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St Michan's, Halston Street

St. Michan's, Halston Street

Halston StreetAn early Gothic Revival gable fronted church of 1810 to 1817, with a shallow plaster ribbed vault inside. The Halston St

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

§What is known
Built
1817 · George Ashlin (chancel, tower and Halston Street front, c. 1891); original architect not established
Style
An early Gothic Revival gable fronted church of 1810 to 1817, with a shallow plaster ribbed vault inside. The Halston St
Order
Capuchin Franciscans (parish administration)
Dedication
St. Michan's

Mass times

Sunday
9:00 AM (Romanian Mass · Romanian) · 12:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM (Weekday Mass)
Tuesday
9:30 AM (Weekday Mass)
Wednesday
9:30 AM (Weekday Mass)
Thursday
9:30 AM (Weekday Mass)
Friday
9:30 AM (Weekday Mass)
Holy Days
9:30 AM (Holy Day Mass) · 6:00 PM (Holy Day Mass)
§Where
Address
Halston 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.

Two churches, one name

Dublin has two St Michan's churches a short walk apart: the Church of Ireland church on Church Street, famous for the mummified remains in its vaults, and this Catholic church between Halston Street and North Anne Street. The two are regularly confused.

A back street front by design

Built before Catholic Emancipation and beside Green Street Courthouse and Newgate Prison, the church originally opened onto the modest North Anne Street. Only with Ashlin's tower in the 1890s did it gain a public front on Halston Street.

Mass by phone

The parish streams its Masses by webcam and also offers PhoneMass, a phone line through which Masses can be followed by dialling the sacristy number.

Timeline

  • 1730
    Mass house on Mary's Lane The Capuchin parish history records that Fr Nary built a Mass house around 1730 on the south side of Mary's Lane, one of the penal era predecessors of the present church. The NIAH links St Michan's to the penal chapel associated with Saint Mary's Abbey, described as the first parish chapel recorded in the city in penal times.
  • 1812
    Foundation stone laid on the feast of St Michan The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 25 August 1812, the feast of St Michan.
  • 1817
    Church dedicated The church was dedicated on 25 November 1817. The NIAH gives a slightly earlier construction range of about 1810 to 1815.
  • 1891
    Ashlin extension and tower George Ashlin extended the church through to Halston Street with a new chancel, two side chapels and a five stage castellated tower with clock, in rock faced limestone. Archiseek dates the work 1891 to 1893; the NIAH gives 1888 to 1894; the parish page says 1897 and the Capuchin history says 1891.
  • 1897
    Marble altar installed The NIAH records a marble altar of 1897 and further marble furnishings of 1899.
  • 1913
    Octagonal mortuary chapel added An octagonal mortuary chapel was added in 1913. A window in it is attributed to Harry Clarke.
  • 2012
    Romanian Greek Catholic community arrives Since 2012 Romanian Greek Rite Catholics have used the church for their services; the archdiocese lists their Sunday liturgy at 9:00.
  • 2016
    Reflecting the Rising event During RTE's Reflecting the Rising programme for the 1916 centenary, the church hosted a day of music and talks, including a presentation on a Cork Capuchin's journey through Easter Week 1916.

People

  • George Coppinger Ashlin (1837-1921) Architect of the extension, tower and Halston Street front — Ashlin extended the church by over thirty feet through to Halston Street, adding the chancel with its large Perpendicular window, two side chapels and the 94 foot castellated tower with clock, using Rathgar, Finglas and Callan limestone, per Archiseek.
  • Harry Clarke (1889-1931) Attributed stained glass window in the mortuary chapel — A window in the mortuary chapel is attributed to Harry Clarke by Wikipedia and the parish website. The sources present this as an attribution rather than a documented commission.
  • Mayer and Co of Munich Stained glass makers — The church contains stained glass windows by the Munich firm Mayer and Co.
  • Patrick Fitzsimons (d. 1769) Parish priest 1744 to 1763, later Archbishop of Dublin — Wikipedia records Patrick Fitzsimons as parish priest of St Michan's from 1744 to 1763 before he became Archbishop of Dublin.
  • Myles Vincent Ronan (1878-1959) Curate, later parish priest and parish historian — Rev Myles V. Ronan served as curate in 1902 to 1904, returned as parish priest from 1942 and published a history of the parish in 1948, per Wikipedia.