21 Jan St Anne’s Cathedral , Belfast , County Antrim
Once known as Belfast Cathedral , this Anglican Cathedral was built between 1899 and 1927 on the site of the old parish church and still incorporates part of the original building. The cathedral is neo-Romanesque , 300ft long with a 120ft nave , and divided into six bays.
There are splendid mosaics above the West Door. The baptistery roof is made up of 150,000 pieces of glass representing The Creation and symbolising air , earth , fire and water , with the hand of God held in benediction above in a glorious sunburst of gold. The central dome is decorated with gold and silver mosaics with four seraphims holding a lamp , a chalice , a cross and a scroll.
Mosaics in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit celebrate the landing of St Patrick at Saul in AD 432 , and the floor is laid with stones from every county in Ireland. The chapel’s 85ft nave has a floor of maple and Irish marble and is lined with pillars whose capitals represent the ‘occupations of mankind’ , among them Science , Industry , Healing and Womanhood.
St Anne’s Cathedral is a must see on your Ireland tours.