A KILLYLEAGH man has completed a personal pilgrimage of Church of Ireland cathedrals in Ireland.
Clive Scoular’s journey began in 2000 and ended in October last year when he visited his 29th and final cathedral in Cashel, Co Tipperary.
Now he’s shared his experiences in a new book, Cathedral Odyssey — a journey through Ireland’s Anglican cathedrals and beyond, which has just been published.
It’s the 12th book to be written by the retired social worker and keen historian.
His previous books include biographies of two former Northern Ireland prime ministers, a collection of biographies of famous Irishmen and Irishwomen, the history of the Europa Hotel in Belfast and six famous sons of Killyleagh, including Sir Hans Sloane and footballer David Healy.
Born in Scotland of Presbyterian heritage, Clive has been a member of the congregation at Down Cathedral for many years. He is a former member of the cathedral choir and was also a member of the choir at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.
He says his love of cathedrals began when he attended a service in St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow while training to become a social worker.
“I just loved everything about it — the service, the music, the atmosphere. It all made sense,” he explains.
Clive’s cathedral tour coincided with another long standing ambition — to play every golf course in Ireland. Travelling by camper van, he’s played 389 courses to date and also written a book about it.
Clive is at pains to point out that he didn’t just visit the cathedrals — he also attended a service in every one of them. Asked which was his
favourite, he is undecided, though some stand out more than others.
“The cathedrals are so different, so it’s difficult to say which was the nicest or the most impressive. I really liked some of the small ones, such as in Trim, Co Meath, Ferns in Co Waterford and Raphoe in Donegal,” he says.
“The bigger ones, such as in Kilkenny and Kildare, were very impressive and I really liked the visit to Rosscarbery Cathedral in Co Cork.
“Kilmore Cathedral outside Cavan town is also lovely. It’s the only building in sight and is tucked away in the trees. There was a large congregation, including around 50 children.”
At Killala Cathedral in Mayo, Clive met up with Archdeacon Stephen McWhirter, an old friend from his Scouting days.
Clive says his visit to Cashel in October was memorable for another reason. “I had emailed in advance explaining that I had visited all the Church of Ireland cathedrals in Ireland and asked them for the time of the service. When we got there we were treated like royalty.”
Clive’s fascination with cathedrals isn’t limited to Ireland. He has also visited cathedrals in Malta, Gibraltar, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
Clive’s book costs £5 and is available by contacting him at clive.scoular@gmail.com.