Church in Unknown Townland

The present St. Catherine's Church (1769) on the S side of Thomas Street occupies the site of an early 13th century medieval parish church founded in the early 13th century as a replacement church for St. Thomas's Church (Clarke 2002, 18). The earliest reference to a church at this site occurs in Crede Mihi (1212-25) (Gilbert 1897). It was appropriated to the Augustinian priory of St. Thomas and subsequently to the Earls of Meath (Bradley & King 1987, 2, 111-2). Shown on Speed's map of 1610 as 'St Cathren church', a rectangular building with a tower at the W end (Gillespie 1973, 33). It has a bell of 1671, which was recast in 1896. In the graveyard (DU018-138----) to the S of the church there was a 17th-century graveslab (DU018-314----). Described in the Urban Survey of Dublin as follows; 'The traditional date for the erection of this church, 1105, is without foundation. The earliest historical mention of it occurs in Crede Mihi, in a list of churches in the deanery of Dublin, attributed to the time of Archbishop Henry of London (1212-28). It is mentioned again in a deed of 1244 when Walter Rotarius is described as residing in the house next to the church of St Catherine (Gilbert 1870, 480). It had a Lady chapel variously described as 'St Mary's Chapel' "the chantry", and "St Mary's aisle" (Berry 1898, 227). In the 1533 Repertorium Viride the church is described as then newly rebuilt at the expense of the parishioners because the earlier building had become ruinous. The vicarage was appropriated to the Augustinian priory of St Thomas, and subsequently was in the patronage of the earls of Meath (White 1941, 181). The present church was built in 1769 ( Wheeler and Craig 1948, 16). It has a bell of 1671 which was recast in 1896' (Bradley and King 1987 Vol. 2, 111-2). A 16th century tomb (DU018-315----) of the Brabazon family which stood inside the medieval church was removed when the church was rebuilt in the 18th-century. See attached section of Speed's Map of Dublin showing St Catherine's Church (No. 57) with W belltower standing on the S side of St. James' Street (http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/PR-ATLAS-00002-00061-00001/38). See attached section of Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin City showing St Catherine's Church and graveyard (DU018-138----) to the S Compiled by: Geraldine Stout Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 13 June 2023