Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar

Cathedral of Christ the King is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland. It is situated near the centre of Mullingar next to the Royal Canal, St. Mary's CBS, Coláiste Mhuire and overlooks the local Garda Síochána station on College Street. The cathedral is both the cathedral church of the diocese of Meath and the principal centre of worship in the catholic parish of Mullingar - including parts of counties Meath and Westmeath.ConstructionDesigned to replace the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, planning commenced in 1920. William Byrne & Sons of Dublin designed the cathedral to be basillican in form and renaissance in style. Its distinctive twin towers, surmounted by bronze crosses, rise to a height of about 55 metres. It was built with a seating capacity of 5,000. Building began in March 1933 and the foundation stone was laid on 6 August of that year by Bishop Thomas Mulvany. Murphy of Dublin were the builders, while much of the artistic decoration work was completed by Earley & Co. of Camden Street, Dublin and Oppenheimer Ltd., of Old Trafford, Manchester. The formal opening and dedication of the new cathedral took place on 6 September 1936. At the request of Pope Pius XI, it became the first cathedral in the world to be dedicated to Christ the King. It was solemnly consecrated on 13 August 1939. The total cost of the building, including decoration was £275,000.