Chapel

The National Monuments Service's description

No surface remains visible of St. Martin's Chapel which was attached to the N side of the chancel of St. Werburgh's Church (DU018-020090-) (Clarke 2002, 18, 20). This is the chapel which was burnt down in 1311 during a great fire in Dublin City (Gilbert 1861, I, 28).
According to Robinson (1914, 135-6); 'St. Werburgh's [DU018-020090-] had, as we have seen, two chapels - the Lady Chapel [DU018-020066-] and St. Martin's Chapel. They were not, as was often the case, merely a part of the church fenced off by wooden screens, like the former Kildare Chapel in Christ Church Cathedral; they were buildings standing north and south of the chancel. That on the north was St. Martin's Chapel, and it gave its name to St. Martin's Lane, a short lane between the church and Castle Street, which disappeared only in the eighteenth century. Each chapel was lighted by a single window; at their east ends they had images of the Blessed Virgin and St. Martin, which seem to have stood, not in recesses, but upon brackets or 'thrones' affixed to the wall. The floors were tiled, and were strown with rushes on special occasions. A few entries relating to these chapels may be given. 1510-11. 'Item for Rochis (rushes) to seynt martyngs chapell a martinmas day IId.'' c. 1520 'Item payd for the makyng of saynt martyn xs.' , 'Item payd for the makyng of saint martyns tron (throne) xiiis.' 1567-70 'Item for makyng the Wall of St. Martyn's chapell xis. st.' No surface remains visible of this chapel which stood on the N side of the chancel of St. Werburgh's medieval church (DU018-020090-).

Robinson, J.L. 1914 Churchwardens' Accounts, 1484-1600, St. Werburgh's Church, Dublin. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 4, No. 2, 132-142.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 2 June 2023

References

Gilbert, J.T. 1854-9 (Reprint 1978) A history of the city of Dublin, 3 vols. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.

Clarke, H.B. 1978 Dublin c. 840 - c. 1540: the medieval town in the modern city. Dublin.

Clarke, H.B. 2002 Irish Historic Towns Atlas No. 11: Dublin, part I, to 1610. Royal Irish Academy. Dublin.