Ss Augustine and John, widely known as John's Lane Church, stands on Thomas Street in Dublin 8 on a site with religious use dating back to a medieval monastery and hospital founded around 1180. The present Gothic Revival building was designed by Edward Welby Pugin and George Coppinger Ashlin, begun in 1862 and open for worship by 1874, with the spire and exterior completed by William Hague in 1895. It functions today as a priory church of the Augustinian order.
Construction of the present church began at Easter 1862 to designs by Edward Welby Pugin and George Coppinger Ashlin, with Michael Meade as contractor. The roof and spire structure were finished in time for the church to open for public worship in 1874, though the parish account states the full building process took over thirty years. William Hague designed the spire, and the exterior of the church was solemnly completed and opened on 15 December 1895, with the interior finished by around 1911 according to Wikipedia.
The tower niches hold Portland stone statues of the twelve apostles carved by James Pearse, father of Patrick and Willie Pearse. Apse glass was supplied by the Mayer of Munich studio, and the church also holds windows attributed to the Harry Clarke studio and to Michael Healy. The building today functions as a priory church of the Augustinian order rather than a territorial parish.
Landmark 'John's Lane' spire on Thomas Street.
Augustinian foundation from c.1180. Present Gothic church begun 1862 (E.W. Pugin & G.C. Ashlin; completed by William Hague); opened 1874, solemnly opened 15 December 1895.
Fragments gathered while researching this church: stories, curiosities, people and dates.
A local history account published on the blog Come Here To Me recalls that a number of the construction workers who built the church in the nineteenth century were members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (Fenians), and that the building was sometimes referred to locally as 'the Fenian church' as a result.
Source: Come Here To Me
Wikipedia describes the church steeple as the highest church tower in the city, over 200 feet (about 61 metres). This claim was not independently verified against a heritage or engineering source within the research budget.
The tower niches hold Portland stone statues of the twelve apostles carved by James Pearse, father of the 1916 Rising leader Patrick Pearse and his brother Willie Pearse.
Mass times
Checked 10 Jul 2026