St. Anne’s Cathedral (Belfast Cathedral)

St Anne’s Cathedral, sometimes called Belfast Cathedral, was erected at the turn of the century upon the site of the original of St Anne’s Parish Church. The cathedral is a descendant of Belfast’s first Church of Ireland (Episcopal) Parish, founded by the Marquis of Donegall. History writes that he named it for his first wife, Lady Anne Hamilton, who shared the name of St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary.

The chosen site was at the fording point of the River Lagan, a customarily popular place for settlers to locate religious structures from the origins of the city of Belfast. The original St. Anne’s Church was torn down to make room for the cathedral, and the Countess of Shaftesbury laid the cornerstone in 1899. The cathedral was built and finally consecrated in 1903.

The exterior of this early 20th century Protestant cathedral doesn’t attract much attention; in fact, its Irish neo- Romanesque influences make it appear rather gloomy. The interior, however, is definitely worth a visit.

Inside, there are captivating mosaics, created in the 1920’s. One mosaic is made up of more than 150,000 pieces. It covers the ceiling of the baptistery in grand style. Irish marble and Canadian maple decorate the nave and aisles. Lord Carson (1854-1935), the leading opponent of Home Rule, is buried here under a plain gray stone slab in the south aisle.