11 October 2024

Compiling an A-Z guide
to the churches and
chapels I have visited and
photographed in Dublin

The bridge at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin … the formal name of the cathedral is the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

Dublin truly could do with a comprehensive ‘A-Z’ guide to its many cathedrals, churches and chapels of all shapes, sizes and denominations, from the many All Hallows and All Saints’ Churches to Zion Church in Rathgar.

I have been blogging about them ever since I began this blog, and have been photographing them for many years before that.

But the list of churches has grown in length month by month, and in my visits to Dublin in recent weeks, as I searched back to see where I had visited and where I had written about, I realised that many of my blog postings about Dublin churches are difficult to find.

Some were not properly labelled or were labelled incorrectly, making it difficult to find them. My photographs and descriptions of other churches are scattered through other blog postings on family history, beach walks, in lecture notes for church history and liturgy or in sermons over the years.

Scattered through those other postings are descriptions of Saint Andrew’s Church, Westland Row, where many members of the Comerford family were baptised or married, or the Greek Orthodox Church on Arbour Hill, which I have visited so often.

Lost in my many sermon notes and the like I expect to find many more images of Christ Church Cathedral and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and there must be photographs of school college and hospital chapels including Saint Columba’s College, the former Mater Dei Institute, the now-closed Church of Ireland College of Education, and the chapel in Saint Vincent’s Hospital.

And, naturally, there are churches I visited and photographed but never got around to writing about, including Saint Mary’s Pro-Cathedral on Marlborough Street, the Methodist ‘round church’ in Dolphin’s Barn and Christ Church, the Presbyterian church that dominates the centre of Rathgar, or the former Donore Presbyterian Church on South Circular Road that is now a mosque.

I have already put together guides to my blog postings on churches in Limerick, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Oxford and Wexford, and on synagogues I visited.

This list of more than 100 Dublin cathedrals, churches and chapels includes the places where I was baptised, confirmed and ordained, where I have served as a reader, curate and chapter member or canon, where I have attended funerals, where I have lectured, led retreats, been a student or on the staff, where I have often gone to church and many of the churches where I have preached or taken services.

In some way, these might be summarised as the churches of ‘hatch, match and dispatch’, although that may be a little too glib.

Of course, this list is not complete, and I shall update as I come across some more bloggings about my ‘church crawling’ around Dublin. And, in time, I imagine, there shall be more churches to research, write about and photograph as I continue to return to Dublin.

The west front of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Cathedrals:

1, Christ Church Cathedral (20 February 2021) and here (7 June 2023)

2, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (17 March 2021) and here (16 March 2023)

Mediaeval churches and foundations:

3, Malahide Abbey (4 May 2019)

4, Saint Mary’s Abbey (2 October 2019)

5, Templeogue Church (21 September 2010)

Baptist Churches:

6, Grosvenor Road Baptist Church, Rathmines (20 June 2019)

Church of Ireland:

7, All Saints’ Church, Blackrock (3 October 2016) and here (31 October 2022)

8, All Saints’ Church, Grangegorman (29 May 2011) and here (31 October 2022)

9, Balrothery Church (closed), Balbriggan, Co Dublin (1 May 2011)

10, (former) Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle (3 July 2023)

11, Christ Church, Dún Laoghaire (4 January 2021)

12, (former) Harold’s Cross Church (19 April 2021)

13, Holmpatrick Church, Skerries (24 January 2010)

14, Holy Trinity Church, Rathmines (12 July 2023)

15, Kill o’ the Grange (10 March 2022)

16, (former) Lusk Church (28 Decemmber 2009)

17, (former) Mariners’ Church, Dún Laoghaire (5 January 2021)

18, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, former chapel, Charles king and martyr (4 July 2014)

19, Saint Andrew’s Church, Lucan (11 October 2016)

20, Saint Andrew’s Church, Suffolk Street (28 October 2016)

21, Saint Ann’s Church, Dawson Street (29 October 2023)

22, Saint Audeon’s Church, Dublin (11 February 2013)

23, Saint Bartholomew’s Church, Ballsbridge (30 January 2010), and here (14 October 2014), and here (6 July 2015)

24, (former) Saint Bride’s Church, Bride Street (17 May 2021)

25, Saint Brigid’s Church, Stillorgan (3 October 2016)

26, Saint Brigid’s Church, Castleknock (29 January 2019)

27, Saint Columba’s Church, Swords (31 January 2011)

28, Saint Doulagh’s Church, Balgriffin (22 August 2018)

29, Saint George’s Church, Balbriggan (23 April 2021) and here (24 July 2013)

30, (former) Saint George’s Church, Hardwick Place (23 April 2023) and here (23 April 2021)

31, Saint George’s and Thomas’s Church, Cathal Brugha Street (23 April 2023) and here (23 April 2021)

32, Saint John the Baptist Church, Seafield Road, Clonarf (15 October 2018)

33, Saint John the Evangelist Church, Park Avenue, Sandymount (31 July 2016)

34, (former) Saint Kevin’s Church, Camden Row (3 March 2022)

35, (former) Saint Kevin’s Church, South Circular Road (3 June 2011)

36, Saint Maelruain’s Church, Tallaght (25 February 2021)

37, (former) Saint Mary’s Church (old), Donnybrook (26 December 2016)

38, (former) Saint Mary’s Church, Mary Street (14 March 2019) and here (22 December 2014)

39, Saint Matthias Church, Ballybrack, Killiney (22 April 2021)

40, (former) Saint Michael le Pole Church, Ship Street (17 May 2021)

41, (former) Saint Michael’s Church (Synod Hall), High Street (10 October 2023)

42, Saint Michan’s Church, Dublin (13 April 2009)

43, Saint Nahi’s Church, Upper Churchtown Road (23 August 2011)

44, (former) Saint Nicholas Within Church, Nicholas Church (6 December 2022)

45, (former) Saint Nicholas Without Church, Nicholas Church (6 December 2022)

46, Saint Patrick’s Church, Dalkey (21 April 2021) and here (16 March 2023)

47, Saint Patrick’s Church, Donabate (6 October 2009) and here (16 March 2023)

48, (former) Saint Stephen’s Church, St Stephen Street (17 May 2021)

49, Saint Werburgh’s Church, Werburgh Street (3 February 2023)

50, (former) Trinity Church, Lower Gardiner Street (10 January 2022) and here (15 July 2023)

51, Trinity College Dublin Chapel (10 March 2021)

52, Tullow Church, Brighton Road, Carrickmines (12 August 2012)

53, Whitechurch Parish Church, Rathfarnham (26 February 2021)

Lutheran Churches:

54, Saint Finnian’s Church, Adelaide Road (3 June 2011)

Methodist churches:

55, Abbey Street Methodist Church, Dublin Central Mission (2 November 2021)

56, Centenary Methodist Church, St Stephen’s Green (7 October 2024)

57, Rathgar Methodist Church (1 November 2021)

Moravian Church:

58, (former) Moravian Church, Kevin Street (2 March 2014)

Orthodox Church

59, Romanian Orthodox Church (formerly Christ Church), Leeson Park (19 July 2014)

The ruined former Presbyterian Church on Seán McDermott Street, formerly Lower Gloucester Street, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Presbyterian Churches:

60, (former) Gloucester Street Presbyterian Church, Sean McDermott Street (8 January 2022)

61, Malahide Presbyterian Church (7 May 2019)

62, (former) Ormond Quay and Scots Presbyterian Church, Abbey Street (16 December 2018)

63, (former) Saint Mary’s Abbey (2 October 2019)

64, (former) Welsh Chapel, Talbot Street (5 January 2022)

Newman University Church, a landmark on the south side of Saint Stephen’s Green, Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

Roman Catholic churches:

65, All Hallows’ College (chapel), Drucondra (23 May 2014)

66, Capuchin Church (Church of Saint Mary of the Angels), Church Street (21 October 2021)

67, Church of the Annunciation, Rathfarnham (27 May 2016)

68, Church of the Holy Name, Beechwood Avenue, Ranelagh (12 September 2017)

69, Church of Mary Immaculate, Refuge of Sinners, Rathmines (10 June 2023)

70, Church of Mary Immaculate, Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore (12 August 2021)

71, Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Chapelizod (10 June 2020)

72, Church of Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Dublin Airport (22 October 2019)

73, Church of the Three Patrons, Rathgar (20 June 2019)

74, Franciscan Church (Adam and Eve), Merchants’ Quay (11 October 2021)

75, Gort Muire Chapel (Carmelite), Ballinteer (9 August 2021)

76, Holy Rosary Church, Harold’s Cross (20 April 2021)

77, Kimmage Manor, chapel and church (15 June 2011) and here (11 March 2021)

78, Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham (29 August 2013)

79, Manresa Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, chapel, Dollymount (13 February 2013)

80, Newman University Church (Catholic University Church), St Stephen’s Green (6 October 2024)

81, (former) Orlagh Retreat Centre, Augustinian chapel (9 August 2009) and here (17 March 2015)

82, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Firhouse (14 March 2014)

83, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (Carmelite), Whitefriar Street (15 August 2021) and here (14 February 2023)

84, Rathfarnham Castle, Jesuit Chapel (27 September 2008)

85, Saint Anne’s Church, Bohernabreena (13 April 2021)

86, Saint Catherine of Alexandria Church, Meath Street (19 October 2010)

87, Saint Colmcille’s Church, Knocklyon (18 August 2021)

88, Saint John the Baptist Church, Clontarf (26 January 2013)

89, Saint Joseph’s Church, Terenure (10 June 2024)

90, Saint Kevin’s Church, Harrington Street (16 August 2024)

91, Saint Mary’s Priory (Dominican), Tallaght (5 August 2011)

92, (former) Saint Maur’s Church, Rush (12 July 2014)

93, Saint Nicholas of Myra Church, Francis Street (6 December 2022)

94, Saint Patrick’s Church, Donabate (16 March 2023)

95, Saint Paul’s Church (Passionist), Harold’s Cross (1 July 2014)

96, Saint Peter’s Church, Phibsboro (28 April 2011)

97, Saint Saviour’s Church (Dominican), Dominick Street (15 September 2010)

98, Saint Sylvester’s Church, Malahide (7 May 2019)

99, Saint Teresa’s Church (Carmelite), Clarendon Street (16 August 2021) and here (21 February 2022)

100, Terenure College Chapel (Carmelite), Templeogue Road, Terenure (17 August 2021)

Edward Brady’s award-winning rustic limestone and slender gothic arches at Saint Mary’s Priory, Tallaght, were awarded a European Heritage Award in 1975 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Society of Friends (Quakers) meeting houses:

101, Churchtown Meeting House (7 October 2011)

Unitarian Church:

102, Unitarian Church, St Stephen’s Green (21 June 2019) and here (10 September 2023)

Ecumenical:

103, Dublin Airport, inter-faith prayer room (6 July 2019)

And also:

104, Churches named on Bloomsday by James Joyce in Ulysses (15 June 2023)

The Unitarian Church on Saint Stephen’s Green, Dublin, was designed by Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon and opened in 1863 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Last updated: 10 October 2024

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