St. Anne’s Cathedral

Visually beautiful building and a Belfast landmark. Famous for the tradition of the Black Santa, its beautiful architecture and its Spire of Hope. St Anne’s Cathedral which is often referred to as Belfast Cathedral is definitely worth a visit.

I was pottering round the Cathedral Quarter yesterday and thought I would have a wee nosy into the Cathedral as the door was open, and having walked past my whole life, I’d never actually been in.
I was greeted by the very friendly old man, obviously a volunteer, who was full of the chat. Shaking my hand he wanted to know where I was from and if there was anything I’d like to know about the Cathedral. He was lovely, and it was the prefect entrance to this beautiful building.
During the day there was no service on, so it was calm and serene and I was able to walk around and check out the gorgeous stained glass and architecture with a feeling of peace.
If you are in the area you should take a walk in, religious or not, as it is really worth a look.

I went here for the first time last Christmas Eve for the special Christmas service and it was just an incredible service in an incredible venue. It has recently been renovated with a new big spire… I’m not sure it really is a fit visually… how ever I’m not that into my spires so I’m not that concerned.
This church also reaches out to the community which is nice to see.

St Annes Cathedral is really beautiful and really is one of Belfast’s landmarks. The building is really impressive and well designed and inside hosts a beautiful display of mosaic ceilings and religious artifacts. The giant spire was a new addition and can be seen from miles and when inside the building you can see where it enters the cathedral above the alter, you’ve got to admire the craftsmanship and skill in getting this thing in here!
Entry is free but they recommend a donation of £2, which is fair enough. I wont bore you with the history, after all that’s what you’ll discover for yourself when you visit! A trip to Belfast wouldn’t be complete without popping into the Cathedral! Truly great!

Spire of Hope, St Anne’s Cathedral
Despite some of my lesser starred reviews, I don’t actually like to be too negative about some of the wonders around this wee city of ours. It has its faults, yes, but there’s so much good stuff going on, and, on a community basis especially, so many good people working their bums off to make this place a better place to be.
But what the blazing hell is the Spire of Hope meant to be? Stuck on the back of the gorgeous St Anne’s Cathedral, like a shiny phallic symbol stretching hopefully up to the skies, this might have been built with good intentions (like most phallic symbols. Boom boom!) but I’m sorry, it looks like, well, a shiny phallic symbol stretching hopefully up to the skies.
It was built (erected?) in 2007 as a symbol of hope for the city, and cost £850,000 to design and put up. Saying you don’t like a hope symbol seems akin to saying you don’t like hope, or want peace, or any of the other things the sculpture is meant to represent, but let’s face it, it would be a sign of truly ‘moving on’ if we had general art and sculptures, and plays, and films, and just about everything else, rather than based around hope, or peace, or the conflict. £850,000 would have bought an awful lot of art and ideas from young artists just getting themselves established.
Two points for the sentiment.

A friend of mine used the Cathedral as inspiration for her final work in university (she’s a textile designer) and produced some really beautiful stuff (but then, I would say that!), which I think is testament to how beautiful this building is.
It’s grand and imposing and very beautiful inside. I used to work round the corner until recently and all summer long there were truckloads of tourists arriving to have a peek. Granted, there’s not a whole lot to do when you’re inside, but for those of us who can appreciate a beautiful building, it’s a winner.
Other reviewers have mentioned the Black Santa, but it’s worth repeating. Every year, the Deacons stand outside (rain, hail or shine) and collect money. The causes vary from local to international ones, but I remember they raised over £1million when they chose to fund raise for the victims of the Tsunami. Recently, they also held a one-​off collection for Haiti. I always make a point of going round in December and January to do my part. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to bring the poor guys a cuppa — do you know how cold it gets in this country?!
My only problem with the Cathedral is that stupid stiletto they’ve super-​glued on top of it. I don’t know what it’s supposed to be or represent, but in my opinion it looks totally out of place and has cost them a whole star on Unilocal

I’m not a particularly religious person or particularly interested in spending long hours trawling churches but my recent first visit to this striking landmark was quite an eye-​opener.
Passing with a few out of town visitors and getting the «What’s that?» question I realised I knew nothing about this huge structure right on my doorstep. We duly filed in and spent close to 30 minutes exploring the interior with some of us even pausing to light a few candles.
Shamefully i’m still no wiser as to the history of this splendid building but I do recall someone told me that the huge cross on the exterior is allegedly the tallest Celtic cross in Ireland. If you have a few spare minutes and your passing do check it out.
Pros: Free, donations are appreciated.
Cons: Only open weekdays to general public.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. I’m a sucker for huge old churches /​cathedrals and the like, and St. Anne’s does not disappoint. Spectacular enough from the outside, the inside is breath-​takingly beautiful and wonderfully serene.
It had been years since I was last in St. Anne’s, so yesterday’s trip was a welcome one. The cathedral is open daily from 10−4pm, and the entrance is free, though a recommended donation of £2 for the funding of St. Anne’s is gratefully received.
The sheer beauty of the interior of the cathedral really is very overwhelming. I was completely awe-​struck by the ‘Spire of Hope’, which was added to St Anne’s only three years ago. Standing at 175 feet tall, this needle-​like sculpture has been inserted into the highest point of the cathedral roof, and can be seen right across the city, symbolising the hope of God. The bottom of the spire is actually visible inside the cathedral, supported by a glass platform. We were lucky enough to have the sun shining, reflecting light from the spire to produce a beautiful glow. Spectacular.
Visitors are invited to take themselves on a tour of St Anne’s, with different points numbered on the route round the cathedral. The baptistry, sanctuary, chapel of unity, chapel of the Holy Spirit and Regimental chapel all feature in St Anne’s, and there is plenty of information provided for visitors.
Even if church isn’t your thing, St Anne’s really is a remarkable place to see. Truly heavenly.