St. Laserian's Cathedral

St. Laserian’s Cathedral stands in the village of Old Leighlin, County Carlow, around 12 kilometres south of Carlow town. It occupies the site of an early monastery founded in the seventh century by St Gobhan, who left it in the care of St Laisrén (Laserian), after whom the cathedral is named. In 630 the settlement hosted an important synod at which Laserian argued for adopting the Roman method of calculating the date of Easter. Today the building is a Church of Ireland cathedral within the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory.

The present structure took shape from the twelfth century onwards. Work began under Donat O’Kelly, Bishop of Leighlin, and the nave and choir were completed by the end of the thirteenth century, with transepts, a tower and a chapel added in the sixteenth century. Restorations in the nineteenth century included a timber ceiling installed in the chancel in 1890. It is one of the smallest cathedrals in Ireland.

Among the features visitors can see are a four-bay sedilia, twelfth- and thirteenth-century fonts, and the East Window by the stained-glass artist Catherine O’Brien. St. Laserian’s Well, with an associated Celtic cross, lies nearby. Admission is free, with a donation suggested towards the upkeep of the building; opening times vary by season, so it is worth checking current details before visiting.