The carillon is located in the magnificent St Colman’s Cathedral overlooking Cobh town and Cork Harbour. This beautiful setting is appropriate for an instrument that is considered one of the best examples of its genre. The 49-bell Carillon of St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh is the only such instrument in this country and is the largest in Ireland and Britain.
It also includes Ireland’s largest bell, named St Colman (3.6 tons). The carillon is played from a console within the belfry, consisting of a keyboard and a pedalboard. The action is completely mechanical and there is no artificial assist.
The bells of St Colman ' s
THE CARILLONNEURS
In the autumn of 1924, Staf Gebruers from Antwerp (Belgium) was appointed Choirmaster, Organist and Carillonneur of St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh. He held this position with distinction until his death in 1970, having in 1969 been awarded the Papal decoration Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice. Bishop John Ahern appointed Adrian Gebruers to succeed his father who subsequently studied at the Royal Carillon School and St Rombouts Cathedral in Mechelen (Belgium). He has been guest recitalist on many of the world’s major carillons in Europe, North America and Australasia and the recipient of several awards and commissions in Ireland and abroad. In 2005 he was created a Papal Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope St John Paul II. A founding Vice-President of Eurocarillon, he is President Emeritus of the World Carillon Federation and of the British Carillon Society. In 2022 he was unanimously elected an Honorary Life Member of the Carillon Society of Britain and Ireland in recognition of his services to the carillon art.
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