All Saints Church was not my list of things to do in Riga for the simple reasons that it is not mentioned in mainstream tourist literature and I had not come across it during my online research.
I came across it by chance, and only because I noticed its very distinctive green copper domes, while wandering around in the Moscow District. Continue reading “All Saints Orthodox Church”
The original wooden Old Believers church, established by Aleksandr Grebenšhchikov on this site, was built in 1760. Its replacement, officially the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, was built in 1814 and remains home to one of the largest congregations of Old Believers in the world. The stunning tower and gold dome were added in 1906. Continue reading “Grebenshchikov Old Believers Church”
Having spent a few hours in Bundoran, albeit, due to inclement weather, a substantial part of it in the bar of the Great Northern Hotel, I decided on a route back to Enniskillen (where I was staying) which I don’t recall having ever taken before, that is via the R281 to Belcoo on the border and, from there, on into Enniskillen.
Having passed through the small village of Kinlough (which takes name from its position at the head of Lough Melvin – the Irish Cionn Locha meaning head of the lake) I spied the ruins of an old building, surrounded by trees, less than 50 metres off to my right so pulled in for a closer look. Continue reading “Old Kinlough Church and Cemetery and the Civil War”
Presbyterians have resided in the City since around 1642 having arrived during the Plantation of Ulster which began in the early 1600s. By the time of the Siege of Derry there was a significant number of Presbyterians in the city but still they didn’t have a place of worship within the City Walls. During the Siege, like many others in the region, the Presbyterians had moved in behind the city walls either to assist in the defence of the City or to seek safety from Jacobite forces. Within the Walls they worshipped in St Columb’s Cathedral and at some time they actually had St Augustine’s Church“on loan”. Continue reading “First Derry Presbyterian Church”
An absolute must see. A real highlight of my visit.
St. Augustine’s, known as the “Wee Church on the Walls” is built on the site of St Columba’s first monastery in Ireland which was founded in 546AD on “God’s Little Acre”, this site on the oak clad Hill of Derry given to him by his cousin, Aed, King of Cenel Conaill. Continue reading “St Augustine’s – A Church of Many Names”
This Cathedral is a must see on your visit to Derry as it is inexorably linked with so much of the history of this City.
St Columb’s Cathedral, in Planter’s Gothic style, was built between 1628 and 1633, around 10 years after the City Walls were completed, making it the first Cathedral to be erected in the British Isles after the Reformation. It is the oldest building in the City and the mother church of the Church of Ireland Diocese of Derry and Raphoe and the parish church of Templemore. It is dedicated to Saint Columba, the Irish monk who established a Christian settlement in the area in the sixth century. Continue reading “Cathedral Church of St Columb’s”
The earliest reference to The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint James the Greater, more commonly referred to as St James’ or St Jacob’s, is 1225 though it was probably built a bit earlier than this, being one of the four churches established by Bishop Albert who is credited with founding Riga in 1201. Continue reading “Ask not for whom the bell tolls -St Jacob’s”
The generally acknowledged founder of Riga, Bishop Albert, laid the foundation stone for Riga Cathedral (originally St Mary’s) on 25 July 1211.
Today’s cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church and the largest medieval church in the Baltics dominates the Doma Laukums (square), in the centre of the Old City. Continue reading “Riga Cathedral And Cloisters”
Our Lady of Sorrows was the first stone Catholic church to be built in Riga after the Reformation – in 1785 – over 200 years after the beginning of the Reformation. Continue reading “Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church”
Located in the shadows of the much larger St Peter’s Church, Riga is St John’s Church. Like St Peter’s, it dates back to the early 13th century. Continue reading “St. John’s – Riga”
The Rambling Wombat 