“Stained Glass and Bloodstained History” is the startling headline of a tour on St Bartholomew’s day!
Noreen Ellerker is leading a guided tour of the beautiful stained glass windows of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick and giving a talk on the “St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre” on St. Bartholomew’s Day, August 24th starting at 7:00 p.m. St. Mary’s is a fine example of a Norman Cathedral in Ireland, one of the few buildings in Limerick to have survived the upheavals of the city’s stormy history still serving its original purpose. It is also very under-appreciated, both by tourists and locals.
Wednesday August 24th will be a a chance to correct some of the alack of appreciation with a tour of the stained glass windows of the Cathedral. These windows are often memorials to people and families deeply connected to the history of the Cathedral and of the city. Much of the story of Limerick is woven into them.
As well as history the windows are scenes taken from the Scriptures. They are vivid portrayals of events from the history of salvation and much of the Gospel story is also woven into them. Noreen’s tour will be a chance for people to learn both histories.
As it is St. Bartholomew’s Day Noreen will also talk about the “St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre”, when Huguenot (French Calvinist) political leaders were assassinated and huge wave of religious violence unleashed throughout France. The Huguenot leaders had gathered for the wedding of Margaret, the king’s sister to Huguenot Henri III of Navarre (who later became King)
There is no direct connection between this event and Limerick but the general distrust for Roman Catholicism amongst Protestants which arose throughout Europe as a result of the massacre became part of the general sectarian atmosphere in Ireland. In addition many of the troops who fought for William of Orange at Aughrim and in the sieges of Limerick were Huguenots, many of whom had fled from France to the more congenial environment of the Netherlands as the various attempts to create peace between Calvinists and Roman Catholics in France failed.