St. Anne's Cathedral

St. Anne's Cathedral

Sir Thomas Drew

1898-1948

Donegall Street, Belfast

St. Anne's occupies the site of an old parish church in the Georgian style. The architect Sir Thomas Drew chose to work in the Victorian Gothic manner, complete with Rose Window, square tower, and ribbed stone roof. After publication of his prospectus, he simplified the original plans, adopting a Romanesque style with wooden ceiling. The demolition of the former church in 1898 marked the beginning of construction, which continued past Drew's death in 1910; Lynn continued, but again his death in 1915 prevented him from seeing the project completed. In fact, it was not finished until 1948, owing to interruptions occasioned by two World Wars