Church of Mary Immaculate

Full-scale replica grotto of Lourdes, built 1928-30 in reinforced concrete, with attached single-storey flat-roofed building to south-west. Roughcast render to all elevations, covering reinforced concrete and metal frame. Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary elevated in niche. Poured cement floor to grotto. Cut limestone altar on rectangular limestone plinth in recess. Timber pulpit to north-west, with steps from south-east and cast-iron canopy with finials. Carved limestone wall plaque to north-west, set in roughcast rendered boundary wall. Located to south-west of Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, with balustrade wall and Oblate Cemetery to north-west.

While grottos and shrines to Our Lady of Lourdes are common in Ireland, this is distinctive as a remarkably accurate full-scale replica, built under the supervision of an Oblate brother, Brother Patrick McIntyre, who took measurements from the original on several trips to Lourdes. Work was begun in 1928 and the replica grotto was opened in 1930 by the Archbishop of Dublin in a ceremony attended by tens of thousands of worshippers. Electric lighting, a public address system and tarmacadam were provided, to facilitate novenas and vigils with a large attendance. The workers of the Great Southern Railway Works at Inchicore carried out much of the construction work. The grotto, popularly known as the ‘Irish Lourdes’ is of considerable social and religious significance to the Roman Catholic community of Inchicore and Dublin. Originally intended as a site of pilgrimage for those who could not afford a journey to Lourdes, it continues to host ceremonies in February and May. Of technical interest for its unorthodox construction and use of reinforced concrete, it is an imposing feature, visible from the road.