Early Christmas gift for St Patrick's Cathedral as Armagh building features on festive stamps from Royal Mail
Christmas has come early for St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, as it features on a new set of stamps released for the yuletide season.
The Royal Mail has placed five of the UK’s most recognisable cathedrals on its new stamp collection, with Armagh featuring in a festive snowy scene making up the Second Class Large image.
The stamp shows happy families gathering near a Christmas tree outside the cathedral, as welcoming gold light shines through its renowned stained glass windows.
The Church of Ireland cathedral stands on the hill from which Armagh gets its name – Ard Macha, or the Height of Macha – and is famed for its choral tradition, which dates back more than 1,000 years
It’s on the site where St Patrick was reputed to have built his first stone church in Ireland, and Armagh is still regarded as the ecclesiastical capital of the entire island today.
With its image now set to spread far and wide as people post their presents this Christmas, the Dean of Armagh says he’s delighted to see the cathedral feature in the Royal Mail’s new collection.
"The image of the light shining out through the cathedral’s stained-glass windows, along with young people carol singing and playing in the snow, portrays a lovely traditional winter scene,” said the Very Reverend Shane Forster.
"The artist, Judy Joel, is to be congratulated for creating a very special set of seasonal stamps which send out a message of joy and hope at Christmas.
"The cathedrals that feature on the stamps stand as symbols of faith at the very centre of each picture and at the heart of their local communities.”
The Armagh cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt on at least 17 occasions, and the current building is a mixture of medieval construction and substantial renovation work carried out in the 1830s.
Notable people buried there include several primates of all Ireland and the 11th century High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, who bestowed a large amount of gold to the cathedral in recognition of its importance.
Renowned as the most important churches in all of Ireland during the Middle Ages, the cathedral’s primacy was formally recognised by a 12th century synod.
There are two cathedrals in Armagh dedicated to St Patrick. The Church of Ireland building can be recognised by its low square tower, while the Roman Catholic facility has twin spires.
They sit on opposite hills, but a partnership links the two congregations and aims to make the two iconic buildings symbols of mutual understanding, reconciliation and hope.
At Christmas, the message proclaimed from Armagh is the same as that of the angels over Bethlehem – ‘peace on Earth, good will to all people’.
The Royal Mail’s David Gold, director of external affairs and policy, said: “Cathedrals are a hugely significant part of our cultural heritage and provide support to their communities.
"They come into their own at Christmas, offering warmth and welcome to all.
“These stamps featuring beautiful illustrations of cathedrals from across the UK will spread the joys of this celebratory time of year.”