Chapel in Unknown Townland

'Dirty Lane Chapel', was a Roman Catholic chapel in the parish of St Catherine's marked with a cross on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin where it is shown as a building aligned N-S on its long axis standing on the S side of Mass Lane [Marshal Lane] at the junction with Dirty Lane [Bridgefoot Street]. According to Donnelly (1904, 27); 'the Chapel was first erected during the reign of Charles II., was situated in a lane off Dirty Lane or Bridgefoot Street, and called Mass Lane'. In 1782 the Roman Catholic chapel which stood on the corner of Mass lane with Bridgefoot Street was replaced by the newly built chapel on Meath Street (Starrat 1830, 160). The old chapel of St Catherine's parish was described as 'having become much decayed, a new chapel was erected at the rere of the houses, on the east side of Meath Street, opposite Hanbury Lane' (McGregor 1821, 149). According to Donnelly (1904, 28); 'In 1724 the Parishes of St. James and St. Catherine were finally separated, and the Chapel in Mass Lane, which up to that year had been common to both parishes, was reserved for the exclusive use of the Parishioners of St. Catherine's. The Rev. Valentine Rivers was the first P.P. in its separate existence. He survived until 1744, and at some period during the twenty years of his Pastorate enlarged, improved, and to a great extent, re-constructed the Mass Lane Chapel, which from the fact of one wall fronting to Dirty Lane, as the upper part of Bridgefoot Street was then called, was henceforward known as Dirty Lane Chapel. The Chapel in Dirty Lane continued to be used as the Parish Chapel until 1780, when a site for a new Chapel was secured at the rere of some houses on the east side of Meath Street'. Described in 1749 as; 'Dirty Lane Chapel serves for the parish of St. Katherines : it is a convenient building with a handsome altar well decorated. The altar piece is our Saviour bearing His Cross. It was rebuilt by one Mr. Valentine River.' (ibid., 13). Donnelly, N. 1904 Roman Catholics: state and condition of Roman Catholic chapels in Dublin, both secular and regular AD 1749. Dublin. McGregor, J. 1821 New picture of Dublin: comprehending a history of the city, an accurate account of its various establishments and institutions, and a correct description of all the public edifices connected with them. Starrat, M. 1830 History of Ancient and Modern Dublin; Or, Visitor's Guide to the Metropolis of Ireland ... Illustrated, Etc. See attached section of Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin City showing the chapel on the S side of Mass Lane Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 3 July 2023