It stands proud over Cork and has done for almost 130 years. On this site, Christian worship has been conducted in an unbroken line for more than 12 centuries.
St Fin Barre's Cathedral is the majestic creation of William Burges, the eccentric Victorian architect, who left a lasting impression on the city which his cathedral adorns.
It is, of course, first and foremost the focal point for the Church of Ireland faithful in Cork. But it is more than that. No other building in the city, perhaps with the exception of Shandon, with its famed bells - another Church of Ireland landmark - has occupied the hearts and minds of the people as much. Wherever you roam in Cork and from numerous vantage points, both buildings dominate the skyline.
The people of Cork from all denominations view these buildings with pride, and rightly so. But St Fin Barre's takes pride of place. More imposing than Shandon, it is a defining point in the city.
Confused tourists find their way around an equally confusing city with its several river channels by using the spires of the cathedral as a landmark. And recently, when some idiot stole the trumpets from the lofty gilt-edged resurrection angel - a gift to the city from Burges - there was a general outcry. The much-loved cathedral had been desecrated by a mindless act of vandalism.
Thankfully, the trumpets were recovered, and when the angel is restored it will grace the city and the cathedral once again.
Time and weather damage have exacted a heavy toll on St Fin Barre's. There is much work to be done, but wonderful opportunities, too, as the millennium approaches. In the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, there are some 10,000 Church of Ireland members. They will put their shoulders to the wheel to help the cathedral restoration project now under way. Many who worship at different altars will do so also because St Fin Barre's means so much to Cork.
Last year when that storm of horrendous proportions came ripping in from the south-west its slates were blown off. A makeshift job was done, but it still leaves the roof in need of 15,000 slates and some 30,000 nails to put them in place. In fact the cathedral, if it wants to maintain its dominant role in Cork, needs its whole fabric seen to.
The beautiful stained-glass windows must be removed and re-leaded. Attention must be paid to all the stonework and the railings. The glass and railings are one thing, the fabric of the cathedral outside and inside a different matter. This is more than a brushing-up job: it will cost at least £5 million.
The work is already under way and will give the Church of Ireland authorities and the city an opportunity to delve into its past, using it as a platform to the future. Graded Class 1A by Cork Corporation, the cathedral building, more properly its surrounds, is also set to become the site of an archaeological adventure.
In a project which it calls "St Fin Barre's Beyond 2000" the Church of Ireland intends to carry out not only general restoration work on the fabric of the building, but to develop a 600 sq metre crypt underground in the forecourt of the cathedral as well.
It will be a visitor centre explaining the story of Christian worship on the site and, because the two are so inextricably linked, the story of Cork as well. Building the crypt will demand a careful archaeological dig. History is buried here where at least 11 churches have stood down the centuries. The dig will give archaeologists and historians a rare opportunity to explore the secrets that undoubtedly lie beneath the earth of St Fin Barre's.
But the project is very much a forward-looking one, geared to reflect the fact that visitor numbers have doubled from 16,000 a year in 1986 to more than 36,000 at present. The theme of the centre will be "Cork Begins Here". The plan is to provide the people with an attractive overview of Cork and how it has developed from St Fin Barre's time. Dr Micheal Jackson, the Dean of the cathedral, put it like this: "What makes the cathedral church worth restoring and developing is that it is part of our living heritage. We who in the face of a third millennium are the heirs of this tradition are committed to opening its doors wide and to playing our part in the unfolding story of Cork.
"St Fin Barre's and the golden angel have always held a position of affection in the hearts and minds of Cork people, and it is important that we secure the splendour of the cathedral which we all too often take for granted."
Simultaneously the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Rev Roy Warke, is preparing to retire. He can look with satisfaction at the development of his flock, inter-church relations and other positive signs in the city. A Laois man by upbringing, he was born in Belfast and will now go to live in Naas, leaving behind the magnificent and traditional home of the Cork bishops which gazes directly at the cathedral.
When he arrived in Cork more than a decade ago, the city was in a depressed state. There had been major industrial losses. There was a serious unemployment problem, and Cork could hardly have been described then as an upbeat city.
Bishop Warke enjoyed excellent relations with the late bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr Michael Murphy, as he does with his successor, Dr John Buckley. "There is so much that unites us. We have so much in common," he said, adding that the city he is leaving has been revitalised. At the church level he is happy that the Church of Ireland has a meaningful role to play in Cork as well as throughout the State.
He also thinks there are grounds for cautious optimism regarding Northern Ireland and believes great credit is due to the church leaders and politicians for having progressed matters this far. As a Northerner by birth, his view is that the prize of increased commerce and tourism as well as a new era of peace is there to be played for.
In retirement he hopes to improve his golf handicap below its 13 rating, to travel and undertake speaking engagements, and to research and write the history of the church in the 1960s under Archbishop McCann whom he describes as a far-sighted church leader who has not yet received sufficient recognition.