Chapel

The National Monuments Service's description

18th century Roman Catholic Chapel or Mass House is depicted as a rectangular shaped building orientated E-W, annotated with a cross symbol on Rocque's Map of Dublin dated 1757 where it is shown standing N of Arran Quay from which it is accessed by a laneway with second laneway to E of chapel accessed off the W side of Church Street in the parish of St. Michan's. Modern day car park in Arran Square marks the site of this chapel. O'Hanlon (1873, Vol. 8, 371) recorded that 'about 1708, a new chapel was erected, or rather an old stable was converted into a chapel. In the course of time, however, the chapel was found to be wholly inadequate to accommodate the number of worshippers who frequented it, when it was deemed necessary to seek a more convenient and public site, in 1835'. The early 18th century chapel reused an earlier pre-1700 stable which was situated to the 'reres of the houses now known as Nos. 11 and 12 Arran Quay, and it was approached from Church Street by a long and narrow passage, recently closed up. That building, having become ruinous, was taken down and rebuilt in the year 1785. It was provided with a new principal entrance from Arran-quay, through a passage under the house No. 12' (ibid.).

See attached section of Rocque's Map of Dublin 1757 showing chapel to N of Arran Quay and W of Church Street, taken from https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b530637730/f1.item.r=DUBLIN%20DUBLIN.zoom

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of update: 11 November 2022

References

O'Hanlon, Rev. J. 1875-1903 Lives of the Irish saints. Dublin, London and New York.

Rocque, J. 1756 An exact survey of the city and suburbs of Dublin. Available at https://libguides.ucd.ie/findingmaps/mapshistDublin Accessed on 5 January .