The scaffolding dissappears…
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I could hardly believe my eyes today going down Dorset Street from Drumcondra – the scaffolding on the spire of St. Georges Church on Hardwicke Place has gone! This is the first time I have ever seen this structure without this and it is a wonderful addition to the skyline to see this in its original form for the first time – hopefully its permanently gone, but if it was removed and the structure not secured, then it is a worrying development.
I remember seeing a wonderful series of photographs in the IAA about the stabilization of the spire – it showed parts of the spire being removed and being re-set. However I recall that the scaffolding was put in place to ensure its stability until a full resetting job was done. That was over twenty years ago! I wasn’t aware it was repaired. If you haven’t gone yet, go see arguably Dublins finest Church – see it in its original form for the first time in decades.
The church was sold last November to a Co Meath Restaurantuer with a track record in heritage buildings, I am very optimistic on this one, great to hear that after 20 years of having ‘temporary scaffolding’ the building is finally going to look something like it did in its original form. ๐
I wonder when it will be reopened to the public?
Was the scaffolding not a protected structure? ๐
Joking aside, I am looking forward to seeing it.
Went to see it this morning – it’s funny how the front of the building from Hardwicke St looks as familar as ever because of that classic view in the 1840s photograph many people are so used to now, but the rear and other more modern-day views look very strange alright – in a good way :). It really is a beautiful structure.
Unfortunately serious work is needed; whatever about the soundness of the spire structure, certainly its decorative state is very poor. The joins in the stonework are very obvious as if there’s been a lot of movement, many of the stone carvings have suffered severe erosion – notably the capitals of the columns, and overall it needs a good cleaning, with large accumulations of soot underneath cornices and other nooks and holes etc. The surfaces of the main spire facades are surprisingly clean however.
The flats on Hardwicke Street & crescent look great I think, nice efficient, streamlined design that works very well with the church at the top. Very strange to see the last straggling Georgian remains of what used to be here at the western end of the street ๐
When I look at St. Georgeรขโฌโขs, I sometimes think I am looking at drawings for a really great Georgian church, where youรขโฌโขd go รขโฌหwow, imagine that had been builtรขโฌโข. I always find it slightly hard to believe that it was actually built, that itรขโฌโขs actually there!
The Dublin Civic Trustรขโฌโขs Buildings at Risk list of 1997 / 2001 describes it as รขโฌลThe finest classical parish church in the city, designed by Francis Johnson circa 1805, terminating the access from three streets. It has formal elevations on four fronts and a superb interior which is among the major works of Francis JohnsonรขโฌยฆChurch was deconsecrated in 1990 and sold to a concert promoterรขโฌยฆAll of the pews and the pulpit were removed without permission in 1994รขโฌย. It’s good if it is in the hands of somebody more sensitive now, as you say Thomond, but no doubt restoration work will be a massive undertaking.
Looking forward to seeing it without the spire scaffolding, as I don’t remember it beforehand. That classic view of the Four Courts dome flanked by St. Georgeรขโฌโข spire & St. John & Augustineรขโฌโขs spire รขโฌโ as used in the opening still of ‘Strumpet City’ รขโฌโ will be possible again (though I havenรขโฌโขt quite worked out where the viewing point is!).
Devin wrote:Looking forward to seeing it without the spire scaffolding, as I don’t remember it beforehand. That classic view of the Four Courts dome flanked by St. George’]I’ve all always tried to work that one out as well, I suspect somewhere in behind Clonliffe College like Grace Park Road but I’m not quite sure, getting an elevated vista with all three buildings that excludes Telephone House is not easy.
You can see all three from up around the Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park if I remember rightly.
It’s probably the best view you can ever get of Dublin up there.You have to love it – it’s such an institution at this stage it even seems to have been made by the Edwardians – that opening sequence is just a classic ๐
It’s out on DVD now, and there’s a decent hardback copy of the novel in the Oxfam shop on Parliament St.at the minute……and reappears. The scaffolding is going back up again!
That explains a lot – the original scaffolding must have been in rag order and unsafe having been up there for 30 years. Presumably the new scaffolding is going up now for a full restoration to be at last carried out.Here’s some pics of its magnificent spire – tomorrow or Friday will probably be the last day it will be fully visible for maybe a year or so if a full job is being carried out ๐
I love that right-hand pic, Strumpet City or what – the atmospheric smoke provided courtesy of an exceptionally filthy steamroller ๐
Below – some (fuzzy) detail of the poor condition of the stonework:
Also the church’s cornice has suffered from erosion:
And the magnificent portico – classic Johnston:
Where are the pews now do you know Devin? What’s the interior condition like after the theatre conversion?
@Graham Hickey wrote:
…and reappears. The scaffolding is going back up again!
That explains a lot – the original scaffolding must have been in rag order and unsafe having been up there for 30 years. Presumably the new scaffolding is going up now for a full restoration to be at last carried out.Maybe the scaffolding was actually a protected structure after all that.
Devin, did you guys make them put it back up? ๐
Good photos Graham. Nice to get them before repair begins again. It really is a magnificant piece of architecture.
There’s a story to flog to the Indo Paul – An Taisce outraged at the illegal removal of listed scaffolding ๐
Yes, yes, very funny Phil & Graham ๐ (put-on smilie)
What a cracker of a church it is though. Great photos. Must get some of my own before the scaffolding goes back up ๐ . Don’t know where the pews are, but I’ll ask. Otherwise the interior is said have suffered progressive loss of original detail due to holding of raves etc.
As you do in a church ๐
The oil-lamp stands are incredible survivers here – loads of them, even round the back. Another strange similarity to St. Stephen’s:
Fascinating!:
And St George’s, as AT’s site also points out is based on St-Martin-in-the-Fields in London:
…which in turn is based on many of Wren’s earlier parish churches. Again which were influenced by…..okay we’ll stop there ๐
St George’s also has the honour of starring in what’s widely regarded as the first set of photographs ever taken in Ireland in around 1848. I’ve wanted to do this comparison for years – at last got round to it:
It is spooky to see real people from such an early time – also poignant to note this was taken in the last 2 to 3 years of respectability for the Northside – it was downhill all the way from here ๐
I wonder if it was ever anticipated just how bad things would get…A close-up of the people:
Don’t know why they’re associating with that riff-raff on the right ๐
Also a strange comparison with today – pretty impressed at how well aligned the modern day camera position turned out. Spooky that I was standing on the exact spot of the photographer ๐ฎ
Graham. That looks mad, but really impressive!
I think an image like that really demonstrates how much of a difference the jumble of signs, cars etc make to vistas such as that. And that area is not even that heavily cluttered.
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