Galway Cathedral

The following day was check out day. We were going home but not after were did a little exploring in some nearby places. The first stop for us will be Galway Cathedral. It is probably the largest landmark in the city and it is difficult to miss. Getting there is a different matter. I always found it difficult to navigate in the bigger cities. Dublin is one of them and Galway seems to come close. Even with a satnav it was difficult to figure out which road to take even though it was right in front of you. Anyway, we managed to find the way to the cathedral and fortunately there was some parking space. Unfortunately, for us the weather was terrible. We had luck the previous day but it seems to have run out today.

The official name of the cathedral is Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas, that is quite a mouthful so we would just refer to it as Galway Cathedral. As far as Irish churches go, the Galway Cathedral is very young. Construction started in 1958 and completed in 1965. The layout of Galway Cathedral is pretty traditional while the architecture is most probably a mix of different styles. Inside the cathedral, one will notice that the windows are a bit small but they lend great effect to the design. The ceiling is wooden dotted with spotlights. The dome is illuminated by the mysterious purple light. I thought the design especially the lighting was pretty unique. It doesn’t stray too far from a Catholic Church design but it has a lot of elements to make it unique in its own right.

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