St. Mary's Church, Dublin
Encyclopedia
St. Mary's Church, Dublin is a former Church of Ireland
building in Mary Street, Dublin.
, and is notable as the first Dublin church to be built with galleries.
The organ of the church was built by Renatus Harris
. Arthur Guinness
was married here in 1761, and the baptisms of Theobald Wolfe Tone
(1763) and Sean O'Casey
(1880) also took place here.
The church closed in 1986 and became a retail outlet. It was later converted to use as a pub and restaurant. Originally named the "John M. Keating Bar", the pub changed hands in 2007 and is now simply called "The Church".
It is the final resting place of such luminaries as
the United Irishman Archibald Hamilton Rowan
(1751-1834), Mary Mercer, founder of Mercer's Hospital
(died 1734), the philosopher Francis Hutcheson
(1694-1746) and Lord Norbury (1745–1831) (known colloquially as the hanging judge
).
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
building in Mary Street, Dublin.
The Church
Dating from the 17th century, the building was designed by Sir William RobinsonWilliam Robinson (architect)
William Robinson was the Surveyor General of Ireland from 1670/71 until 1700. Born in England, Robinson was appointed to the post of Surveyor General by John Berkeley in his first year of office as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland....
, and is notable as the first Dublin church to be built with galleries.
The organ of the church was built by Renatus Harris
Renatus Harris
Renatus Harris was a master organ maker in England in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.During the period of the Commonwealth, in the mid seventeenth century, Puritans controlled the country and organ music was banned in churches. Many organ makers left England for the continent,...
. Arthur Guinness
Arthur Guinness
Arthur Guinness was an Irish brewer and the founder of the Guinness brewery business and family.He was also an entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist....
was married here in 1761, and the baptisms of Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone or Wolfe Tone , was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen and is regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism. He was captured by British forces at Lough Swilly in Donegal and taken prisoner...
(1763) and Sean O'Casey
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
(1880) also took place here.
The church closed in 1986 and became a retail outlet. It was later converted to use as a pub and restaurant. Originally named the "John M. Keating Bar", the pub changed hands in 2007 and is now simply called "The Church".
The Churchyard
The adjoining churchyard was converted into a public park, Wolfe Tone Park, where the gravestones can be seen stacked up at the southern end.It is the final resting place of such luminaries as
the United Irishman Archibald Hamilton Rowan
Archibald Hamilton Rowan
Archibald Hamilton Rowan , christened Archibald Hamilton , was an Irish celebrity and a founding member of The Dublin Society of United Irishmen. He was the son of Gawen Hamilton of Killyleagh Castle, Co...
(1751-1834), Mary Mercer, founder of Mercer's Hospital
Mercer's Hospital
Mercer's Hospital in Dublin, Ireland is a former hospital, converted in the 1990s into a medical centre, part of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.-History:...
(died 1734), the philosopher Francis Hutcheson
Francis Hutcheson (philosopher)
Francis Hutcheson was a philosopher born in Ireland to a family of Scottish Presbyterians who became one of the founding fathers of the Scottish Enlightenment....
(1694-1746) and Lord Norbury (1745–1831) (known colloquially as the hanging judge
Hanging Judge
"Hanging judge" is an unofficial term for a judge who has gained renown for punishment by sentencing convicted criminals to death by hanging.More broadly, the term is applied to judges who have gained a reputation for imposing unusually harsh sentences, even in jurisdictions where the death penalty...
).