James Joseph McCarthy

The Salvator Church in Dublin, consecrated for the Dominicans in 1861, is considered McCarthy's most successful city church. It was built in the style of the continental Gothic of the 14th century.

James Joseph McCarthy (born January 6, 1817 in Dublin ; † February 6, 1882 there ) was the most important neo-Gothic architect in Ireland after AWN Pugin . Although he was not a student of Pugin, he largely followed the architectural principles of Pugin and is therefore often referred to as the "Irish Pugin". With the four cathedrals he designed and more than 60 churches in Ireland, he played a decisive role in the replacement of neoclassicism in Irish church architecture and the Perpendicular Style , which was adopted from England in the early phase of Irish Neo-Gothic, by a style variant that based on the medieval models of the continent and Ireland. In the 19th century McCarthy represented a catholic-nationally oriented church architecture, which in Pugin's entourage was strictly functional to the liturgy . He and other comparable architects, who rediscovered medieval Gothic church architecture and viewed it as an ideal, counted themselves to the Ecclesiological School , which was initially influenced by the Ecclesiological Society and the architecture journal The Ecclesiologist , but was founded by Pugin and that of McCarthy Irish Ecclesiological Society was also anchored in the Catholic Church.

Life

Early years

The earliest church that McCarthy can attribute to was built in the Perpendicular style , which he later avoided. However, the transept and choir shown in the picture were not added until after McCarthy's death in 1887.

Not very much is known about the beginning of his life. He was born in Dublin in 1817 to a family from Kerry who probably lived in simple circumstances. McCarthy attended a Christian Brothers school and had the opportunity to study surveying early on . In the fall of 1834 he was accepted into the Figure and Ornament School of the Royal Dublin Society and later moved to the Architecture School , where he received a second prize for a design in 1837. At the same time he did an apprenticeship with a Dublin architect. Sheehy assumes that McCarthy worked for the Dublin architect William Farrell († 1851), but this has not been proven with absolute certainty. Numerous designs have come down to us from this period, but the parish church in Derry, which is dedicated to St. Columban , is only one building. This quite simple church, built between 1838 and 1841, still follows the Perpendicular Style with the battlements on the steeple and along the roof that were common at the time . As Sheehy notes, the execution would suit Farrell's neo-Gothic style, although Farrell primarily worked in the neoclassical style.

Started as a freelance architect

McCarthy may have had a stake in this St Anne's Church in Liverpool , designed by Charles Hansom and completed in 1846 . In any case, the church is mentioned in McCarthy's work Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches .

For the period from 1843 to 1845 there is no evidence of McCarthy's activity. Based on some evidence, Sheehy suspects that McCarthy worked for the English architect Charles Hansom (1817–1888) at this time . Hansom was familiar with the neo-Gothic style influenced by Pugin and increasingly became a competitor of Pugin, as he demanded less fee and was also more willing to compromise. Hansom is ranked in a leading position among the numerous imitators Pugins, who themselves were unable to bring in little originality.

From 1846 McCarthy is visible as an independent architect based in Dublin. In addition to orders from the state Board of Ecclesiastical Commissioners , which awarded the funds for the construction and expansion of churches of the Anglican state church, McCarthy also endeavored to build Catholic churches in accordance with the principles represented by Pugin. In order to have a model church, he offered to develop a design for a rural parish church in Glendalough without a fee. The church was built in the Early English style of the English Early Gothic and became the model for many of his subsequent rural churches, which are still considered particularly successful today. The second important success this year was winning the architecture competition for the Catholic city church in Ballinasloe . Both projects, however, were supposed to suffer from the great famine in Ireland . In Glendalough the desired interior decoration was never implemented, in Ballinasloe the construction later fell under the direction of another architect who made some changes. One of the other early churches is the parish church in Kilskyre , which despite its rural location was lavishly built in the so-called Decorated Style , the middle style of the English Gothic. These efforts caught the attention of the English magazine The Ecclesiologist :

McCarthy's town church in Ballinasloe is typical of many of his subsequent buildings in the Early English style with lancet windows , side aisles on both sides and a bell tower that is closed off by a pointed helmet .

“It seems, however, that one gentleman (Mr. M'Carthy) has, in two instances at least, succeeded in designing churches for that communion which imitate ancient models. The one, the church of S. Kevin, at Glendalough, is in First-Pointed, consisting of a nave and chancel. The other, that of S. Skyre, at Kilskyre, is of a more elaborate design, and in Middle-Pointed. We do not like the cinqfoiling of the lights of the eastern windows, nor the trefoil in the head of the east window. The quatrefoil opening also above is not felicitous. Still, however, the designs show promise. "

“It appears, however, that a gentleman (Mr. McCarthy) has succeeded in at least two instances in designing churches for this fellowship [the Catholic Church in Ireland], which is modeled on old models. One, St. Kevin Church in Glendalough, is in the early English style and consists of a nave and a choir. The other, the St. Skyre Church in Kilskyre [St. Michael Church] is more elaborately designed in the middle style of the English Gothic. We don't like the five passes in the east window or the three pass in the head of the east window. The quatrefoil above is also not very successful. Nevertheless, the drafts are hopeful. "

In early 1847, McCarthy also wrote three articles for the newly launched Duffy's Irish Catholic Magazine . In these articles, McCarthy advocated a reform of church architecture, which should again be based on medieval models, preferably on Gothic, and the needs of the Catholic liturgy. These articles, which were published anonymously, highlighted his own early projects in Glendalough, Ballinasloe and Kilskyre as positive examples. His admiration for Pugin is already documented in writing here by referring to his works The Present State of Ecclesiastical Architecture , Contrasts and The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture . He also published positive reviews in the magazine of the Manual of Gothic Architecture by Edward Graham Paley and the Analysis of Gothic Architecture by Raphael and J. Arthur Brandon.

Even if many of his ideas can be traced back to Pugin and he himself named Pugin as a role model, he was still not one of Pugin's imitators, but developed his own style. Pugin and McCarthy knew each other personally, valued each other, and also worked on joint projects such as the 1852 cemetery chapel in Clough, County Laois . Since Pugin rarely had the opportunity to travel to Ireland himself, he was happy to leave the construction management to architects he knew. In 1853, McCarthy took over the construction management of St. Mary's Cathedral in Killarney on behalf of Pugin . McCarthy wasn't afraid to ask Pugin for comments on his designs either. An example of this is the Dominican Salvatorian Church in Dublin, where McCarthy took up suggestions regarding the interior design of Pugin.

Networking in the Catholic national movement in Ireland

Charles Gaven Duffy, editor of The Nation and later Prime Minister of Victoria , was not only close friends with McCarthy, but also an important initiator and promoter

McCarthy became a member of the Young Ireland movement at an early age , which campaigned not only for Ireland's independence, but also for the search for a Catholic national identity, which was also expressed in Irish national art and architecture. In this movement McCarthy had a special friendship with the editor of the Irish national newspaper The Nation , Charles Gavan Duffy . He later wrote in Young Ireland: A fragment of Irish history, 1840–1845 looking back on McCarthy:

“An architect, who has since built more Celtic churches than any man of irish birth since the Goban Saor taught our ancestors to construct the Round Towers, told me he caught the first impulse the revive the Irish Gothic in ecclesiastical buildings from The Nation at that period. "

"An architect who has now built more Celtic churches than any man of Irish descent since Goban Saor taught our ancestors how to build round towers, told me that he received the first impetus to revive Irish Gothic in church building from The Nation ."

While overseeing work on the church in Glendalough, McCarthy had the opportunity to have lengthy conversations with John Gowan , then a curate and also a member of Young Ireland , later the most important Irish Vincentian of the 19th century. Both agreed on the inadequate state of the Catholic Churches in both rural and urban areas and that an organization was needed to improve this. McCarthy was advised to hire someone who could not only represent this convincingly but also had enough trust among the Irish clergy. For this was Charles William Russell asked the professor of church history at St. Patrick's College in Maynooth taught and before the call to Archbishop of Armagh had declined. Russell accepted and then became President of the Irish Ecclesiological Society, founded in 1849 . Thanks to Russell's intercession, the new society found the support of Dublin Archbishop Paul Cullen , who took over the patronage. Other supporting bishops included those of Kildare , Clogher , Waterford , Clonfert , Dromore , Raphoe, and Cloyne . The Society's board of directors consisted of 16 priests and 11 lay people, including Duffy and Gowan. McCarthy was the only architect on that body.

The company was never publicly active to the extent aimed for. The most significant public lecture was McCarthy's on February 5, 1851, on Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches . In this, McCarthy lectured on the disadvantages of the previous church buildings, condemned the neoclassical church buildings as pagan and unsuitable for the Catholic liturgy, like Pugin , pointed out the most important requirements of a Catholic church building and tried to justify how well these were based on the Gothic models from the Middle Ages were met. A few suitable variants were then presented, starting with small rural parish churches up to larger city churches. His built or planned churches in Glendalough, Ballinasloe and Kilskyre served as models. Thanks to a donation of £ 25 from Duffy to finance the printing costs, the work was published in the same year.

The plan drawing of the Stella Maris Church in Sandymount , Dublin, presented in the lecture in 1851 , with three naves of equal width, shows Pugin's influence.

McCarthy benefited from connections through The Irish Ecclesiological Society throughout his subsequent career. As early as 1848 McCarthy began work on the chapel and the other buildings of All Hallows College in Drumcondra , whose President and Vice President both became members of the society. One of the vice presidents of the Society and parish priest of Sandymount in Dublin, Andrew O'Connell, commissioned the construction of the Stella Maris Church in 1851, the plan of which had already been presented in the public lecture as a model for a city church. Contact with the Dominicans was established by the Dublin Prior and Chaplain of the Society, Robert A. White. In 1852, work began on St. Salvator's Church in Dublin, later followed by other Dominican churches in Newbridge , Tallaght and Limerick . Many more orders followed through the contacts made in this company.

Relationship with Archbishop Paul Cardinal Cullen

Paul Cullen lived a total of thirty years in Rome, beginning with his training at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in 1820 until he took office as Archbishop of Armagh in 1850. His interest in art and architecture was strongly influenced by Italian classicism during this period . He particularly valued the sculptor Antonio Canova , the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen , who worked in Rome, and his student Pietro Tenerani , whose workshop was often frequented by Cullen. He was skeptical about the neo-Gothic and especially the architecture of Pugin. This is what he said to Tobias Kirby in a letter about a Pugin-designed convent building in Birmingham :

“The convent built by Pugin also at the expense of £ 4,000 is a very poor inconvenient building, as ugly and as irregular outside as anything ever I saw. The architect says it is in the old style of English buildings, but I cannot conceive what recommendation that is, when other houses are built much more conveniently and more imposing in appearance. "

“The Convent, built by Pugin for £ 4,000, is a very poor, uncomfortable building, as ugly and irregular on the outside as I have ever seen anything else. The architect says it is in the old style of English buildings, but I cannot understand what recommendation this would be when other buildings are so much more purpose built and more impressive in appearance. "

St. Patrick's Cathedral, designed in 1840 by the architect Thomas J. Duff, in a perpendicular style

When Cullen took office in Armagh in 1850, he was faced with the problem of an unfinished cathedral , construction of which began in 1840 according to the plans of the neo-Gothic architect Thomas J. Duff , but which had come to a standstill during the famine in 1845 and not after Duff's death in 1848 so could be continued without further ado. By the time Cullen looked for a new architect, McCarthy was already the leading Irish neo-Gothic architect, so it was not surprising that the two were already in contact by the spring of 1851. At this point, McCarthy still suggested building on Duff's plans and asked for the original plans. These were in the possession of the widow, who asked a total of £ 300 for them. Negotiations with the widow dragged on for three years until 1854. At that time, when Archbishop Joseph Dixon had already succeeded him for two years, construction was continued under the direction of McCarthy according to his own plans, which was his favored French high Gothic followed. Later, in an 1873 letter to Kirby, Cullen expressed mixed feelings about the finished cathedral:

West side of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh

"The church is very fine, but some things appear badly done […] the difficulty will be to keep up so large a building - the parish [being] hard set to support four priests and a bishop."

"The church is very beautiful, but some things seem badly executed [...] it will be difficult to maintain such a large building - the congregation already has to bear the four priests and the bishop."

After two years in Armagh, Paul Cullen moved to the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1852 . Here Cullen favored classicism at every opportunity. For example, with the support of Cullen, the order for the church in Arklow was awarded in 1853 to Patrick Byrne , the leading Irish architect of classicism, who was already 70 years old at the time. Nevertheless, McCarthy continued to build numerous churches in the neo-Gothic style in the Archdiocese of Dublin and knew how to assert himself confidently against Cullen's objections. McCarthy wrote to Cullen in 1854 to defend his design for a country church in the early English Gothic style in Rolestown :

“I have practical proof that the archbishop's objections to the length and width of the chancel are groundless. I have built two churches (one in Glendalough in the Co. Wicklow, and the other at Cooley in the Co. Louth) of precisely the same plan and dimensions; and every person in the church can both hear and see the priest; and the priest can see every person in the church, and make himself heard without the least difficulty. "

“I have practical evidence that the Archbishop's objections to the length and breadth of the choir are unfounded. I have built two churches (one in Glendalough in Co. Wicklow and the other in Cooley in Co. Louth) with exactly the same layout and dimensions; and every person in the church can both hear and see the priest; and the priest can see everyone in the church and make himself heard without the slightest difficulty. "

Never realized McCarthy design for Cullen-initiated Catholic University, published in 1863

On the initiative of Cullen, the Catholic University of Ireland was founded in 1851 , for which John Henry Newman was appointed founding Rector. McCarthy was appointed professor of architecture by Newman in 1857 and it is believed that this was not done without Cullen's express consent. Teaching activity is documented for at least 1861. McCarthy's most important contribution to the university, however, was his designs for the buildings in a John Ruskin- inspired Victorian Gothic style with multi-colored decorative elements. A cornerstone was laid in 1862, but construction never took place as the university experienced a decline after Newman left.

The classical interior design of the Roman church of Sant'Agata dei Goti , which Pius IX. Cullen when he gave a tremendous speech at the First Vatican Council . When McCarthy was commissioned to rebuild this church in Dublin, Cullen fulfilled his dream of bringing a piece of Rome to Ireland.

However, Cullen's most important construction project during his time in Dublin was Holy Cross College in Dublin's Clonliffe district. Cullen's goal was to have its own seminary for the formation of priests in his diocese. The reason for implementation arose when the opportunity arose in 1858 to acquire the property belonging to Clonliffe House . Construction work began around 1860 with the classroom buildings under the direction of the rather secondary architect John Bourke. Choosing the architect for the associated church need not have been easy for Cullen. Byrne was almost 80 and the classicist architect of Dublin's pro-cathedral John Keane had died in 1859. Throughout his life, Cullen remained aloof from the Irish Ecclesiological Society , which was too nationalistic for him and too closely connected to Duffy and the nationalistically oriented Young Irelanders , to which McCarthy probably belonged. McCarthy also did not shy away from attending Duffy's farewell party in 1855 when Duffy left Ireland to take up his post in Australia. Nevertheless, Cullen was well aware of McCarthy's usefulness, and the numerous churches built in his diocese according to McCarthy's plans spoke for themselves. So it's not surprising that Cullen chose McCarthy as the architect for this church. What is much more surprising, however, is that McCarthy was persuaded by Cullen to build a church based on the model of Sant'Agata dei Goti in Rome , which dates back to the 5th century .

The exterior facade of the Santa Francesca Romana , designed by Carolo Lambardi in 1615 , was chosen by McCarthy as a model for the exterior design.

Construction of the church began in 1873. It remains unclear whether McCarthy had already visited the model in Rome at this time, although there are indications of this. Since the Sant'Agata church is separated from the street by an atrium, it has no regular external facade. Therefore, a different model was needed and McCarthy's trip to Rome in 1874 had at least the purpose of looking for a suitable model. While McCarthy tried meticulously to adopt the interior design very faithfully from Sant'Agata according to Cullen's wishes, he had no specifications for the exterior design. Here McCarthy decided in Rome for the outer facade of the Santa Francesca Romana, designed by Carolo Lambardi in 1615 . In contrast to the interior design, McCarthy took more freedom in implementing the facade. For example, he opted for the somewhat simpler Ionic instead of the Corinthian columns of the original. The church was dedicated in 1876, two years before Cullen's death.

Dispute over the restoration of Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin

There was a passionate debate about the right course of action for the restoration of the Anglican Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin , in which McCarthy was not only involved, but which was also intended to sustain part of the public opinion in Ireland against him. The restoration was initially in the hands of the English architect RC Carpenter (1812–1855), who was also highly regarded by the Pugin supporters and was known as the "Anglican Pugin". His extensive plans and drawings were expressly welcomed in The Ecclesiologist in 1845 . However, only the restoration of the Lady Chapel was actually implemented , as the other plans u. a. could not initially be financed by the famine. In 1860 Benjamin Guinness offered to finance the restoration in full, but insisted on doing it at his own discretion and without interference. He assured the chapter that he would faithfully restore the original state. The offer was accepted, but not without resistance, as Guinness refused to implement Carpenter's plans and also announced that it would not consult an architect, as they could not be trusted. There was violent criticism of this plan by the Ecclesiologist . An article published January 7, 1863 in the Freeman's Journal reported on the progress of the restorations and accused the critics of "business disapproval".

Lettner with attached organ in a written around 1820 Choral view of John Cruise. McCarthy regretted the rood screen being torn down, while the Murphy and Son construction company saw only a pile of rough stones in it.

At this point McCarthy felt called to defend the criticism on January 15, 1863 in the Dublin Builder . He pointed out that the building history of the cathedral was complex and that a restoration could not be accomplished without experts:

"[...] works of the last three centuries have been religiously restored in all their hideous deformity, while original and perfect works of the earlier and better period have been ruthlessly destroyed to make way for unauthorized and unnecessary features."

"Works of the last three centuries have been painstakingly restored in all their hideous deformity, while original and completed works from earlier and better times have been ruthlessly destroyed to make room for unauthorized and superfluous constructions."

In particular, McCarthy criticized the plan to tear down the medieval rood screen and, for structural reasons, to build the cross vault of the nave in stucco on a plaster base , although the stone vaulting problem could have been solved by an architect from the Ecclesiological School . McCarthy also praised Carpenter's old plans and pleaded in particular for the preservation of the Lady Chapel , which was planned to be demolished in the course of the restoration. On January 23, a replica followed in Freeman's Journal , which saw in a restoration only the faithful restoration of an earlier state and which therefore rejected the eclectic selection. In the criticism of the cross vault in the nave, McCarthy was countered by Carpenter's plans, which included the use of bricks, but which, in McCarthy's view, would be problematic in terms of their statics . This showed the weakness in McCarthy's argumentation, which on the one hand emphasized Carpenter's plans, but at the same time could not deny the advances in knowledge of medieval church architecture. It also remains open whether any restoration carried out in the 19th century could have been satisfactory from a later point of view, even if O'Neill, for example, rather sympathized with McCarthy's views. However, McCarthy's criticism was not without effect. Even if McCarthy failed to save the rood screen, it is believed that Carpenter's Lady's Chapel was only saved by his intervention.

Since McCarthy had brought the restorers close to vandals and characterized the work carried out as "lifeless, coarse and clumsy", further bitter replicas could not be lacking. This included the letter to the editor from Timothy Murphy, senior at Murphy and Son , who was in charge of the restoration work. After he quickly denied that it was a rood screen and could only see a heap of rough stones in it, which together with the organ blocked the view, McCarthy's architecture was widely criticized. So it was asked in a polemical way whether McCarthy's authority was based on his buildings, in order to then judge a number of his buildings derogatory. This also applied to Armagh Cathedral, which criticized the fact that McCarthy Cathedral , designed by Thomas J. Duff in the Perpendicular style, was completed in the middle English Gothic style:

“Or rather shall we find [the authority] in the new Cathedral of Armagh, designed and almost erected by poor Duff, but since consigned to other hands, which have contrived in its completion with mournful success, to totally invert the order of architectural chronology , placing in juxta position the most jarring and incongruous features, and with a ruthless "eclecticism" for ever obliterating all graces of the harmony and fitness imparted to the original design by its unfortunate author? "

"Or do we find [the Authority] in the new Armagh Cathedral, designed and nearly built by poor Duff, but later entrusted to other hands who, with sad success, arranged its completion to completely reverse the order of the architectural chronology that Throwing together the most jarring and inconsistent elements and with a ruthless "eclecticism" wiping out any grace of harmony and suitability that was inherent in the original draft of its unfortunate author? "

Late years

The cathedral, built in Thurles in the Romanesque-Lombard style in 1865, was McCarthy's last major project

In the last phase of his life, his relationships secured many follow-up assignments. The most valuable connection was with David Moriarty , Vice President of the Irish Ecclesiological Society founded by McCarthy . When Moriarty was installed as Bishop of Kerry in 1856 , there were quite a few commissions in his diocese in the 1860s. a. the churches in Tralee , Lixnaw and Killorglin belonged. Churches were also added in the neighboring Limerick diocese , in particular that of Kilmallock . Another important patron and member of the Irish Ecclesiological Society was the Bishop of Clogher , Charles MacNally . He awarded the contract for the cathedral in Monaghan to McCarthy, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1861. It was built in the French Gothic style of the 14th century and is considered to be his most important work. Through the former Vice President of the Catholic University, Patrick Leahy, who became Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly in Thurles in 1857 , McCarthy got his last major contract to build the Cathedral of the Assumption . Like Paul Cullen, Patrick Leahy also preferred Italian-influenced classicism. McCarthy was able to assert himself at least with his preference for the Middle Ages and chose the cathedral of Pisa in the Romanesque-Lombard style as a model and added elements from the Irish Romanesque.

McCarthy's productivity then fell sharply from around 1865. This was due to the increasing competition from other successful neo-Gothic architects, including EW Pugin , the son of AWN Pugin, and his Irish partner and brother-in-law George Ashlin , who u. a. won the architectural competition for Cobh Cathedral . Other competitors included the English architect George Goldie , who also had an Irish office, and the Irish architect William Hague , who is probably a student of McCarthy. To make matters worse, McCarthy's health deteriorated increasingly, so that he increasingly left his last projects to the management of his son Charles McCarthy.

Death and obituaries

McCarthy died at his Dublin home at the age of 65. He was buried in the Glasnevin cemetery, not far from the chapel he designed himself in 1878.

The obituaries in the English magazine The Builder and its Irish counterpart The Irish Builder paid tribute to his success and architectural influence, but were very reserved and cool. In addition to the dispute over St. Patrick's Cathedral, the fact that McCarthy's architecture no longer corresponded to contemporary tastes, even if he was still preferred by some Catholic priests, played a role. So the Irish Builder went to great lengths to limit its importance:

"We would scarcely be justified in saying that Mr. McCarthy was a great ecclesiastical architect, but he was a respectable, and, to some extent, a successful one."

"It would hardly be fair to say that Mr. McCarthy was a great church architect, but he was more respected and, to some extent, a successful one."

The verdict in The Builder was even harsher :

“There are no doubt several of the deceased architect's admirers prone to look upon their countryman as the restorer of Gothic architecture in Ireland; but the facts of history are too strong to justify such a claim. The credit of being the father of the Gothic revival, so far as Ireland is concerned, truly belongs to Francis Johnston [...] ”

“Without a doubt, some of the late architect's supporters tend to view their compatriot as the restorers of Gothic architecture in Ireland; but the historical facts are too convincing to justify such a claim. The merit of being the father of Gothic Revival as far as Ireland is concerned really belongs to Francis Johnston. "

With Francis Johnston (1760-1829), the obituary refers to one of the early neo-Gothic architects, who, however, belonged to an earlier generation and thus did not take part in the historicizing development of neo-Gothic architecture.

architecture

With a few exceptions, McCarthy designed only churches and ecclesiastical buildings and was extremely successful at this. He began his career at a time when Ireland had a population of over eight million before the great famine , including around 6.5 million Catholics, most of whom lived in dire poverty. As a result of the legal emancipation of the Catholics in 1829, numerous Catholic churches were built. The leading architect was initially Patrick Byrne , who favored the classical style. Likewise, although to a lesser extent, the Perpendicular style was also represented, beginning with Carlow Cathedral designed by Thomas Cobden around 1820 .

Like Pugin, McCarthy rejected the classicist style as unsuitable for churches. In his work Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches , he criticizes its followers:

“Each designer follows his own caprice; one borrows decorations from Pagan antiquities, which have no reference to, and by no means illustrate the character or teaching of the Christian religion, but are rather in direct contradiction to both; another draws from the common domestic or profane buildings of the day. "

“Every designer follows his own whims; one makes use of the embellishments of pagan antiquities, which have no relation to the Christian religion and also in no way show their nature or their teachings, but rather are in direct contradiction to both; another draws on the domestic or worldly buildings customary at the time. "

However, this view was initially not shared by large circles of the Catholic clergy in Ireland. Since many of you were educated on the European continent, you were much more familiar with classical architecture. The neo-Gothic architecture was initially more associated with the Anglican Church . Only through the massive influence of Pugin and in Ireland through McCarthy via the Irish Ecclesiological Society should this slowly change and by no means convince everyone.

McCarthy saw the Gothic as the ideal for church architecture. Here he was guided by the simplified English division into the three style variants Early Pointed , Decorated and Perpendicular . He saw the climax of the style in Decorated , the Early Pointed as suitable for simple parish churches in the country and the late medieval Perpendicular style as less perfect. In an essay from 1847 on the transition from decorated to perpendicular he wrote :

“It was fated merely to touch upon perfection, and then, as if withered by some untimely blight, to rapidly decline to the third era, when the enthusiasm for the revival of the Pagan arts and literature, joined with the influence of the Reformation's devastating principles, caused its totally neglect, but fortunately, not its destruction. "

“[The Gothic] was only destined for a touch of perfection and then, as if it had withered at the wrong time by the breath of the plague, it quickly declined in the transition to the third phase, when the enthusiasm for the revival of pagan arts and literature in connection with the devastating principles of the Reformation caused their total neglect, but fortunately not their destruction. "

Design drawing by McCarthy for St. Patrick's Church in Dungannon in the style of the French Gothic of the 13th century with style elements very typical for McCarthy

McCarthy preferred to use the Decorated style variant , although he liked to fall back on models from the French Gothic. In addition to many parish churches, his cathedrals in Armagh, Derry and Monaghan in particular were built in this style. These cathedrals are each built on elevated points and their architecture gives them a dominance over the surroundings, which is further emphasized by diagonally arranged buttresses at the corners, which are closed by turrets or pinnacles , by the setting of stepped buttresses to separate the yokes from the outside and the use of roughly hewn stones for the walls.

McCarthy only allowed the use of components that served a purpose. These were then also allowed to be decorated, but he refused entire components for decoration only:

“As there should be no feature about a Church that has not a purpose or a meaning, buttresses should be only used where they are necessary for the strengthening of the building, and then they should be sufficient for their purpose, and treated boldly. It is one of the faults of modern Gothic work, to introduce buttresses merely as ornamental features. The use of buttresses is to resist pressure; and if decoration can be afforded, they may be rendered very ornamental, thus uniting utility with beauty. "

“Just as a church should not have a structural element without function or meaning, buttresses should only be used if they are necessary for the statics of the building, and then they should serve their purpose and be carried out powerfully. One of the shortcomings of modern Gothic work is to use buttresses only as decorative elements. Buttresses are used to withstand pressure; And, if decoration is affordable, then it can be made very ornate and thus combine function with beauty. "

The parish church in Kilskyre is considered one of his most successful parish churches in the country. However, the tower does not conform to McCarthy's design.

In addition to its city churches, some of its churches are also very much valued in rural areas. One of his earliest works, the parish church in Kilskyre, is considered particularly successful. McCarthy again used the decorated style for this , but with great reluctance to adapt to the surrounding landscape. One of the typical features of his churches is the clear separation between nave and choir . On the outside, this can be recognized in McCarthy's smaller churches by the inwardly offset walls and the smaller ridge height. Inside, the separation is made visible by an archway and several steps. In order to make the separation even clearer and to avoid the accidental entry of the choir by the laity , he preferred to separate the choir either by a communion bench or even better by a rood screen. But he was only rarely able to achieve the latter, and where he was actually allowed to build a rood screen, it was removed again in relation to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council , such as in the case of the cathedral in Armagh.

Publications

• Three-part article Ecclesiastical Architecture in the March, April, and May 1847 issues of Duffy's Irish Catholic Magazine
• Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches , 1851

literature

• Jeanne Sheehy: JJ McCarthy and the Gothic Revival In Ireland . Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, Belfast 1977, ISBN 0-900457-21-X .
• Jeanne Sheehy: The nineteenth and twentieth century . In: Irish Art and Architecture: From Prehistory to the Present . Thames and Hudson, New York 1978, ISBN 0-500-27707-9 .
• Cyril Barrett, Jeanne Sheehy: Visual arts and society, 1850-1900 . In: WE Vaughan (Ed.): A New History of Ireland: Ireland Under The Union 1870-1921 . Oxford University Press, Oxford 1989, ISBN 0-19-958374-9 , pp. 436-499 .
• Jeremy Williams: Architecture in Ireland: 1837-1921 . Irish Academic Press, 1994, ISBN 0-7165-2513-5 .
• James Stevens Curl: Oxford Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture . 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2006, ISBN 0-19-280630-0 , McCarthy, James Joseph, pp. 461-462 .
• Michael O'Neill: Nineteenth-century architectural restorations . In: John Crawford, Raymond Gillespie (Eds.): St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin: A History . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2009, ISBN 978-1-84682-044-1 , pp. 328-349 .
• John Montague: Paul Cullen, JJ McCarthy and Holy Cross Church, Clonliffe: the politics and iconography of architectural style . In: Dáire Keogh, Albert McDonnell (Ed.): Cardinal Paul Cullen and his World . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-235-3 , pp. 260-276 .

Web links

Commons : JJ McCarthy  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• MCCARTHY, JAMES JOSEPH. In: Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940. Irish Architectural Archive, accessed July 22, 2011 . 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Curl: St. Savior's, Dominic Street is the finest . Sheehy, p. 43: the most important of McCarthy's city churches . Williams, p. 117: The finest of JJ McCarthy's Dublin churches, […] .
2. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 44.
3. ↑ Sheehy 1977, pp. 6, 19.
4. ↑ Curl: Arguably Ireland's greatest Gothic Revival architect […] ; Montague on p. 260: JJ McCarthy […] must count as the most prominent architect [of the second half of the nineteenth century in Ireland], at least among his Roman Catholic peers.
5. ↑ ^{a b} Barrett, p. 462.
6. ↑ Curl.
7. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 8.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d} Sheehy 1977, p. 6.
9. ↑ MCCARTHY, JAMES JOSEPH in the Dictionary of Irish Architects , footnote 4, and footnote 12 in: FARRELL, WILLIAM. In: Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940. Irish Architectural Archive, accessed July 23, 2011 . 
10. ^ Hill, pp. 299, 354: The greatest broom-stealer was Bishop Ullathorne's protégé Charles Hansom. This refers to a quote from a letter from Pugins: I believe I design for all of them for I see actually my own casts & figures used and they abuse me afterwards these men can afford to sell cheap for they steal their brooms ready made however the movement progresses and the right sort of thing becomes general & that is a great point.
11. ↑ ^{a b c d} The Irish Ecclesiological Society . In: Irish Jesuit Province (Ed.): The Irish Monthly . tape 24 , no. 275 , May 1896, p. 275-277 , JSTOR : 20498976 .
12. ↑ ^{a b c} Sheehy 1977, p. 29.
13. ↑ Sheehy 1977, pp. 7, 38. The other architect may have been Pugin himself, but this is not certain.
14. ^ Notices and Answers to Correspondents . In: The Ecclesiologist . tape VIII , August, 1847, p. 62 ( digitized version ).
15. ↑ Sheehy 1977, pp. 8-9.
16. ^ ^{A b c} Roderick O'Donnell: The Pugins in Ireland . In: Paul Atterbury (ed.): AWN Pugin: Master of Gothic Revival . Yale University Press, 1995, ISBN 0-300-06656-2 , pp. 137-159 .
17. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 45.
18. ^ Cyril Barrett: Irish Nationalism and Art 1800-1921 . In: Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review . tape 64 , no. 256 , 1975, pp. 393-409 .
19. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 13. The accompanying footnote refers to Young Ireland , 120. The quotation appears on Google Books on p. 104 :: Sir Charles Gavan Duffy: Young Ireland. MH Gill, 1884 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
20. ↑ On his curriculum vitae and assessment of its importance: Jim McCormack: John Gowan: A Vincentian Vocation in Crisis . In: Colloque: Journal of the Irish Province of the Congregation of the Mission . No. 44 , 2001, p. 112-132 ( http://www.diskon.ie/page1/assets/Colloque Volume 44.pdf).
21. ^ Williams, p. 191.
22. ↑ More on Andrew O'Connell: Chapters of Dublin. (No longer available online.) In: chaptersofdublin.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007 ; accessed on January 17, 2015 . 
23. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 13.
24. ↑ Quoted from Eileen Kane: Paul Cullen and the visual arts . In: Dáire Keogh, Albert McDonnell (Ed.): Cardinal Paul Cullen and his World . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-235-3 , pp. 103 . In her footnote, the author refers to Cullen to Kirby, July 4, 1842 ( PICR , NC / 1/1842 ).
25. ↑ ^{a b} Eileen Kane: Paul Cullen and the visual arts . In: Dáire Keogh, Albert McDonnell (Ed.): Cardinal Paul Cullen and his World . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-235-3 , pp. 99-114 .
26. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 39.
27. ↑ Quote taken from Montague, p. 272, the footnote refers to Cullen to Kirby, 28 Aug. 1873 ( PICR , KIR / 1873/328 ) .
28. ↑ Quote taken from Montague, p. 274, the footnote refers to JJ McCarthy to Cullen, 23 Feb. 1854 (DDA, AB4 / 332/3/37) , where DDA stands for Dublin Diocesan Archives .
29. ↑ p. 278 in Ian Ker: John Henry Newman's perception of the archbishop of Dublin . In: Dáire Keogh, Albert McDonnell (Ed.): Cardinal Paul Cullen and his World . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-235-3 , pp. 277-288 .
30. ↑ See Montague, p. 271.
31. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 15.
32. ↑ ^{a b} Montague, p. 271.
33. ↑ Montague, p. 264.
34. ^ Montague, p. 266.
35. ↑ Montague on p. 262: "arguably a rather dull architect"
36. ↑ Montague, pp. 263 and 276.
37. ↑ Montague, p. 270. Cullen's rejection of nationalist movements arose from his experience with the Risorgimento in Italy. See p. 282 in Ian Ker: John Henry Newman's perception of the archbishop of Dublin . In: Dáire Keogh, Albert McDonnell (Ed.): Cardinal Paul Cullen and his World . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-235-3 , pp. 277-288 .
38. ↑ Montague, p. 276.
39. ↑ See Montague, p. 267: The only evidence for this is a report in the volume College history published in 1962 , which, however, does not name any further evidence.
40. ^ Montague, p. 267.
41. ↑ O'Neill, p. 340 ff.
42. ↑ ^{a b} Sheehy 1977, p. 16.
43. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 16. Criticism immediately preceding the controversy: S. Patrick's, Cork, and Belfast . In: The Ecclesiologist . tape XXIII , no. CXLIII , December 1862, p. 840 ( archive.org ).
44. ^ Restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral . In: Sir John Gray (Ed.): Freeman's Journal . January 7, 1863, p. 3 ( File: Freeman's Journal 7 January 1863 Restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral.png ): A recent effort was made to get up a controversy by a statement or series of statements which appeared in an English journal to the effect that the original design of the church was not carried out in the restorations, and that several innovations had been made. These statements, we believe, are erroneous, and may have arisen from professional jealousies or other causes with which we have nothing to say.
45. ↑ Quoting taken from Sheehy 1977, p. 16, where reference is made to the edition of Dublin Builder of January 15, 1863, p. 5.
46. ↑ ^{a b} O'Neill, p. 343.
47. ↑ Quoted in: Restoration of St. Patrick's . In: Sir John Gray (Ed.): Freeman's Journal . January 23, 1863, p. 3 ( File: Freeman's Journal 23 January 1863 The Restoration of St. Patrick's.jpg ).
48. ^ Restoration of St. Patrick's . In: Sir John Gray (Ed.): Freeman's Journal . January 23, 1863, p. 3 ( File: Freeman's Journal 23 January 1863 The Restoration of St. Patrick's.jpg ).
49. ^ O'Neill, p. 342.
50. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 18; O'Neill, p. 343.
51. ↑ Timothy Murphy: The “Vandal Restorers” of St. Patrick's Cathedral . In: Freeman's Journal . January 23, 1863, p. 3 ( File: Freeman's Journal 27 January 1863 Letter by Timothy Murphy.png ).
52. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 18.
53. ^ Peter Galloway: The Cathedrals of Ireland . The Institute of Irish Studies, Belfast 1992, ISBN 0-85389-452-3 , pp. 179 . ; Williams, p. 319.
54. ↑ On Leahy's role as Vice President, see p. 286 in Ian Ker: John Henry Newman's perception of the archbishop of Dublin . In: Dáire Keogh, Albert McDonnell (Ed.): Cardinal Paul Cullen and his World . Four Courts Press, Dublin 2011, ISBN 978-1-84682-235-3 , pp. 277-288 .
55. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 25; Williams, p. 203.
56. ↑ ^{a b} Sheehy 1977, p. 19.
57. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 20.
58. ↑ Quoting from Sheehy 1977, p. 19. According to Sheehy, the obituary was published in the Irish Builder on March 18, 1882 at p. 309.
59. ^ Quoting from Sheehy 1977, p. 20. According to Sheehy, the obituary was published in The Builder on March 18, 1882 at p. 309.
60. ↑ Johnston, Francis. Retrieved December 25, 2011 . 
61. ↑ Barrett, p. 460.
62. ↑ Sheehy 1978, p. 197.
63. ^ Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches , p. 10
64. ^ Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches , p. 33.
65. ^ Ecclesiastical Architecture , p. 43
66. ↑ Sheehy 1977, p. 21.
67. ^ Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches , p. 36 .
68. ^ Sheehy, p. 21. Williams, p. 310.
69. ^ Suggestions on the Arrangement and Characteristics of Parish Churches , p. 26 .
70. ^ Williams, p. 9.