Dublin’s Churches
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Is’nt it a sad plight the condition of some of Dublin’s neglected churches. I’m not religious in any way but it is a somewhat sorrowful sight to see the decline of some historical and beautful ‘houses of god’. It’s quite ironic to see the newly built ‘Sacred Heart Church’ within an appartment complex on Bachelor’s Walk yet further down the quays the more imposing 19th century ‘St. Pauls’ lies derelict on Arran quay. St. Georges in Hardwick Place is a 70’s disco venue and the church in Mary’s Street where Wolfe Tone was baptized lies in a ‘limbo’ condition. So many other churches face an uncertain future too. Changing times…..but such buildings deserve more attention and respect not for religious reasons but architectural reasons.
St Paul’s is a pretty fine exterior although I’ve never been in it.
St Paul’s CofI on Nth King Street while not a great church, suffers from its surroundings, in particular, those dire corpo flats on Blackhall Place
St Mary’s is a disgrace, first a home decor store and now a proposal for a bar.
St George’s is a sad case, first it has lost its urban setting and now turned into a venue.
St Paul’s on Arran Quay, is a historically important church. Built in 1835, it was one of the first Catholic churches to be built on a main thoroughfare, after Catholic Emancipation in 1829. The design is based on a Greek tetrastyle temple; it has an unusual cupola overlooking the Quay. Eamon De Valera was married there. It is shocking to see the blankets, cardboard and rubbish left strewn in the portico by the homeless people who sleep there regularly, especially since the church itself is unused. Why not house them inside? This would maintain the dignity this church deserves, and put it back in to use for a worthy cause.
To add it also has a fine religious themed mural on the wall behind the altar.
There are so many beautiful churches throughout Dublin that are real architectural assets for the city. One strongly recommends a stroll through the city and view these now ‘unfasionable’ religious meeting houses.They are a real eye opener. St. Pauls on Arran Quay was one of the last churches to celebrate the old Latin mass.The stong smell of inscense, the choir singing and choral music had an aura of esoteric mysticism that evoked all sorts feelings in myself who is an atheist. What a sad loss for the city.
I just thought of the spire of St. Georges Church, Hardwicke Place, the scaffolding has been wrapped around it for many years now. Does anyone know what’s the purpose/reason. I recently heard that the old bells of St. Georges, which were in storage since the early nineties, were installed in Taney Chruch, Dundrum.
Check out today’s feature in the Irish Times on the once neglected but recently restored St. Catherines Church in Thomas Street, Dublin. See it featured too on the NTL community channel at night. Check out other notable churches in this locality; St.Johns down the road beside the NCAD with it’s gothic spire and St.Nicholas of Myra in Francis street, (named after Santy to you and me). Another church to note is St. Andrews in Westland Row with it’s fine classical interior. Some of the many valuable jewels of the city.
SS Augustine and John on Thomas Street is for my ,money, the best church building in the city, yes, even better that St George’s on Hardwicke Place.
Its magnificent spire, polychomic stone and that soaring arch over the main doors and window, spectacular.
I agree,(Re; Saints Augustine and John’s) what a superb church but what a pity about the delapidated surroundings. Thomas Street needs a really good revamp.What tawdry shops! especially as this street has so many neglected assets. Same too with St George’s Church, Hardwicke Place, another pity as is’nt it quite similar to ‘St. Martin’s in the Fields’ in England.
When one considers the plethora of wonderful historic churches within Dublin city that face an uncertain future, everything must be done to save them from decline…….a basic way which might help, whether one beleives, or not….. Go to mass!
Is there a good up to date book on Irish/Dublin Churches?
I’ve run out of interesting things to do at weekends in Ireland and have long wanted to explore its churches [the last refuge of a culture addict living in a cultural desert].
The Protestant Church in Monkstown is worth going into – architecturally not the greatest of quality and a terrible under-use of space but the style is fanciful, very unusual and exciting. Seems it was erected by former RAJ types – hence the Indian style. There’s a service it seems, at 7.30pm.
So, any good books?
I actually think that it was just that Semple was fairly innovative – he also designed the Black Church now an architect’s office
St. Augustine & St. John (St. John’s Lane Church, locally), is one of the finest churches in the city centre. Designed by George Ashlin & Edward Welby Pugin, son of the famous Pugin. Ruskin described this neo-gothic gem as “a poem in stone”. The statues of the apostles inside are by James Pearse, father of Padraig.
A new book on historic churches of Ulster (which includes churches on Liam McCormick) will be published at the end of next month.
A pleasure, John.
There’s also a ‘blockbuster’ exhibition (with catalogue) coming up, on places of worship in Ireland – since the time of St Patrick. Put together by the RIAI and RSUA and jointly sponsored by lottery/millennium agencies in both the UK and Ireland, I believe it opens sometime around the middle of next month at the Ulster Museum in Belfast, before travelling on to Armagh and Dublin (where it’ll be on display in the OPW’s atrium on St Stephen’s Green).
the scaffolding on st georges, hardwicke place, has been there at least since 1983, the spire is unstable. it was designed by the same architect as st martins in the fields
Thats a common misconception. St Georges qwas not designed by the same architect, merely copied the spire.
“Dublin’s Churches” by John Costello, I think was published a bit over ten years ago. It covers many of Dublin’s churches, both old and new. It’s a bit difficult to find and it is out of press. I think the work of church architect John Semple is fascinating, especially the Black Church which inspired Austin Clarke to write the poem “Around The Black Church”. I read recently that John Semple designed something like 14 churches around Dublin. I know of just a handful
Reading this is amazing. I am an architectural lighting designer 1/2 Irish 1/2 Belgium living in California. Is anyone out there intersted in perhaps illuminating the exterior of these buildings to call attention to there magnificance and architectural splendor?
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