St. Matthew's Church, is a Church of Ireland church in Ringsend and Irishtown in Dublin.
| St. Matthew's Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Former names | Royal Chapel of St Matthew |
| General information | |
| Status | Church |
| Town or city | Ringsend |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°20′18″N 6°13′20″W / 53.33836°N 6.22211°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1704 |
| Topped-out | 1713 (tower) |
| Estimated completion | 1706 |
| Renovated | 1878-79 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | calp limestone, granite dressings |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | William King |
| Website | |
| stmattschurch | |
History
editThe church was originally built in calp limestone with granite dressings between 1704 and 1706. The tower was added after the initial main church building, around 1713. A notable feature is the broken pediment over the church door.[1]
The church was later remodelled by James Franklin Fuller in 1879.[2] A marble floor was installed in 1890 to a design by Thomas Drew. A pyramidal steeple was also added to the church in 1713, but this was removed following a storm in 1839.[3]
It was called the Royal Chapel of St Matthew, Ringsend from its foundation until 1871 because the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. William King (1650–1729), wanted the government to pay for the church, which was built under an act of Queen Anne and later designated by George I.[4]
Rev. John Bohereau (or Borough/Burrough) was appointed as the first minister in 1723, where previously it had been served by priests from Donnybrook. Rev. R.H. Wall served as chaplain to the church. Rev. William J. Stoney was appointed the first rector following the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871. More recent rectors have been Rev. John Marchant and Rev. Leonard Ruddock.
Following the closure of St. Mary's Church, Donnybrook parish was merged with Donnybrook in 2020 to form the Irishtown and Donnybrook Union of Parishes.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ "1879 – St Matthew's Royal Chapel, Irishtown, Dublin | Archiseek - Irish Architecture". 2 February 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ "CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, IRISHTOWN ROAD, CHURCH OF ST MATTHEW (CI) Dictionary of Irish Architects -". www.dia.ie. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ "History – St Matthew's Parish Church". Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ "Royal Chapel of St. Matthew". Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ St. Matthews Church
- ^ St. Matthew’s and St. Marys Anglican, Episcopal Parish of Donnybrook & Irishtown by Jason McDonnell, News Four, Ringsend, 2020.