Church Street (Capuchin church)

St. Mary of the Angels, Church Street (Capuchin)

Church StreetGothic Revival

This church is still ahead. Its chapter will be written when its visit comes.

§What is known

Built: 1868 · J.J. McCarthy
Style: Gothic Revival
Order: Franciscan Capuchin (OFM Cap)
Dedication: St. Mary of the Angels

Mass times

Sunday: 9:00 AM · 10:00 AM (Irish Language Mass · Irish) · 11:30 AM · 7:00 PM
Saturday: 9:30 AM (Weekday Mass)
Monday: 8:00 AM (Weekday Mass) · 7:30 PM (Weekday Mass)
Tuesday: 8:00 AM (Weekday Mass) · 7:30 PM (Weekday Mass)
Wednesday: 8:00 AM (Weekday Mass) · 7:30 PM (Weekday Mass)
Thursday: 8:00 AM (Weekday Mass) · 7:30 PM (Weekday Mass)
Friday: 8:00 AM (Weekday Mass) · 7:30 PM (Weekday Mass)
Holy Days: 8:00 AM (Holy Day Mass) · 7:30 PM (Holy Day Mass) · 7:30 PM (Holy Day Mass)

§Where

Address: Church Street, Dublin 7

Open route ↗ Official website ↗ Return to the map

No photographs yet — the essay appears only after the visit.

§Notes

Fragments gathered while researching this church: stories, curiosities, people and dates.

A Brazilian congregation on Church Street

The Brazilian Catholic community in Dublin lists St Mary of the Angels as its base, with a Sunday 4pm Mass with confessions during the celebration, and a monthly Mass with adoration in the hall on the last Thursday of the month. The community's website advises arriving about thirty minutes early.

Source: Brazilian Catholic in Dublin

Stations of the Cross titled in Irish

The heritage record notes that the paintings of the Stations of the Cross carry titles in Irish, an unusually early use of the language for this purpose.

The tower that was never built

McCarthy's published design included a tower and spire. The money was redirected to build a presbytery and other accommodation, and a stump remains where the spire would have risen.

The Father Mathew temperance legacy

The Capuchins built the Father Mathew Memorial Hall beside the friary in 1891, named for the Capuchin temperance campaigner Fr Theobald Mathew. It housed a drama group, band, debating society and athletics club, initially restricted to members who had taken the temperance pledge.

Timeline

1690
Capuchins open a Mass house on Church Street Having first arrived in Dublin in 1615, the Capuchin friars moved to Church Street in 1690 and opened a Mass house on the site of the present church.
1796
Mass house enlarged The Church Street Mass house was enlarged in 1796.
1868
Construction of the present church begins The NIAH dates the present church to 1868-1881, built for the Capuchin Order to designs by J.J. McCarthy and replacing the earlier chapel.
1881
Church completed The church was completed in 1881, with the executed design departing from the plans published in 1871. Funds intended for a tower and spire were used instead for a presbytery and other accommodation.
1891
Father Mathew Hall opens The Capuchins opened the Father Mathew Memorial Hall on Church Street in 1891, designed by Walter Glynn Doolin and funded by subscription, to promote the temperance cause associated with the Capuchin Fr Theobald Mathew.
1913
Church Street tenement collapse Two tenement houses on Church Street collapsed on 2 September 1913, killing seven people. The Capuchin friary sheltered displaced residents and the Father Mathew Hall was lit up to assist the rescue; the funerals took place at St Michan's, Halston Street.
1916
Friars minister to the executed leaders of the Rising In May 1916, Capuchin friars from Church Street, among them Fr Aloysius Travers, Fr Augustine Hayden, Fr Albert Bibby, Fr Columbus Murphy and Fr Sebastian O'Brien, ministered to the leaders of the Rising in Richmond Barracks, Dublin Castle and Kilmainham Gaol, and administered last rites to those executed.
1969
Capuchin Day Centre founded Br Kevin Crowley founded the Capuchin Day Centre on Bow Street in 1969, growing out of the Clothing Guild at Church Street. It now provides hundreds of hot meals daily and weekly food parcels.
2018
Pope Francis visits the Capuchin Day Centre During his August 2018 visit to Ireland, Pope Francis visited the Capuchin Day Centre on Bow Street, beside the Church Street friary.
2025
Funeral of Br Kevin Crowley Br Kevin Crowley died on 2 July 2025 aged 90. His remains reposed at St Mary of the Angels and his requiem Mass was celebrated there, followed by burial at Dardistown Cemetery.

People

James Joseph McCarthy (1817-1882) Architect of the church — A leading Irish church architect of the Gothic Revival, McCarthy designed the church; he died in 1882 before the project was fully completed.
James Pearse (1839-1900) Sculptor of the altar and reredos — The altar and reredos were designed by James Pearse, father of Patrick and Willie Pearse, who were executed after the 1916 Rising.
Leo Broe Sculptor — The NIAH record notes sculptures by Leo Broe in the church.
Charles James McCarthy (1857-1947) Son of the architect, later Dublin City Architect — C.J. McCarthy, son of J.J. McCarthy, became Dublin City Architect and designed corporation housing built across the street from the church.
Fr Aloysius Travers OFM Cap (1870-1957) Friar who ministered to the 1916 leaders — One of the Church Street Capuchins who ministered to the leaders of the 1916 Rising before their executions at Kilmainham Gaol.
Fr Augustine Hayden OFM Cap Friar who ministered to the 1916 leaders — One of the Church Street Capuchins who ministered to the leaders of the 1916 Rising before their executions.
Br Kevin Crowley OFM Cap (1935-2025) Founder of the Capuchin Day Centre — A Capuchin brother of the Church Street friary who founded the Capuchin Day Centre for homeless people in 1969 and led it until 2022. His funeral took place at St Mary of the Angels in July 2025.