St George’s Church

If you’re on the north side, the steeple of this deconsecrated church may catch your eye. The church was built by Francis Johnston from 1802 in Greek Ionic style, and the 60m-high steeple was modelled on that of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London. Although this was one of Johnston’s finest works, and the Duke of Wellington was married here, the church has been sorely neglected – probably because it’s Church of Ireland and not Roman Catholic, it has to be said. The bells that Leopold Bloom heard in that book were removed, the ornate pulpit was carved up and used to decorate the pub Thomas Read’s, and the spire is in danger of crumbling, which has resulted in it being sheathed in scaffolding pending a patch-up job. The church is not open to the public.