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15 Jan 2026

Magnificent sculpture unveiled in Longford's St Mel's Cathedral

The statue of St Ciaran was destroyed in the 2009 Christmas Day fire but now it's back

Statue of St Ciaran

Pictures by: Michael Croghan Photography

Bishop Emeritus Colm O'Reilly unveiled a magnificent sculpture by renowned artist Ken Thompson which features St Ciarán of Clonmacnois on the feast of the Epiphany, Tuesday, January 6, 2026 in St Mel's Cathedral.

Read more: Longford New Writing wants your original works for our newspaper and online


The statue of St Ciaran was destroyed in the 2009 Christmas Day fire, so now it's back in a different, beautiful form.


Myth has it that a fox used to follow St Ciarán and that explains the fox. The fish represents the river Shannon. Also included is the famous round tower and a tree of roses, the lines surrounding the piece are taken from - 'The Dead at Clonmacnois' by Thomas William Rolleston.

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