St Columb's Cathedral - History

History

The original site of the diocesan cathedral was in Templmore (Irish: An Teampalll Mór or "the Big Church"). Due to the violence of the Nine Years' War, the church was destroyed. It was first damaged by an accidental explosion on 24 April 1568, the church having been appropriated for the storage of gunpowder. On 16 April 1600, Sir Henry Docwra entered Londonderry with a force of 4,000 soldiers. He tore down the ruins of the Big Church and used its stones to build the walls and ramparts of the city.A small square stone tablet from An Teampall Mór is today fixed into the porch of the present structure. The Latin inscription reads "In Templo Vervs Devs Est Verec Colendus" ("The True God is in His Temple and is to be truly worshipped").

The present structure, located close to the original, was completed in 1633 by William Parrot, in the Planter's Gothic style. Also in the porch is an inscription:

If stones could speake

then London's prayse

should sound who

built this church and

cittie from the grounde.

St. Columb's has in its possession many documents dating back from the Siege of Derry. They have portraits of William of Orange and the original keys of the city.

The Cathedral also contains a memorial to Valentine Munbee McMaster VC.

St Columb's is the first cathedral to be built by the Anglican church after the Reformation in the British Isles and the first Protestant cathedral to be built in Europe.