R.C. Chapel — Unknown Townland

Francis Street R.C. Chapel is shown on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin City which was opened in the reign of James II, 1688 (Somerville-Large 1996, 139-140). Annotated 'St./ Nicholas' R.C. Church' on OSi 25-inch map. Donnelly (1904, 28-31) recorded the following details about this chapel: 'The site of the existing Church of St. Nicholas was the site of the original Franciscan Friary [DU018-020045-] founded by Ralph le Porter in 1235. In none of our old records have we the slightest indication of the whereabouts of the Parish Chapel during the 17th century. The fact of Father Begg, Adm., living in St. Bride's Parish in 1630, might suggest Bride Street, or its immediate neighbourhood, as the locality; but a popular tradition preserves the recollection of a Chapel in Limerick Alley, a very narrow alley, now closed up, which ran from Francis Street to Patrick Street. Our manuscript yields up information of which we hitherto had no suspicion, namely, that the old Chapel of Francis Street, replaced by the present Parish Church, was built in the reign of Charles II., or thereabouts, by Father Barnwall, a Franciscan, for the use of his Order, anxious, no doubt, to get back to the old hallowed site of their thirteenth century foundation. Whether they ever went back to it or not we cannot say. We rather think that the Chapel may not have been commenced before James II. 's short reign, and may not have been quite completed before his overthrow at the Boyne, for there is no record of Friars having ever abandoned the site at Adam and Eve, and it is not likely that two public Chapels under the same community, in the same town, would have been sanctioned. However that may be, after 1690, the Franciscans had again to fly, and their new Chapel passed into the control of the Secular Clergy. It was to help towards furnishing this new Pro-Cathedral the Silver Thurible and Incense Boat, still in use, were presented in 1690. Father Richard Kenrick first P.P. of St. Nicholas, minus Rathmines, was succeeded by the Rev. Dr. Flanagan, who in 1833 commenced the building of the present fine Parish Church on the site of the old Chapel in Francis Street. The Portico was completed during the Pastorate of Canon, afterwards Cardinal McCabe'. The chapel was described in 1749 as follows; 'Francis Street Chapel serves for the R.C.'s. of the parishes of St. Nicholas Without, St. Bride's, St. Kevin's and St. Luke's. It was built in the latter end of the reign of King Charles II. or thereabouts, by the care of one Barnwall, a Franciscan friar, for the use of his order, who held it till the friars were by law banished — and then it became a mass-house for secular priests. The altar-piece, four pillars and the steps, are all of Kilkenny marble. It is adorned with the pictures of the Assumption, St. Peter, St. Thomas, St. Paul and St. Nicholas. The decorations are the same as in the chapel of Liffey Street. It is flagged, but has no apartment for a vestry. Near the pulpit stands another dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, which is now in disuse. The choir is above stairs, and the dormitory of the Friars serves now for the priests' lodging' (Donnelly 1904, 13-4). 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 which shows the chapel marked with a cross standing between St Francis Street and Plunket Street. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 4 July 2023