Chapel in Unknown Townland

There was an R.C. chapel in St Michan's Parish on the S side of St. Mary's Lane at the NW corner of Bull Lane which is shown on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin City. On this map the church is depicted as a rectangular building aligned N-S on its long axis on the corner of the junction between Mary's Lane and Bull Lane. According to Donnelly (1904, 24); Dr. Cornelius Nary, the learned author of many works, came upon the scene in or about 1700, have we anything in the shape of authentic history. As our manuscript tells us, he collected the funds and built Mary's Lane Chapel on the south side of Mary's Lane and north west corner of Bull Lane. Dr. Nary died in 1738, and was succeeded immediately by Dean Byrne. In 1816 the new Parish Church of St. Michan was opened in North Anne Street, and old Mary's Lane Chapel finished its course as a place of religious worship, and was devoted for some years to the kindred purposes of a school'. Described in 1749 as a; 'large but irregular piece of building. The altar-piece is a painting of the Annunciation of B.V.M. and on the Epistle side stands a large image of B.V. with Jesus in her arms, carved in wood, which statue before the dissolution belonged to St. Mary's Abbey. On the Gospel side stands the pulpit, and opposite it a choir enclosed, near to which is a large Sacristy. There is another altar near the pulpit, over which is a large painting of a crucifix, and under it the picture of St. Francis Xaverius; there are three galleries here, several pews and confessionals. The decorations of the altar are much the same as those mentioned in the chapel of Liffey Street. It has been lately repaired by the care of Mr. Dennis Byrne, Titular Dean of St. Patrick's, and parish priest of said chapel' (Donnelly 1904, 12). Donnelly, N. 1904 Roman Catholics: state and condition of Roman Catholic chapels in Dublin, both secular and regular AD 1749. Dublin. See attached section of Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin City showing the location of the chapel on the S side of the St. Mary's Lane at the junction with Bull Lane. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 July 2023