Chapel in Unknown Townland

St James's Street R.C. chapel marked with a Latin Cross in the parish of St James on Rocque's 1756 map of Dublin City which is shown as a an L-shaped building aligned N-S with a S return at the E end of the building shown standing immediately N of St. James's Gate one building E of the junction between Wattling Street and St Thomas Street. Annotated 'Cha.' on Cooke's 1836 Royal Map of Dublin City which it is shown as an L-shaped building immediately N of St James's Gate and immediately to the W of the boundary between the parish of St James and St Catherine's. This may be the chapel that was built by Fr. Richard Fitzsimons who acquired a site near St James Gate at the east corner of Wattling St, and built a chapel that served until the present St James's R.C. church was built (Dufficy 1976, 67-8). The church was described by Reverend Maurice Dufficey (1976, 68) as follows; 'Though long since demolished, with the old Gate, in order to widen the street, there is a picture of it, by an unknown artist, in the National Gallery [NGI.6275]. It was a low shapeless building, with a primitive wooden bell-tower; entrance an archway under a high building. The interior was plain, with no architectural decoration. A plain flagged floor, with the Altar enclosed by a low circular Communion rail of wood. The Altar was deep and low, and over it hung the big Crucifix which is now inside the main door of St. James' (RC Church). The site of this severe and primitive chapel is now occupied by Guinness' Waiting Room'. St James's Street Chapel was described in 1749 as follows; 'St. James's Street Chapel was erected in a long yard near Mr. Jennet the brewer's house in James Street about 1724. But was since removed to Watling Street, near St. James's Gate, the Sacristy being near the Well. The altar is adorned with several pictures, among which are those of St. James the elder and Ignatius Loyola — on the altar is a gilded tabernacle six candlesticks. — Here is a gallery, pulpit, pews, &c.'. According to Donnelly (1904, 27); 'The Chapel first erected during the reign of Charles II., was situated in a lane off Dirty Lane or Bridgefoot Street, and called Mass Lane. In 1719 an unhappy controversy arose between Archbishop Byrne and the Priest then in charge, the Rev. Valentine Rivers. The Archbishop contended that he only appointed him administrator of S t. Catherine's until a suitable P.P. was found. This was Dr. Cavenagh, whom he was recalling from Paris to make him Vicar-General. Father Rivers contended that he was duly appointed P.P. of both St. Catherine's and St. James's. He appealed to the Primate of Armagh which only made matters worse. Eventually Rome had to take up the quarrel, and it was only after nearly four years litigation, not unattended with scandal, that Fr. Rivers, on certain conditions, was allowed to continue P.P. of St. Catherine's, whilst St. James's was finally detached from it, and erected into a separate parish, with its own Pastor, Dr. Matthew Kelly, and its own Chapel, here described as "in a long yard near Mr. Jennet the Brewer's house in James's Street". Another Brewer of leviathan powers has since absorbed Jennet's long yard, and every other yard and lane adjacent, so that it would be impossible to identify the spot, but tradition places it on the south side of the street, very near the actual new church of St. James's. During the pastorate of Father Richard Fitzsimons, who died in 1756, and previous to the date of our manuscript, the original chapel being found inconvenient, a very commodious Chapel which, with sundry alterations and repairs, survived well into our own time, was erected at the corner of Watling Street. In 1853 the splendid new Church of St. James was opened, and the old chapel was closed It was soon after demolished, as well as the Priest's residence in front of it, in order to widen the thoroughfare, which at St. James's Gate was very narrow and inconvenient for traffic'. Donnelly, N. 1904 Roman Catholics: state and condition of Roman Catholic chapels in Dublin, both secular and regular AD 1749. Dublin. Dufficy, M. 1976 The Story of St. James' Church, James' Street, Dublin. Dublin Historical Record, Vol. 29, No. 2, 66-69. NGI.6275 National Gallery of Ireland, Saint James's, James's Street; An Unidentified View (on verso), c. 1820. Presented, Revd R. Scriven, 1913. (http://onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie/objects/9352/saint-jamess-jamess-street-an-unidentified-view-on-vers?ctx=a6549780-baac-435b-b423-736f7c1f2c9b&idx=92#) J. Cooke 1836 Cooke's Royal Map of Dublin. Detailed engraved case map of Dublin bordered by 24 views of principal architecture. Dublin: Gerrard Tyrrell. See attached section of Rocque's 1756 Map of Dublin City showing the chapel on the N side of Thomas St. and Cooke's 1836 map of Dublin showing the chapel adjacent to the parish boundary. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 30 June 2023