Saint Kevin's Church Apartments

Freestanding double-height former Church of Ireland church, built 1888-89, comprising five-bay nave, lower chancel to south, side aisles with pitched roofs, square-plan four-stage tower with spire to north-west, having three-stage polygonal stair tower with spired roof to east elevation. Single-storey gable-fronted porch to east elevation. Now in use as apartments. Pitched slate roofs with terracotta ridge tiles, cut sandstone verge stones, cut sandstone octagonal-profile spire, and weather vane. Rubble granite walls having stepped buttresses, cut sandstone quoins, and carved sandstone string courses. Carved sandstone pilasters and corbel table to spire. Pointed arch window openings, some paired and tripled, having cut sandstone surrounds, sills and carved hood mouldings. Carved sandstone tracery, with trefoil-headed and cinquefoil-headed lights. Replacement aluminium windows, some stained glass retained. Square-headed window openings to lower level of north and south elevations, with chamfered sandstone surrounds. Pointed arch door openings to north and east elevations having carved sandstone surrounds with roll mouldings and hood mouldings, that to north flanked by carved colonnettes and having cut granite steps. Some openings recently in-filled. Recent door opening in former window opening to west elevation. Set back from street in own grounds, enclosed by painted metal railings on rubble granite walls and gate piers with carved granite coping. Matching double-leaf pedestrian gate to west boundary, with vehicular entrance to north boundary. Situated adjacent to the former Saint Kevin's Church of Ireland church hall.

This fine former Church of Ireland church was built to designs by Thomas Drew, a Dublin architect renowned for his church designs. It was funded by a bequest from Jane Shannon, and the design was selected by competition. The spire and window Y-tracery are among the characteristic features of its ecclesiastical purpose. The construction of the church attests to high quality stone masonry, which is evident in fine carved detailing, and the red sandstone is used to good effect to enliven the granite walls. This former church and its neighbouring former church hall form an elegant pair and well-composed ecclesiastical landmark in the locality, the tower providing a focal point in the surrounding residential streetscapes.