St. Andrew's Cathedral is a Roman Catholiccathedral in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. From the Reformation of 1560 until the late 1600s, Roman Catholic worship in Glasgow had to be covert (technically, Roman Catholic places of worship were only permitted from 1778). By the end of the 18th century, particularly with the influx of Irish immigrants to Glasgow, there soon became a need for a Roman Catholic church in the city. Completed in 1817, and designed by James Gillespie Graham (1776-1855), the church re-introduced the Roman Catholic presence to Glasgow. In 1805 there were approximately only 450 Catholics in the city, but by the time the church was completed there were more than 3,000. The hostility to the Roman Catholic Church was evident during the construction of the cathedral: work completed during the day was torn down by locals at night, delaying completion and eventually guards had to be placed on the building site to protect the construction works. However, congregations of other Christian denominations in the city donated money for the completion of the project in a gesture of ecumenism in light of the difficulties faced in construction. The building was designated a cathedral in 1889, and was renovated by the firm of Pugin and Pugin. The cathedral lies on the north bank of the River Clyde in Clyde Street. It was built in the Gothic style and can hold in excess of 2000 worshippers.
