Work continued to enlarge and beautify the cathedral at various stages in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: the tower and transept were added in 1888 and the nave was extended in 1904 under the supervision of Bishop Henry O'Neill.

The old cathedral of Dromore, which had been taken by the Protestants,[clarification needed] was burnt down by the Irish insurgents in 1641 and rebuilt by Bishop Taylor twenty years later; the Catholic Church was erected later.

In 1750 the seat of the cathedral was transferred to Newry, the largest town of County Down, situated at the head of Carlingford Lough.

The business of the meeting, at which Father Thomas O'Hare, ADM., was present, is recorded in the following resolutions: Resolved, that as it appears to be anxious desire of all classes of the Roman Catholics of Newry that a new Chapel be erected in the centre of town, in order to carry into effect this desirable project, we now proceed to appoint by ballot five gentlemen who, in conjunction with our Bishop, will wait on his Lordship the Marquis of Downshire for the purpose of obtaining from him an eligible site for the erection of the edifice.

Resolved, that our secretary do transmit notice to the above five gentlemen apprizing them of their having been chosen to form a deputation for the above purpose, and requesting them to meet in the house of Mr. John A. O'Hagan on the morning of Friday the 9th inst., at the hour of 10 o'clock precisely; thence to proceed to the Right Rev.

[4] The deputation of leading Catholic citizens thus appointed duly visited Lord Downshire, for the Minute book later records that their expenses amounted to £6 4s.

The original lease now presently stored in the episcopal archives shows that a grant of the "swamp beside the Mill Race, known as Seymour's Green," was obtained from John Johnson and James Coulter by Daniel Jennings and others, on behalf of the parish, on 20 September 1823.

"[6] The second phase of the building works was undertaken between the years 1888 - 1890. shortly after the appointment of Dr. Thomas McGivern as Co-adjustor under Bishop Pius Leahy.

Generous sums of money was raised by the parish and diocese, a number of priests were appointed to travel further afield to other parts of Ireland, England, Scotland and the United States of America.

Though usually designated as a Cathedral, the premier Church of the Diocese ranked canonically only as a pro-cathedral, with Saint Patrick as its only Titular.

At the instance of Bishop Edward Mulhern, the Holy See, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated 7 March 1919, raised the present church to the rank and dignity of a Cathedral.

With all debts cleared and the purchase of ground rents secured, Bishop Mulhern solemnly consecrated the building on Tuesday, 21 July 1925 - just one hundred years after the laying of its foundation stone.

[7] Set in the cathedral sanctuary, the High Altar is the largest shrine, measuring 25 feet in height from the base to the apex cross.

It is in gothic style with reredos gracefully turreted, it is mainly of Sicilian, Carrara and Statuary marble, relived by columns in Sienna and Verde Alpi with small panels in Porta Santa and onyx stone from Mexico.

Handsomely carved screens in Carrara marble divide the main sanctuary from the two side chapels of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph.

The coloured mosaic sanctuary floor, in floral design, carries in the centre in front of the High Altar the Coat of Arms of Bishop O'Neill.

The clerestory walls in the sanctuary contain a vast quantity of gold and Blue Venetian mosaic work which depicts the objects associated with Christ's Crucifixion.

Over the altar is a gilded shrine portraying Christ revealing the sorrows of his Sacred Heart to Saint Margaret Mary.

Fr Carlin in conjunction with the then Bishop of Dromore Dr. O'Neill planned the improvement scheme that has made the Cathedral one of the finest in Catholic Ireland.

[8] The Chapel of the Blessed Virgin is located to the left of the main Sanctuary displays the same ornate decoration in marbles and mosaics.

A number of invocations from the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, all worked in mosaics with accompanying symbols mainly in gold, are seen on the wall around the altar.

The altar itself, in Carrara marble generally, carries columns in Sienna and Rosso Corallo, with small panels in Levanto Red.

A gilt door, centred by red onyx columns encloses the tabernacle over which stands a marble statue of St. Joseph.

[citation needed] Many other Saints of the Catholic Church are also included - Popes, Confessors, Martyrs, Pontiffs, Doctors and Holy Women.

[citation needed] Some of these are shown in artistic mountings, others are enclosed in wrought cases or miniature replicas of famous historic shrines.

On Sunday 18 January 1959 at 3.00am the Canon's sacristy suffered a devastating fire when the heating chamber below caused the wooden floor joists to combust.

The fire service arrived to extinguish the blaze; water was needed from the canal to assist in reducing the flames.

The fire left a lasting change on the patina of the wood resulting in the sacristy to appear as a golden oak colour rather than the original darker finish; the difference can still be seen between the inner and outer sides of the door frames.

Jozef Delafaille, L.L.I., as organist in 1929, the organ was re-built and electrified: the pipes were redistributed on either side, thus leaving more space in the gallery and at the same time brightening up the rear of the church by making visible from the interior the large window in the Cathedral façade.

As of September 2022, Newry Cathedral is served by the following clergy: This article incorporates text from the entry "Diocese of Dromore" in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1909.