery garden this Sunday.
The presbytery garden at North Street is located directly across from St Patrick’s Cathedral, and it promises to be the perfect venue for this delightful family event.
Admission, which covers the cost of refreshments, will be just €5, with children going free of charge.
Music and lots of novelty events are planned for the gathering that will start at 2pm.
This event will also be an occasion for people to show their support for the fundraising campaign that will run in the lead-up time to the cathedral’s 200th year anniversary in 2026.
An excellent article on the local Heritage Centre’s website outlines the incredibly interesting story of St Patrick’s.
During penal times, Catholics in Skibbereen conducted their worship in an old chapel at Chapel Lane.
But in 1818, Fr Michael Collins put in place plans to build a new church.
A site for a new church was secured from Sir William Wrixen-Becher, who famously leased the site for 999 years at the cost of a peppercorn per year.
Becher, one of the most extensive landlords in this area, was an outspoken supporter of the Catholic cause in the last years of the Penal Laws before the Emancipation Act of 1829.
Fr Collins, who ministered to about 10,000 people in Skibbereen, was all too well aware that more than 6,000 of them were paupers.
However, by 1824 Fr Collins had collected enough money from various means to start building, and the foundation stone was laid in 1825.
