Page:Duffy's Irish Catholic Magazine May 1847 p. 112.png



112

ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE,

[May,

climate), could have been built for. Afterwards, in very many of those eases, the clergy and people get ashamed of their church. They sce it is not church- like, and they wish to give it some ornament to help out the appearance, which, of course, cannot be done without the once much dreaded expense ; but now they are so horrified at their own handy work, that they must need mend it some way or other. Then comes in the play of the “men of taste,” such as they are. One suggests “ pillars,” that is, a revived Pagan por- tico in front ; another prefers a tower behind the altar (the only place we may remark that a tower should not be placed), the lower part of which would serve as 2 vestry 5 a third person suggests buttresses to prop up nothing, but just for effect, surmounted by “nice pin- nacles” to “set them off.” "Tis well if a fourth docs not suggest, in addition to all, to have Roman cement architraves and entablatures to the doors and windows, the outside “coated with compo,” and secure bya surcoat of puritanical whitewash. It is no wonder this class of buildings should turn out abominations. When anything like a church of some architectural pretensions is contemplated (and here the saving clause of “economy” eannot he pleaded in detence of barba- rity), a professional architeet is eent for, perhaps some enlightened worthy who entertains it profound con- tempt for the “dark ages,” and everything appertain- ing thereto, and whose ideas of ecclesiastical art are limited to the magical “ five orders,” and their appli- cation to assembly rooms and “'T houses” for C tholic worship. He, of course, has no certain opiui the subject, but is willing “to draw” anything his employers desire, be they ever so ignorant, and their demands ever so absurd and ridiculou 3_and all styles are the same to him. The “Grecian fret,” “Italian guillochi,” “urns and vases,” which he perpetrated in his last coffee-room or r-divan, he is willing to repeat even “ad nauseam” in his new church. From this source emanates either of two descriptions of modern chureh—the psendo classic style, or mock Pointed architecture. The Pagan temples of old were doubtlessly beautiful objects, perfectly adapted to their Purposes, and characteristic of their use; but we are not Pagans in religion, nor is the climate of onr coun, u e that of Greece or of Italy ; therefore, Pagan temples cannot be revived here without certain altera- tligion. Those being made, the temple is destroyed. Bither the idea of a Pagan temple or a Christian u Hence we find, that “ attempted to combine
 * and adaptations to suit them to our clime and

both, are utter abortions. When the classic st:

the only alternative ‘a ars to be thi ic ve have not had anything Bry, i Gu athowre

bably called “originals” but we ma

‘i y truly cail moder: attempts at pointed architecture gothic, in the real sense of the term. In those “gothic” edifices the faults

Architects appea ii ent to put pointed arches to doors and windows,* and to stick a hideous sentry-box, by way of a tower, at

<4 The pointed arch is only one element of the poi

though itis the chief one. Verticality, as oppose vf Works? lity, was the real principle, and this seems to'heve be suggested by the pointed arch. | But the mere use of the poivter arch alo) veowld not make a gothic building” —Paley's Manual p. Ge e

one end of the church, ‘The due orientation looked for—a vestige of a chancel turned ¢ “Whence the tall window drinks the morni is nowhere discernible, nor ind y of an ancient church, but 2 profusion of meaningless and expensive decorations. How often do we see a “ street front” of neatly hewn stone, consisti less buttresses and pinnacles, blanks and rec and outs, mock doors and windows, all “got up” merely to “look well,” which they never can, as they do not y with decoration, and all this at an expense ve supplied the essentials of a true ecclesiastical edifice. We know of structu sent being erected at an expense which, d, would produce really beaut s, yet the old method of mere showine truth and reality is pursued ; and this is all the more le at the present, than at any former time, 1 information having been of that ignorance

cal architecture, we are, article, bound in just! of a few churches, whi and which iv factory indications of a better stat of things than has hitherto prevailed. ‘The churche being erected. in Ireland from the a Pugin, are, it is almost needless to style. Killarney cathedral will be a glori ul ture, and in every respect most consoling to those who ardently desire a return to the glories of the olden times. “It will be a cruciform church, complete in all its arrangements 5 it will consist of a nave and aisles. well proportioned transepts, and spacious choir or chancel, with side chapels. There will be no false ornament about it, but everything will be real and consistent, ‘The church of St. Kevin, at Glendalongh.t by Mr. M'Carthy, is the first uncompromisingly true church of the old type erected within the archiliocess of Dublin. It isa small structure, and ex Plain and simple, suited to the romantic I which it is situated, consisting of the two ¢: parts of a church, a nave, and fairly proportioned chan- cel. It will have a south porch in the second bay of the nave from the west end, anda sacristy on the north Side of the chancel. Internally all the arrangements and furniture will be complete, including baptismal font, chancel screen, stone altar, &e., &e. -The new churches of Ballinastoc, and of Kilskyre, in the county of Meath, by the same architect, will be also in the true style. We have seen some designs for churches by Mr. Atkins of Cork, which show that that gentle: man is well skilled in ecclesinstical art, and induce us to hope that he is one of those whose mission is to contribute, both by Precept and example, to the disse- mination of sound principles and practice. The churches erected in Dundalk and Newry, and the edral in progress in Armagh, by Mr. Duff, are

Works of considerable architectural merits but unfor- tunately Catholicity of arrangement has been too much neglected in those productions. We entertain hope, however, that the artist will make amends for former defects, and that in future he will give hia valuable aid to the cause of Catholic art.

Indeed we can never hope for extensive and perma- nent improvement, till we Possess a class of architects t Fide Battersby's Directory for the present year.

ay,

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