Sound move by St Fin Barre's as historic bells refurbished

Church bells, some of which were manufactured in 1751, are returned to St Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork yesterday after their refurbishment in England.
Photograph: Daragh Mac Sweeney/Provision

THEY MAY not be as famous as the Bells of St Anne's of Shandon across the river Lee on Cork's north side, but the bells of St Fin Barre's Cathedral on the south side of the city are about to ring out loudly across the city again after undergoing a major refurbishment.

Originally consisting of eight bells cast in 1751 by Abel Rudman of Gloucester, the bell tower at St Fin Barre's is about to benefit from the addition of a further five new smaller bells which can ring out higher notes.

According to a spokesman for St Fin Barre's, the bells were installed in the current cathedral between 1865 and 1870 when acclaimed Victorian architect William Burges won a competition to replace the previous cathedral built in 1730 with his Gothic-influenced design.

"The metal frame holding the bells had decayed and had to be replaced so, when that was happening, it was decided to avail of the opportunity and have the original eight bells refurbished," said the cathedral spokesman.

The bronze bells from the Church of Ireland cathedral were sent to Britain for refurbishment, and a further five bells, cast and all, will also be installed in the new frame in the bell tower at St Fin Barre's over the coming weeks.

"The original bells were all on one level but with the addition of the five new bells they will now be at two levels, but they will still be rung from a platform in the bell tower," the spokesman for St Fin Barre's said.

"We're very much looking forward to having them back and hearing them ring out again."

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times