Saint Peter’s National Schools

Detached twelve-bay two-storey national school, built 1891, with central two-bay gabled breakfront, and with slightly recessed end bays. Extension to south and east elevations, built c.2007. Single-span pitched slate roof, gabled to front (west) with granite coping and kneeler stones, hipped to north and south ends with terracotta ridge tiles and terracotta cresting and replacement uPVC rainwater goods. Yellow brick chimneystacks with red brick dressings, slated lantern with timber louvers to gable. Yellow brick walls laid in Flemish bond with corbelled red brick eaves course supporting profiled cast-iron gutters, vitrified brick string courses and moulded brick plinth course. Carved limestone date plaque and name plaques. Segmental-headed window openings with red brick voussoirs, red brick block and start reveals and granite sills and having twelve-over-twelve pane timber sliding sash windows. Fan-shaped red brick voussoirs to ground floor of breakfront. Entrance in recent extension with flat roof, red brick walls laid in stretcher bond and glazed door to south end. Wrought-iron railings with rubble limestone walls with concrete coping to front.

Saint Peter's National School was founded in the late nineteenth century, replacing an earlier school building which formed part of Saint Peter's Presbytery on nearby Cabra Road. It is a well built and elaborately detailed Victorian school building retaining much original fabric. The roof is enlivened by the addition of a projecting gable, lantern and shaped slates while the polychrome brickwork and well-executed carved plaques add character to the front elevation. The foundation stone was laid by Dr Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin, in 1891. The school was designed by William Hague and built by W. Connolly and Sons. It forms an important part of the social fabric of Phibsborough.