We cross the nave to look at the South wall. As on the North side, there is a wide aisle, stained glass windows with memorial brasses beneath, and several more unusual items, beginning with this large blue banner at left. [Photo Credit: Maged Michael] INDEX
42. TITANIC PALL GSV GSV
The 1,517 lives lost in the tragic sinking of the Titanic, built here in Belfast, are commemorated in a beautiful hand-crafted funeral pall which was dedicated in St Anne’s Cathedral a century after the disaster. The pall, made of 100 per cent Merino felt, is backed with Irish linen and dyed an indigo blue, evoking an image of the midnight sea in which the Titanic finally came to rest. This stunning memorial to those who died when the historic ship hit an iceberg in April 1912 has been made by Helen O’Hare and Wilma Kirkpatrick, textile artists at the University of Ulster. The 12ft X 8ft pall was the gift of the Friends of St Anne’s Cathedral, and it was dedicated on April, 15th 2012. A large central cross is fashioned from lots of tiny crosses and hundreds more of these crosses, in different sizes and shapes, each individually stitched in silk, rayon, metallic and cotton threads, fall away towards the velvet rimmed edges of the pall, symbolic of lost lives sinking into the dark ocean. The theme of the lost lives was inspired by Philip Hammond’s new Requiem for the Lost Souls of the Titanic, which was performed for the first time in the Cathedral on April 14, 2012. [Photo1 Credit: Besta Borzecka] [Photo2 Credit: Troy Tester]
43. SOUTH NAVE WINDOWS Gl x5
There are five stained glass windows along the South nave wall. They are pictured here, East to West, left to right. All but one – the one at left – have the name of the subject on the window. Fortunately, King David is easy to identify! So from left to right we have: King David, Abraham,Moses, Joseph and Joshua. It is interesting here that Moses is pictured with horns. This idea comes from a mistranslation of the Torah. The verse (Exodus 34:29) says that when Moses descended from the mountain with the two tablets in his hands, his face was radiant from speaking with God. The Hebrew word for radiant is ‘keren’, which is also the Hebrew word for ‘horn’. Hence the mistranslation.
44. CARSON GRAVE Wiki GM
A little further up the South aisle we come to a tomb – in fact, the only tomb in the Cathedral. It is the tomb of Lord Carson of Duncairn. Lord Carson was an Irish Unionist politician, barrister and judge. At his burial, soil from all six counties of Northern Ireland was strewn on to the coffin before the gravestone, of Mourne granite, was laid. Carson was born on February 9th 1854 in Dublin and died on October 22nd 1935 at Minster in Kent, England. A lawyer and politician, he was known as the ‘uncrowned king of Ulster’, who successfully led northern Irish resistance to the British government’s attempts to introduce Home Rule for the whole of Ireland. [Photo1 Credit: Ardfern] [Photo2 Credit: Geoff McHugh]
45. DOWN THE SOUTH AISLE GSV Wiki
Here are two views looking back Eastwards along the South aisle. At right above us hang the Royal Airforce Ensign and the Union Jack. [Photo1 Credit:Geoff McHugh] [Photo2 Credit: Ardfern]
46. BAPTIST(E)RY Wiki Wiki
As we saw earlier, the Cathedral baptistry leads off near the Southwest corner of the nave. Above us is the mosaic roof of the Baptistery – a magnificent example of art adapted to the Romanesque style of architecture. Its emphasis is on space, both on the walls and domed roof. The roof itself is composed of 150,000 pieces of glass representing Creation and symbolising Earth, Fire, and Water and overall is the hand of the Creator raised in Blessing. •• There are three stained glass windows placed around the curved outer wall, and a large font is centrally placed. [Photo1 Credit: Ardfern] [Photo2 Credit: PaulT]
47. BAPTISTRY WINDOWS Gl x3
The windows by James Powell & Sons, London, date from 1924. They illustrate different perspectives on baptism. From left we have: •• Crossing the Red Sea, with text ‘Baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea’; •• Baptism of Christ, with text ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased’; •• St Patrick baptising at Tarah, with text ‘Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations.’
48. FONT AND INFORMATION GSV Wiki
The font is fashioned out of marble taken from various parts of Ireland; its colouring is symbolic of the Sacrament of Baptism. The base is of black marble, representing sin. The columns are of red marble, representing Christ’s saving blood shed on Calvary, therefore penitence. The bowl is of white alabaster, representing new life and re-birth after the sacrament of baptism (grace). •• More detail is given in the adjacent information board. [Photo1 Credit: Jos de Vries] [Photo2 Credit: Ardfern]
49. MOSAIC GSV GSV
The Cathedral has some wonderful mosaics. A further mosaic panel can be found above each of the side West doors. [Photo1 Credit: Maged Michael] [Photo2 Credit: Marie Stephens]
50. DOWN THE NAVE AISLE Wiki
We have now completed our exploration of the nave area, and we move across to the West end of the central aisle. [Photo Credit: PaulT]
51. FRONT OF THE NAVE GSV
Standing near the front of the nave, we have just ahead of us the crossing with the choir stalls. But there are further items of interest before we get there: for example the decorated front pews. [Photo Credit: Gábor Majer]
52. FRONT PEWS Wiki
At the front of the nave are several rows of beautifully carved padded memorial pews. A visitor wondered how this seating for the wealthy fitted with principles of Christian equality! Notice the eagle lectern standing nearby. [Photo Credit: Ardfern]
53. LECTERN GSV Wiki
On Sundays, Scripture is read from the lectern. St Anne’s has a decorated but traditional eagle lectern, with the eagle standing on a globe, and a heavy pedestal supported by three lions. [Photo1 Credit: Luis Calvo Ramos] [Photo2 Credit: Ardfern]
54. PULPIT GSV
Opposite the lectern, a relatively plain pulpit stands on the North side. The Gospel message is preached from the pulpit week by week. [Photo Credit: Akamovich Amirkhanov]
56. ORGAN GSV
On the South side of the crossing is the South transept which houses the organ. Later, we shall find the Unity Chapel located in this transept, but beneath the organ. [Photo Credit: Dave Powell]
57. PIPES AND CONSOLE Wiki CP
The organ was originally built in 1907 by the world famous firm of Harrison & Harrison from Durham. During building work in the Cathedral between 1968 and 1975, the organ was removed to the Harrison & Harrison factory, where it was renovated and enlarged, before being installed in a new position in the newly built South transept. Comprising 64 speaking stops, it is the second-largest instrument of its kind in Northern Ireland. [Photo1 Credit: Ardfern]
58. NORTH TRANSEPT GSV Wiki
Across from the organ is the North transept in which is located the Royal Irish Regiment’s Regimental Chapel. In 1976 a fund was launched to complete the original design of the Cathedral which included the North transept. The chapel was dedicated in 1981. [Photo1 Credit: Marie Stephens] [Photo2 Credit: Ardfern]
59. MILITARY WINDOW CP
The chapel is dominated by a fine stained glass window bearing the regimental crests and includes lines from Binyon's “For the Fallen”. On the formation of the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992, the Chapel became the Regimental Chapel of the Royal Irish Regiment. Each year the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral have granted the Regiment permission to hold two special services in the Cathedral. On the Sunday before the national Remembrance Sunday, the Regiment holds an Annual Remembrance Service and on the anniversary of the chapel’s dedication, a service of Holy Communion is held in the Chapel.
60. MILITARY CHAPEL Wiki GSV
The chapel contains various Colours, as well as several Books and Scrolls of Remembrance. [Photo1 Credit: Pastor Sam] [Photo2 Credit: Raisa Mehbaba]