2014:064 - St Mel's Cathedral, Dublin Road, Longford, Longford

St Mel’s Cathedral is situated in the south-east of Longford town (LF013-026) at a juncture of roads, including the main Dublin road as it turns into Longford. The cathedral, a protected structure (NIAH reg. no. 13003002), was built between 1840 and 1893 and is a large neoclassical structure with a nave reached through a portico accessed by steps. The cathedral was built on the grounds of an earlier Catholic church of probable 18th/early 19th-century date and occupies a space which was once the grounds of that church.
The cathedral was very badly damaged in a fire on Christmas Day 2009 and required extensive rebuilding of its interior. This has included substantial ground works. Monitoring was carried out in St Mel’s Cathedral from 2011.
Monitoring of drainage works within the cathedral grounds took place throughout the year. During August the remains of a church predating the cathedral were found. A two-week excavation of the church took place. The church was located to the north-east of the present cathedral. It was a simple rectilinear structure 11m north-south by 8m. The church dates from the late 18th century and was extant until at least the 1840s and most likely sometime later than that. More drainage works were carried out in the college grounds to the east of the cathedral for a proposed car park; this work was undertaken during late October.
During the repaving of the flagstones in the portico a brick vault was discovered running the length of the portico between the steps and the south wall of the cathedral. There were no finds within the vault, however a circular opening in the roof in front of the main door of the cathedral was revealed.

Ballybrack Road, Glencullen, Dublin 18.