The Irish standard., 1904-06-18

tAot Luu peSil lying ny uer Sue ran Il
few PAGES with her and then stopped,
bewildered by the circling throng. In
a flash the saint saw and seized the
golden opportunity for first lesson of
Christian tenderness to the rude pa gan
gathering. Here" he said, pointing
to the spot where the deer had lain,
shall Gods altar stand;" and taking
the trembling fawn in his arms, he car
ried it then and there down the slope,
the mother following like pet sheep
his heels. and crossing the valley to
the eminence on the northern side. laid
it down again beside her.
ERE long. where lay the fawn,
Stood Gods new altar; and ere many
years
Far Ger the woodlands rose the church
high-towered,
Preaching Gods peace to still trou-
bled wOrld''
The story puts on Il strange, mystic
riouS significance when we remember
that the present Protestant cathedral
"a post-Reformation building on the old
slte) stands on the Ancient Ridge of
Willows where Saint Patrick's first
church was built. while the new-the
Catholic cathedral-rises from that
very northern eminence" towards
which the hunted doe had turned her
dying feet. and whittier the saint had
carried her tender fawn.
1t was surely a day of triumph for
the Irish church, as we'll as for Catho-
lie Armagh. when Primate Crolly held
in his hands the completed lease of
such magnificent. Divinely chosen
site. Nor WAS he long i'm putting into
execution his cherished plans. First
arose that most urgently needed insti-
tuton-an ecclesiastical seminary for
the archdiocese: then. ut length, on ST.
Patrick's day. 1870 DR.. Crolly himself.
attended by his clergy. With all the
Solemnity of the ritual prescribed for
the occasion. laid tile foundat ton stone
of Saint Patrick's own cathedral. Such
Il g;ltlerin" had not been witnessed in
Armagh for generations. The county
roads We're as converging torrents. that
combined to swell a veritable ocean of
humanity which. after flooding the am
pie slopes of Sandy Hill, overlooked
the entire city. Hundreds. it is said,
came and went that day who were
never able to get within sight of the
cathedral foundations; and they tell by
the winter tiresides still how. when
the shades of evening fell on the dis
persing multitudes scarce Il handful Of
biscuits, as the homely phrase runs,
was to be had in Armagh "for love or
money" Assuredly that one day was
a convincing. as to many it must have
been startling. proof that the Catho-
lies of Ireland were like their faith, as
indestructible, albeit, perhaps, as down.
woman proudly wore that Patrick's
day.
A popular Irish architect of the day,
Mr.. Duff of Newry, supplied the plans.
They provided for cruciform build
ing Of splendid dimensions, with nave,
aisles, transepts, chancel and choir, a
large square central tower and two
smaller ones on the west from flanking
the great doorway, and flush with the
aisle walls, the general lines reminding
one rather strongly of York Minister.
The style contemplated by Mr.. Duff
was the perpendicular Gothic, which,
whatever be said of its classical cor
rectness. would certainly have pro-
duced pleasing combination of light
ness and ornate elegance. with massive
size and strength. Today, however,
the design. copies Of which may still
be seen framed in many home
throughout the diocese, possesses mere
ly a romantic interest attaching to
things that might have been" For,
as will be more fully noted later OH, a
change Of architects resulted in sub
statnial modification of the original
plans. "A good beginning" says the
old saw. lis half the work." and here
certainly was grand and encouraging
start. But to use Enthusiastically
Irish figure of speech. much the bigger
half remained to be done. The founda-
tons We're alone an immense cost, the
loose. friable nature Of the surface
strata requiring them to be sunk to the
depth, in some places, of GO feet and
upwards. \ limestone quarry was
opened near the old Navan Fort, while
the famous Garland and other quarries
| near Dungannon furnished purest free
stone for the columns and arches. The
latter, by the way. are almost the only
part of the original frame work now
visible through the glorious many-col
| ored garment of mosaic with which
during the past year the interior of the
cathedral has been clothed.
y building committee was formed
historic first of many a band of ster
ling laymen who have toiled hard fol
half a century in labor of love for tho
glory of Gods house. Prominent OF
it are the old Armagh family names
| Close Mccain Valley savage Crib