The Cathedral opened on June 16, 1901 and is built in Victorianneo-Gothic style on a site overlooking the town. It was designed by William Hague, the well known Dublin architect and protégé of Pugin, and following Hague's death by his partner T. F. McNamara. St Eunan's Cathedral has a spire with a height of 240 feet. White sandstone from Mountcharles was used in the construction. It was shipped along the coast and up the Swilly. Townspeople carried bucketloads of the sandstone to the construction site piece by piece. The cathedral is furnished in oak, with a marblepulpit by Pearse Brothers of Dublin. The pulpit depicts statues of the Four Masters and the Four Evangelists. The stained glass windows that illuminate the sanctuary and the Lady Chapel are by the Mayer firm of Munich. They depict thirteen scenes from the life of Jesus. The ceilings are the work of Amici of Rome. The Great Arch illustrates the lives of St Eunan and St Columba. The sanctuary lamp is made of solid silver and weighs over 1500 ounces. Willie Pearse, who took part in the Easter Rising, created some of the sculptures found within. There are 12 bells in the Cathedral bell chamber. They carry the names of the saints of Tír Conail - Dallan, Conal and Fiacre, Adomnán, Baithen and Barron, Nelis and Mura, Fionán and Davog, Cartha and Caitríona, Taobhóg, Cróna and Ríanach, Ernan and Asica and Columba. The 12th bell weighs over 2 tons 5 cwts. After the cathedral was opened the organist played "O'Donnell Abu", "St Patrick's Day", "The Last Rose of Summer", "The Wearing of the Green" and "The Bells of Shandon". In 1985, the cathedral was renovated and remodelled to better conform to the liturgical requirements of the Second Vatican Council. Care was taken to preserve the style and materials of the original altar in the new altar table and chair. The original altar-piece, an Irish carving of Leonardo's The Last Supper, is still present in the cathedral and has been incorporated into the new altar. The sandstone exterior of the cathedral was cleaned in July 2001. The stone was then repaired and pointed with a special mortar of lime and sand. Krystol Hydrostop was finally applied to the exterior. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Monsignor Gillespie, with Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian, agreed to celebrate weekday morning Mass for the nation on RTÉ Television. Mass Times Sunday Mass Times:; 8.00am, 10.00am, 12.00 noon and 6.30pm. Masses are held Mondays to Fridays at 8.00am, 10.00am & 7.30pm. Saturday mornings at 10.00am.. Masses are held on Holy Days of Obligation at 7.30pm ; 8.00am, 10.00am, 5.45pm & 7.30pm, unless otherwise announced in the cathedral newsletter. Mass in the Polish language - is held in the cathedral on the first & third Sunday of the month at 4.00pm. Mass said in Irish is held in the cathedral on the first Sunday of the month at 10.00am. Sacrament of Reconciliation - Confession Confessions are heard in the cathedral every Saturday from 12.00 noon - 1.00pm & after the 7.30pm Vigil Mass. Confessions are heard in the cathedral on the Thursday before the First Friday of the Month from 12.00 noon - 1.00pm & at 8.00pm. Confessions are heard in the cathedral every Monday night from 8.00pm. Full details of the cathedral schedules, including up-to-date service times throughout the year, and a weekly uploaded cathedral newsletter is available on the cathedral parish website at www.steunanscathedral.ie and on the cathedral Facebook Page at en-gb.facebook.com/St-Eunans-Cathedral-Letterkenny-667024126809546/
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel of Adoration or the Adoration Chapel is found on the grounds of the adjacent Loreto Convent. Bishop of Raphoe Séamus Hegarty officially opened it on December 4, 1988. This single-room chapel is a reconstructed building based on the site of an old school set up by the Loreto Sisters. It is not definitively known when the original building was constructed; however, during reconstruction work in 1988, a slate bearing a mason's mark from the year 1850 was discovered. Barry Feely from County Roscommon designed the chapel's granite altar; this is situated in front of a stained glass window which displays the "Virgin of the Sign" icon. The Adoration Chapel is open from 1 pm on a Sunday afternoon until 8.30 pm Friday evening. The chapel is located in the grounds of the Loreto Convent and College, which is located adjacent to the cathedral. Devotions are held in the cathedral on the Sundays of May and October at 7.30pm.
