Showing 1-12 of 12 results
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Newman University Church
Next to Newman House, this neo-Byzantine charmer was built in the mid-18th century (Cardinal Newman didn't care too much for the Gothic style of the day). Its richly decorated interior was mocked at first but has since become the preferred surroundings for Dublin's most fashionable weddings.
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St Audoen's Churches
It was only right that the newly arrived Normans would name a church after their patron saint Audoen (the 7th-century bishop of Rouen, aka Ouen), but they didn't quite figure on two virtually adjacent churches bearing his name, just west of Christ Church Cathedral. The more interesting of the two is the Church of Ireland, the only medieval parish church in the city that's still in use. It was built between 1181 and 1212, although a 9th-century burial slab in the porch suggests that it was built on top of an even older church. Its tower and door date from the 12th century and the aisle from the 15th century, but the church today is mainly a product of a 19th-century restoration.
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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.
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St Mary's Abbey
Where now the glories of Babylon? All that remains of what was once Ireland's wealthiest and most powerful monastery is the chapterhouse, so forgotten that most Dubliners are unaware of its existence. In its medieval day, this Cistercian abbey ran the show when it came to Irish church politics, although its reputation with the authorities was somewhat sullied when it became a favourite meeting place for rebels against the crown.
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St Mary's Church
Designed by William Robinson in 1697, this is the most important church to survive from that period (although it's no longer in use and is closed to the public). John Wesley, founder of Methodism, delivered his first Irish sermon here in 1747 and it was the preferred church of Dublin's 18th-century social elite. Many famous Dubliners were baptised in its font, and Arthur Guinness was married here in 1793.
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St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
Dublin's most important Catholic church is not quite the showcase you'd expect. It's in the wrong place for starters. This large neoclassical building, constructed from 1816 to 1825, was supposed to be on O'Connell St where the GPO now stands, but the local Protestant community - who pretty much ran the show back then - went nuts about the idea of it having such a prominent position.
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St Michan's Church
Macabre remains are the main attraction at this church, which was founded by the Danes in 1096 and named after one of their saints. The oldest architectural feature is the 15th-century battlement tower; otherwise the church was rebuilt in the late 17th century, considerably restored in the early 19th century and again after the Civil War.
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St Patrick's Cathedral
Situated on the very spot St Paddy himself rolled up his sleeves and dunked the heathen Irish into a well, this is one of Dublin's earliest Christian sites and hallowed ground. Although a church stood on the site from the 5th century, the present building dates from 1191, and several major alterations have been made since then.
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St Stephen's 'Peppercanister' Church
Built in 1825 in Greek Revival style and commonly known as the 'pepper-canister' on account of its appearance, St Stephen's is one of Dublin's most attractive and distinctive churches, and looks particularly fetching at twilight when its exterior lights have just come on. It occasionally hosts classical concerts, but don't go out of your way to see the interior. It's only open during services, usually held at Sunday and Wednesday, with an extra one at Friday July and August.
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St Werburgh's Church
Lying west of Dublin Castle, St Werburgh's Church stands upon ancient foundations (probably from the 12th century), but was rebuilt several times during the 17th and 18th centuries. The church's tall spire was dismantled after Robert Emmet's rising in 1803, for fear that future rebels might use it as a vantage point for snipers.
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Unitarian Church
Across the road from the western side of St Stephen's Green is the 1863 Unitarian Church and the early-19th-century Royal College of Surgeons, which has one of the finest façades on St Stephen's Green. During the 1916 Easter Rising, the building was occupied by rebel forces led by Countess Markievicz (1868-1927). The columns are scarred from the bullet holes.
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Whitefriars Street Carmelite Church
If you find yourself mulling over the timing of a certain proposal - or know someone who needs some prompting - walk through the automated glass doors of this church and head for the remains of none other than St Valentine, donated by Pope Gregory XVI in 1835. The Carmelites returned to this site in 1827, when they re-established their former church, which had been seized from them by Henry VIII in the 16th century.
Showing 1-12 of 12 results
