St John the Baptist Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and St. John the Baptist, John Street, is the oldest building still in continuous use in the town of Sligo. The annals mention a monastic foundation at the site of the cathedral in 1245.

In 1730, a German architect by the name of Cassels, traveled to Ireland to build the Wynnes Hazelwood House. He was then commissioned to design San Juan. Cassels was greatly influenced by the building characteristics of the basilica in San Juan. In 1752, the Cathedral was described by Pococke in the following words, "The church Mr. Cassels designed has the shape of a cross with galleries on every corner, except on the east. The ceiling is an interesting piece of work."