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| Cathedral of the Assumption | |
|---|---|
 The main façade | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Diocese | Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly |
| Rite | Roman |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Cathedral |
| Year consecrated | 21 June 1879 |
| Location | |
| Location | Thurles,Ireland |
 Interactive map of Cathedral of the Assumption | |
| Coordinates | 52°40′49″N7°48′32″W / 52.68028°N 7.80889°W /52.68028; -7.80889 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | J.J McCarthy |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1865 |
| Completed | 1879 |
The Cathedral of the Assumption is themother church of theMetropolitan Province of Cashel and thecathedral church of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly inThurles,County Tipperary inIreland. It is thecathedra of theArchbishop of Cashel and Emly and stands on the site of earlier chapels, which were the onlyRoman Catholic churches in Thurles. Following theEnglish Reformation, many archdiocesan assets, including the cathedral at theRock of Cashel were appropriated by theestablished church. James Butler II (1774–91),[1] on being appointed by theHoly See, moved his residence andcathedra fromCashel, favouring Thurles instead, where his successors continue to reign today.
Following the appropriation of church assets by theChurch of Ireland, the majority population who adhered to Roman Catholicism were obliged to conduct their services elsewhere. From the time of the English Reformation onwards, those archbishops appointed byRome had to make their throne in whichever house in County Tipperary would hide them from the forces ofthe Crown. That state of affairs continued until the late 18th century, when some of the harsher provisions of thePenal Laws were relaxed.
In 1857, ArchbishopPatrick Leahy revealed his plan to replace the 'Big Chapel', which had been used as theparish church in town, with, as Archbishop Bray explained, "a cathedral worthy of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly"
Work commenced in 1865, and the impressiveRomanesque Revival architecture building, with its façade modelled on that ofPisa Cathedral, in Italy, was consecrated by ArchbishopThomas Croke on 21 June 1879.
In theChurch of Ireland, the historic cathedral on the Rock of Cashel was closed for worship in 1721. A new Georgian cathedral was completed in 1784,St. Peter the Rock Cathedral, Cashel.
The architect wasJ.J McCarthy; Barry McMullen was the main builder. J.C. Ashlin was responsible for the enclosing walls, railings and much of the finished work.
The building has many architectural features, including an impressiverose window, a baptistery, and its most important possession is atabernacle ofGiacomo della Porta, a pupil ofMichelangelo.
The tower holds a set of eight bells, cast byJohn Murphy of Dublin in 1867. Originally intended to be hung forChange ringing, they are now unringable and chimed by hammers. It is thought that the tower is too weak, and the bells are hung too high in the tower, to deal with the forces associated with full-circle ringing.[2]
