Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-20
AN HISTORIC SPOT
st. Patrick's Cathedral in the
City of Dublin.
SOMETHING OF ITS HISTORY
Stands on Site Of Wooden Church
Built by St. Patrick.
BY THE GUINNESSEs
Immense Sums Given by Lord
Iveagh and His Son to Put the
Building in Good Condition.
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
DUBLIN, June Ii. 1908.
The first place that every Irish
homecomer and every stranger visits
in Dublin is st. Patrick's Cathedral.
the most sacred and historic spot
on the island. And no Roman Catholic
ever looks at it or thinks of it without
feeling of resentment toward Henry VIII
of England and everybody else connected
with the reformation. An Irish friend in
Washington asked me to think of him
when saw st. Patrick's.
1T is the most beautiful building in the
world" he said. ''but they have taken
down the statues of the blessed saints
and martyrs. and have replaced them with
figures of soldiers and politicians
Ny friend was right in one respect, for
st. Patrick's is a building of great beauty
and symmetry, but there were never any
statues about it: there were never any
places for them. 1t was shamefully used
by Cromwelis soldiers and at other times
Turing the religious wars and the clashes
of the clans in the early history of Ire
land. 1t was the scene and the cause of
much contention and violence. It's sacred
W
cations to defend it against invasion from
the savage tribes of the mountains and to
protect the dignitarieS of the church who
resided behind embattled gates for CEN
turies.
At one time ST Patricks was used as
barracks for soldiers and the verger will
show you an enormous baptismal font,
from which he says the dragons used to
water their horses. And at one time the
interior was fitted up for courts law.
cd "a nd
the revenues of St. Patricks because the
members of it's chapter refused to accept
the new doctrines and nearly all of them
were banished from Ireland. He abOl-
ished a small university that was attached
to the cathedral by the pope in 1920 for
the education of priests.
For five hundred years there was con-
tinuOuS quarrel between st. Patrick'S and
Christ Church Cathedral, which stands
only a couple of blocks away, because of
rivalries over ecclesiastical privileges and
powers and revenues. Finally compro-
mise was reached under which there mas
since been peace between the two great
churches. And now their relations are
similar to those of Westminster Abbey
and ST. Pauls in London. Christ Church
is the headquarters Of the episcopal see
Of Dublin and st. Patricks is regarded as
a national church.
Cause Of Its Hold on Irish People.
The chief reason why st. Patrick's has
such a hold upon the affections and rev.
erence of the Irish people is because it
stands upon the site of small wooden
church mat was erected by st. Patrick
himself in the year 40 and within a few
feet Of a sacred spring, or we'll, at which
he baptized thousands of pagans during
his ministry. The exact site of the we'll
was identified in 1901 by the discovery
earth a few feet from the tower of the
cathedral. The cross is now exhibited
in the north aisle.
The floor of the church is only seven
feet above the waters OF the subterraneOn
brook called the Poodle. and during the
spring floods 1t is often inundated. but
in the minds Of the founders the sane
tity of the spot compensated for the inse-
cure foundations.
St Patrick's little wooden building, which
is believed to be the first Christian sane
tuary in Ireland. was replaced in 1101 by
the present lofty cruciform edif1ce, 300
feet long and 157 feet across the tran
septs. 1t was designed and erected by
Ccmyn, the Anglo-Norman Archbishop of
Dublin, Is supposed to have been COM
pleted in 1893 and was raised to the rank
of a cathedral in 1919. There were fire.
quent alterations and repairs during the
nearly seven centuries of its existence
until 1864, when it was perfectly restored
by Sir Benjamin Guinness, the great
brewer. who also purchased several blocks
of dilapidated slums that surrounded it,
tore them down and turned the land into
park. which not only affords an op
portunity to see the beauties of the ca
thedral, but gives the poor people who
dwell in that locality playground and
an opportunity to breathe the fresh air.
Mr.. Guinness purchased several of the
adjoining blocks and erected upon them
a series of model tenement houses, the
best in Dublin, and rents them at nominal
rates to his employees and others. A
churchyard as a reminder of his gen.
erosity.'
Growth Of q Brewery.
Benjamin Guinness was the great brew
er OF Dublin. In 1856 one of his ancestors
started a little brewing establishment
down on the bank Of the Liffey river.
in the center of the city. which has been
extended from time to time. until the
buildings now cover an area of more
than forty acres. The property and good
will were transferred by the Guinness
family to stock company for $50. 900 900
in 1885, and since then the plant has
been enlarged, until 1t now exceeds in
extent all other breweries in the world.
represents an investment of $4,000 COO
AMI turns out an average of 2, 100 barrels
of beer a day.
Because Of his generosity Mr.. Guinness
was elevated to the peerage as Lord
Iveagh. and his son. Edward Cecil GUM
ness. who wears that title is the richest
man in Ireland today: He Is highly re-
spected. has married into the nobility. is
a great favorite with the king, is generous
and phlanthropic. encourages and patron
ICES both science and athletic sports, and
is said to be altogether a very good fell
low"
Mr.. Guinness. ST.. expended 81. $50, 900 In
restoring ST. Patrick's Cathedral and
Lord Iveagh, his son. added $3.50, 600 more.
The driver Of the jaunting car that car
ried us there told me how many Billions of