Overview
The thing to seek out inside St Eunan’s is the Harry Clarke clerestory – ten two-light windows the celebrated stained-glass artist designed for the upper nave, completed by November 1929 and among his most significant church commissions. One caveat: they sit high up, so you’ll want a bright day and a bit of patience to read the detail.
St Eunan’s Cathedral – officially the Cathedral of St Eunan and St Columba – anchors the centre of Letterkenny, County Donegal, on Castle Street directly opposite Conwal Parish Church. Its 73 m (240 ft) spire has long dominated the skyline and gave the town its nickname, the Cathedral Town. Designed in the Victorian neo-Gothic style by Dublin architect William Hague, it opened on 16 June 1901 and is the only Catholic cathedral in County Donegal.
History and construction
The drive to build a cathedral worthy of the Diocese of Raphoe was led by Bishop – later Cardinal – Patrick O’Donnell, who was still in his early thirties when the work began. A Cathedral Building Committee was formed in 1890, and the foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1891.
Funding it took real local sacrifice; the final cost ran past £300,000 at the turn of the 20th century. The white façade came from sandstone quarried at Mountcharles, shipped up the River Swilly and then carried bucket-by-bucket to the site by the townspeople. When Hague died in 1899, his partner T. F. McNamara took over and saw the building through to completion. The cathedral was redecorated again in 2025.
Architecture and interior
The scale hits you at the door. The nave runs 171 ft, the transepts 100 ft, and the roof rises 72 ft before the spire takes over. The interior is a showcase of Ireland’s late-Victorian building boom.
The painted and gilded rib-vaulting is the work of the Italian firm Amici of Rome. The elaborate marble pulpit, carved by the Pearse Brothers of Dublin, carries statues of the Four Masters and the Four Evangelists, and the altar rail is marble with brass gates. Over the altar hangs a solid silver sanctuary lamp weighing more than 1,500 oz. A 1985 re-ordering adapted the space to post-Vatican II liturgy while keeping the original altar, which still shows an Irish carving of Leonardo’s The Last Supper.
Stained glass and art
Light through the windows is what turns the stone interior from grey to something else. The sanctuary and Lady Chapel hold thirteen panels by Mayer of Munich, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus. The showpiece, though, is the Harry Clarke clerestory: ten two-light windows, each one different, worked in diamond-shaped slab glass, bringing a distinct Art-Deco note to the upper nave.
Music and bells
The cathedral works as an acoustic space as much as a visual one. A twelve-bell chamber holds bells named after the saints of Tír Conaill, the largest weighing over two tonnes. The organ has accompanied worship here for over a century and still features in local musical life, including traditional Irish tunes played after services.
Visiting
- Admission: Free entry. The cathedral welcomes visitors during regular parish hours.
- Opening times: Open daily for worship and quiet reflection. Mass times and any temporary closures are listed on the official website.
- Location: Castle Street, Letterkenny, County Donegal.
- Access: An easy walk from the town centre. A small car park on Cathedral Square has limited spaces.
- Facilities: Toilets near the main entrance; leaflets at the reception desk; guided tours can be arranged through the parish office.
Nearby
The cathedral stands in the middle of town, a few minutes from Letterkenny’s main shopping streets and directly across from Conwal Parish Church – making it a natural first stop before a day exploring north Donegal. Check the parish noticeboard on arrival for upcoming choral concerts and community events in the parish hall.