News
Novena to showcase Cathedral’s gems
The thousands who flock to this year’s annual Novena are being urged to take time out to examine some of the Cathedral’s stunning features which are looking in top shape following the first major refurbishment of the building since it was built half a century ago.
The 33rd Novena which opens on Monday marks the first major event on the calendar for the Cathedral’s jubilee year.
The faithful attending services over the nine days will see an exhibition around the Cathedral detailing the history of its creation and the pomp and ceremony of its dedication on August 15, 1965.
Following the Novena, there will be a Mass said on February 22 in memory of Bishop Browne, who supervised the building of what has become known as one of the last great stone cathedrals in Europe.
On March 20, there will be an evening honouring the sculptor Gabriel Hayes Ó Riordáin, who spent 17 years of her life carving the Stations of the Cross, completing the mammoth project just before she died.
These have been given a new lease of life following a polish and improved LED lighting, explained the Diocesan Secretary Fr Martin Whelan.
“She’s not very well known because she spent so much time doing the Stations of the Cross, which is a tragedy,” he said.
“They’re a totally unique work of art in themselves. They really are a real treasure in the city. The detail she went into for each piece is amazing.”
A booklet on the pieces will be produced for the Novena, drawing on letters between the sculptor and Dr Browne and recollections of her daughter, Róisín Fant Ó Riordáin.
Gabriel used neighbours, relatives and friends as models for the figures; for the face of Jesus she used an Italian student studying in Cellbridge.
A full sized casting of each station was made for the Bishop to see and approve and then chiseled from Portland stone. One of the biggest obstacles in the project was transporting the carvings to Galway.
For the third fall, she undertook very detailed research, studying the work done on the Shroud of Turin for details of the Roman method of crucifixion in Palestine at the time.
She wrote to Dr Browne: “I was not happy about the action of the left arm, in fact it had too much action, we not limp and listless enough. So I broke it off and re-carved it – three times before I was content with it. You see the whole figure had to express extreme exhaustion. He had fallen and is in the act of rising to His feet, unaided of course. He sags back on his knees, gasping for breath. I do hope that I have conveyed what was in my mind. It gives some idea of Christ’s exhaustion at that time.”
By the time she was finishing the commission she was aged 67 and her back had given out.
“Later the stone work proved too taxing, even with the help of a local stone-cutter and so the final stations were cast in re-constituted stone from her carved plaster models. One is actually part stone and part casting. Gabriel worked over the statue with her chisel to give it the final finish,” recalled her daughter.
On May 11 and 18, Bishop Martin Drennan, who is an expert on scripture, is giving talks on the art depicted on the stained glass windows adorning the Cathedral.
Musical director Ray O’Donnell is organising a concert featuring the St Nicholas Cantata by Sir Benjamin Britten, in honour of St Nicholas, the patron of the Cathedral.
At its dedication, the guest of honour was Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston. At the jubilee Mass on August 14, the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, is travelling over to celebrate Mass.
The Priests – a classical musical trio made up of three priests from Northern Ireland – will perform in a concert to mark the anniversary on August 16.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – An extensive gorse fire in the Tonabrocky area this week – which raged for over 12 hours – at one stage threatened a number of houses in the area.
Fire Brigade resources were stretched as they battled on Wednesday evening to contain the fire which burned across several acres before being brought under control in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Fire brigade units from the city, Athenry and Carraroe fought the blaze, which at one point led to fears that residents in nearby houses would have to be evacuated.
Up to six fire tenders were involved in fighting the blaze which is thought to have started around 4 or 5pm on Wednesday – it was one of a series of gorse fires which occurred around the county over the course of the past week.
Fire Brigade personnel fought the blaze through the evening and into the early hours of the morning before eventually having it fully contained by 6am on Thursday morning.
The fire – which sent plumes of smoke several feet into the air and also across local roads – occurred at an area of commonage between Boleybeg and Tonabrocky.
Local councillor, John Connolly, has urged Galway City and County Councils to come together and launch an awareness’ campaign about the dangers of fires during extended periods of dry weather.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the June 9 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – The HSE has paid €11.85 million for the building to house its new ‘Integrated Care Hub’ in Knockncacarra – which is €1.35m over the open market value of the office block.
Confidential HSE documentation seen by the Galway City Tribune shows that Block A in Galway West Business Park – the former Aviva Insurance building – was independently valued at €10.5m.
The HSE subsequently paid €11.85m for the property.
According to the documentation, the building will cost €14.85m to fit out – however, that figure was based on construction costs in February 2022 and is expected to rise again due to inflation. Just seven months prior to that estimate, the fit-out works were costed at €10.8m.
A planning application is currently being put together for a new ‘Enhanced Primary Care Centre’ in the building, which will house Primary Care Teams as well as a unit for chronic disease management. A total of 105 staff will be based there.
When the matter was brought to the Board of the HSE nationally, they were told the purchase price was €1.3m above market value.
The other option shortlisted by the HSE was a ‘new build’ on lands at Merlin Park – this was costed at €33.1m because it would involve “considerable site upgrade works” and would much longer to deliver.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the June 9 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Gardaí in the city are investigating two reported incidents over the weekend of indecent exposure and offensive sexual conduct – one of them at a beach in Salthill and the other in the Eyre Square area.
In the first of the incidents in Eyre Square on Friday last, a man approached a woman at around 5.30pm and exposed himself.
The woman reported the incident to the Gardaí who are carrying out an investigation into what happened.
The second incident – which is understood to be unrelated to the first one – occurred at a busy beach in Salthill on Bank Holiday Monday.
One mother who contacted the Galway City Tribune said that she saw a man ‘writhing up and down in the sand’ before putting his hand down in the front of his Bermuda shorts.
She said that about 10-minutes later, the man moved along to the next beach – which was also crowded with people – while another woman nearby, who saw the same actions, contacted the Gardai.
This is a shortened preview version of this story. To read the rest of the article, see the June 9 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can support our journalism and buy a digital edition HERE.
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