Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Priest, antiquarian and amateur architect, for biography of whom see Dictionary of Irish Architects. Matthew Horgan, who was born circa 1775 at Ballinraha, Blarney, Co. Cork, entered the priesthood in 1804. While he was a curate at Myross, Co. Cork, he was responsible for renovating the penal chapel. In 1816 he became priest at Blarney, Co. Cork, where he remained until his death in 1849. During his years in Blarney he designed a new parish church at Waterloo (alias Ballygibbon) and another chapel in the parish at Whitechurch, each with an adjacent round tower; he also designed a church at Carrigtwohill and is said to have enlarged and improved the old Catholic church in Cobh, which was replaced by St Colman's Cathedral,(1) and the Free Schools (1829) in the same town.(2) He died on 1 March 1849 and was buried in the church at Waterloo (not, as he had originally hoped, in the base of the round tower)
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References

All information in this article not otherwise accounted for is from James Coombes, 'Catholic Churches of the Nineteenth Century: Some Newspaper Sources', JCHAS 81 (Jan-Jun 1975), 4,7, and the entry on Horgan by Patrick Long in Dictionary of Irish Biography, ed. by James McGuire and James Quinn, 9 vols. (Cambridge University Press, 2009), IV, 794-6.
 

(1) St Colman's Cathedral, Queenstown (1916), 1.
(2) JCHAS (1962, Pt. 2), 89.


8 work entries listed in chronological order for HORGAN, MATTHEW (REV.)


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Building: CO. CORK, WATERLOO (BLARNEY), CHURCH (RC) & ROUND TOWER
Date: 1817-18;1832?-45
Nature: New parish church for Garrycloyne parish (united with Whitechurch parish), built by 40 poor men from parish and tradesmen from Cork, 1817-18.  Round tower, 1832?-45 (hiatus is building because of lack of funds;. doorway inscr.1836; stone half way up tower dated 1845).
Refs: Cork Mercantile Chronicle, 4 Jul 1817, 17 Oct 1832; Letter from MH, 1835?, stating his intention to build round tower 'like the admired one of Aghadoe Cathedral' in NLI, MS 10,669; S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), II, 712-3; J.P. Lawson, Gazetteer of Ireland (1842), 177; JCHAS (1903), 149; JCHAS (1975), 7; James Coombes, 'Catholic Churches of the Nineteenth Century: Some Newspaper Sources', JCHAS 81 (Jan-Jun 1975), 7; J. Sheehy, The Rediscovery of Ireland's Past (1980), 62,63(illus.); Douglas Scott Richardson, Gothic Revival Architecture in Ireland (1983), 637

Building: CO. CORK, WHITECHURCH, CHURCH (RC) & ROUND TOWER
Date: 1822;1834
Nature: New Gothic church in parish of Whitechurch (united with Garrycloyne parish), 1822. Gothic. 100 x 30 ft, with porch and sacristy.  Round tower erected by subscription, 1832.
Refs: Bishop Michael Collins, 'Register of Visitation for 9 June 1828' ( information from Mgr James O'Brien, Buttevant, Co. Cork, Sep 2010); Samuel Lewis, A Topographical dictionary of Ireland (1837), II, 712-3;  Dictionary of Irish Biography, ed. by James McGuire and James Quinn, 9 vols. (Cambridge University Press, 2009), IV, 795,796;

Building: CO. CORK, COBH, FREE SCHOOLS
Date: 1829
Nature: Castellated building adjoining end of old Catholic church. Work supervised by Mr Cunningham.
Refs: JCHAS (1962, Pt. 2), 89.

Building: CO. CORK, WHITECHURCH, SCHOOL
Date: 1835
Nature: '…about a mile from the village is a large and handsome school-house, built in 1835, under the superintence of the Rev. Mr. Horgan, P.P.' (Lewis).
Refs: S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), II, 713

Building: CO. CORK, COBH, CHURCH (RC, OLD)
Date: 1835-38
Nature: Enlargement and improvements; 'elegant spire' built 1838. (Lawson) (Further additions c.1850. Demolished 1868 and replaced by St Colman's Cathedral.)
Refs: Catholic Directory (1840), 304; J.P. Lawson, Gazetteer of Ireland (1842), 296-7; B 10, 18 Sep 1852, 599; St Colman's Cathedral, Queenstown (1916), 1,9(illus.); T. de Roiste, Father Mathhew Horgan (1913), ?

Building: CO. CORK, BLARNEY, SCHOOL
Date: 1836
Nature: Designed by MH.
Refs: T. de Roiste, Father Horgan (1913). ?

Building: CO. CORK, CARRIGTWOHILL, CHURCH (RC, OLD)
Date: 1838a
Nature: Designed by MH by 1838; new church built to designs by Ashlin from 1869.
Refs: Letter from Rev. James Coombes to E. McParland, 16 Feb 1974, quoting from J. Windele vols. in RIA (12.I.9,10): 'The chapel was designed by Fr. Matt. Horgan' (entry of 7 Mar 1838) (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); Rev. James Coombes, 'Catholic Churches of the Nineteenth Century: Some Newspaper Sources', JCHAS 81 (Jan-Jun 1975), 4

Building: CO. CORK, MYROSS, CHURCH (RC, OLD)
Date: ?
Nature: Renovation before 1816. (Lewis says it was abandoned in 1827 and replaced by new church on different site, 1830).
Refs: James Coombes, 'Catholic Churches of the Nineteenth Century: Some Newspaper Sources', JCHAS 81 (Jan-Jun 1975), 4