St Marys Cathedral Service of Thanksgiving.The Right Rev’d David Chillingworth, sometime Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Mayor of Limerick City and County Council, The Rt. Rev’d Kenneth Kearon, COI Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, Catholic Bishop of Limerick, Brendan Leahy and The Very Reverend Niall Sloane, Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral. Picture: Keith Wiseman
St Marys Cathedral Service of Thanksgiving celebrates 850 years
Last, Saturday 8th September (the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary) at 3.30pm there was be a Service of Thanksgiving for 850thAnniversary of the foundation of Saint Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick.
The St Marys Cathedral Service is the liturgical highlight of this year’s celebration which will pay particular attention to the role of the Cathedral in the life of the City of Limerick.

The Rt. Rev’d Kenneth Kearon, COI Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, Mayor of Limerick City and County Council and The Very Reverend Niall Sloane, Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral cut the cake at a reception hosted in Istabraq Hall, by Limerick City and County Council after the service.
Picture: Keith Wiseman
The guest preacher was the Right Rev’d David Chillingworth, former Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Bishop of Limerick, the Most Rev’d Dr Brendan Leahy and the Mayor of Limerick, Councillor James Collins participated in the Service, along with representatives from various groups within the city.
Saint Mary’s which was gifted to the Church by Donal Mor O’Brien, the last King of Thomond has been a site of Christian worship since 1168 and it one of the oldest buildings in Limerick City. The service forms part of this year’s festivities which is celebrating and promoting the Cathedral within Limerick and beyond.
Saint Marys Cathedral Limerick 850th Anniversary celebrated and promoted the Cathedral’s roles in city life including – community, civic, cultural, educational, ecumenical, musical, sporting and tourism. The Dean of the Cathedral, the Very Rev’d Niall J. Sloane commented that while they are celebrating the history of the event, they also hope to, “as part of the year it’s opening it up to the city of Limerick and the wider community. The main themes for the year are welcoming in, so anybody is welcome to come in, and symbolically, the west doors are open tonight, which should have been the doors to Donal Mor’s medieval palace.”
Speaking of Saint Marys Cathedral Limerick 850th, the Dean, the Very Rev’d Niall J. Sloane says “Saint Mary’s holds a very special place in the city of Limerick and its citizens. It has been a royal palace – no doubt, a place of story-telling, feasting and celebrations. Over the succeeding centuries, it has witnessed unique events, welcomed countless people through its doors and marked key moments in the lives of Limerick people. Today, as it continues to be a place of pilgrimage and prayer, it has a unique role to play in all aspects of the city and diocesan life. The central theme of our celebrations in 2018 will be opening our doors to all and forging links with Limerick and beyond so that we may echo the Christian message of faith, love, and witness. I invite you to join us as we celebrate this historic occasion and give thanks for Saint Mary’s Cathedral”.
For more information on St Mary’s Cathedral, go here.
For more stories on St Mary’s Cathedral, go here.