Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WHERE TO MEET A PROPER DUBLINER
For 50 years the traditional meeting place in the city centre for young lovers, friends or out-of-towners requiring a
distinctive landmark was Clery's clock, the timepiece hanging from O'Connell St's most famous department
store. But that's all changed, nowadays - and surely the ultimate mark of acceptance - the place to meet is at the
foot of the Spire.
ST MARY'S PRO-CATHEDRAL
(Marlborough St; 8am-6.30pm; all city centre, Abbey)
F
Dublin's most important Catholic
church is not quite the showcase you'd expect. It's in the wrong place for starters. The
large neoclassical building, built between 1816 to 1825, was intended to stand where the
GPO is, but Protestant objections resulted in its current location, on a cramped street that
was then at the heart of Monto, the red-light district.
In fact, it's so cramped for space around here that you'd hardly notice the church's six
Doric columns, which were modelled on the Temple of Theseus in Athens, much less be
able to admire them. The interior is fairly functional, and its few highlights include a
carved altar by Peter Turnerelli and the alto relief representation of the Ascension by John
Smyth. The best time to visit is 11am on Sunday when the Latin Mass is sung by the
Palestrina Choir, with whom Ireland's most celebrated tenor, John McCormack, began his
career in 1904.
The design of the church is shrouded in some mystery. In 1814 John Sweetman won a
competition held to find the best design for the church, a competition that had actually
been organised by his brother William. It's not certain whether John actually designed the
building, since he was living in Paris at the time and may have bought the plans from the
French architect Auguste Gauthier, who designed the similar Notre Dame de Lorette in
northern France. The only clue as to the church's architect is in the ledger, which lists the
builder as 'Mr P'.
Finally, a word about the term 'pro' in the title. It implies, roughly, that it is an 'unoffi-
cial cathedral'. More accurately it was built as a sort of interim cathedral to be replaced
when sufficient funds were available. Church leaders never actually got around to it, leav-
ing the capital of this most Catholic of countries with two incredible-but-under-used Prot-
estant cathedrals and one fairly ordinary Catholic one. Irony one, piety nil.
CHURCH
ST GEORGE'S CHURCH
CHURCH
