Romanesque Door Kilmore Cathedral Co Cavan.
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This  Twelfth Century door is the finest example of a Romanesque door to have survived in Ulster.  According to the Archaeological Inventory of Co Cavan the door is 'believed to have originated from Trinity Island (CV020-077001-), was subsequently moved to Slandore (CV025-0109---) and from there to its present location. (Davies 1948, 101-9; Killanin and Duignan, 102)' .  The door exhibits the marks of these moves with some stones in the wrong place and a little mixed up, but  it is  a very impressive feature. Over time some stones have weathered differently and today there is a huge range of colours across its sandstone blocks. This adds to its character and is accentuated by its contrast with the surrounding dark blue limestone of the 1860 cathedral.





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Old Cathedral, Kilmore, Co. Cavan
Now used as a parochial hall, this largely seventeenth century building was formerly a church and then a cathedral with bishop's house attached. Kilmore means 'great church'  and a church has been located here since at least the 6th century.  A Norman Motte dating from 1211 is located in an adjacent field perhaps reflecting the importance of this ecclesiastical site in the medieval period. The site became the seat of the bishops of Kilmore from the 15th century and the building was largely rebuilt following the Ulster Plantation of the early seventeenth century.  In the graveyard is the tomb of  bishop Bidell (I was sitting against this when doing my drawing), who had the Old Testament translated into Gaelic.  A new cathedral was built nearby in the 1860's and has a fine Romanesque door built into one side.  Today the building is very simple, it has some nice timber lancet windows and a curving plaster vault. In the grounds are some of the ruins of the bishops palace, which was once much larger. It is a fascinating site and well worth a visit.
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Pellipar House  at the upper end of the Roe Valley near Dungiven. Constructed from the early eighteenth century onwards the two stone wings are thought to have been added in the early nineteenth century when the lease from the Skinners Company was renewed by the Ogiby family. The Ogliby’s were prosperous linen merchants in the Dungiven area . More work was carried out in the 1860s and after a fire in the 1880′s. In 1907 alterations to the roof gave the building its great French Château appearance which makes it such an unusual building for this area and greatly adds to its interest. Quite a building.

The Empire State Building, 104 floors, completed in 1931, towering over its late nineteenth century neighbours. American icon. Need I say more? This is the view from just outside Macy’s department store.

Federal Hall, Wall Street, New York. Constructed in 1842 as a custom house and acting as the US Reserve treasury from 1862- 1920, this building stands on the site where the US congress first met, where the Bill of Rights was passed and where George Washington was inaugurated President.  Behind its elegant Greek temple façade, with Doric Columns, is a  large rotunda supported on more decorative Corinthian Columns, clearly modelled on the Panteon in Rome with a coffered roof rising to a central circular rooflight. Quite a place.

Smith Tower Seattle, Fourth tallest building in the world in 1914 (44 stories) Great decorative work throughout. Indigenous American inspired decoration in the lobby and Chinese inspired decoration in the top floor restaurant. All beautifully conserved and lit with fine views from the top floor along 6th Street to the Space Needle. The original Otis lifts are, however, the best part of the conservation work. In polished brass with ornate detail they are beautiful objects lovingly restored.​

The Space Needle, Seattle (View from 6th Avenue and Stewart Street).

This was constructed for the 1962 World Fair and despite the ever increasing height of downtown, remains a dominant landmark in the city. Two lifts give access to the viewing floors at its upper level and these have been carefully conserved to retain their 1960'S styling. The lower viewing floor rotates and has recently had a glass floor installed. This is quite an experience and fully in keeping with the futuristic design. At the base of the tower a shop captures those exiting but it is of high quality and well laid out. 

Downtown Seattle. Most buildings have been constructed in the last 10 years. In this view  south west from  Boren Avenue only the curved Marriot Hotel to the far right and the concrete clad tower to the far left appear to be older.  Seattle has seen an increase in population of around 40% in the last 30 years and this is reflected in an increasing density of its downtown.

I was recently in Seattle. This is a view from the Pike Place Market across Puget Sound towards the Olympic Mountains which shelter the port from the Pacific Ocean beyond. The market is a very interesting place. Built in 1907 as a general market it was subject to a city sponsored demolition proposal in 1963 to be replaced by garages and apartments. This led to major protests and, as a result,  the area was formally protected in 1971. Unlike most other protected structures the function of this building as well as the building is protected. This means that even though it is now the city's top tourist attraction rents are reasonable and  it thrives as a farmer and craft market. It is all managed by  the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority, a group established under State law. This is overseen by a 12-member volunteer council.  Careful conservation works since the 1970's have maintained the place's character. Most noticeable are the tiles along the main market floor inscribed with the names of donors for work carried out in the late 1980's. A nice place for some lunch and to admire the beautiful setting of this booming city.