St. Mary the Virgin & St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Sligo, County Sligo

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Get directions John St, Magheraboy, Sligo, Ireland

Coordinates: 54.27036, -8.47747
Cemetery ID:

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St. John the Baptist Cathedral is one of two cathedrals in the diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh in the Church of Ireland. It was built as St. John's Church in the mid-18th century to the design of German architect Richard Cassels (1690-1751), who adopted a Roman basilica pattern. It was almost certainly built on the site of a 13th century medieval hospital and parish church

In 1812 and 1883, the external appearance was substantially altered through the replacement of the original rounded Romanesque windows, the addition of battlements and small towers, and an extension of the chancel.

When the Cathedral Church for the dioceses of Elphin and Ardagh was abandoned in 1961 following severe storm damage, the Bishop's Seat was transferred to St. John's Church. Accordingly, the Church was re-named the Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and St. John the Baptist.

Regarding the churchyard cemetery, W.G. Wood-Martin's 1892 "History of Sligo", noted that there were "... few tombs of any antiquity remaining", the oldest being that of Sir Roger Jones who died in 1635. The author also forwarded the observation that the composition of the churchyard's soil affected the decomposition of bodies buried within it. He suggested that as the reason why "yews will not grow in the soil… that few, if any worms burrow in the ground, and that rats do not frequent the place."