St Fachtna's Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of St. Fachtna in the beautiful West Cork town of Rosscarbery stands on a site where Christian worship has been offered for over 1400 years. Here St. Fachtna founded a monastic school in AD 590. Pilgrims and scholars came from near and far and gained for Ross the title "Ross Ailithir" - the wooded headland of the pilgrims.

The first cathedral was built here in the 12th. century. The present building dates from 1612 and was extensively rebuilt following the Rebellion of 1641. The last major restoration was carried out at the end of the nineteenth century