Country Ireland Architectural type Church Province Leinster Dedication Audoin | Denomination Roman Catholic Deanery South City Centre Phone +353 87 239 3235 | |
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Location High Street
County Dublin Address High St, Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, Ireland Architectural style Greek Revival architecture Archdiocese Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin Architects Patrick Byrne, George Ashlin Similar St Audoen's Church, Christ Church Cathedral, St Michan's Church, St Patrick's Cathedral - Dublin, Casino at Marino | ||
St Audoen's is the church of the parish of St Audoen that is located south of the River Liffey at Cornmarket in Dublin, Ireland. The parish is in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. There is an Anglican church of the same name adjacent to it. The church is now home to the Polish chaplaincy in Ireland.
History
The church was built between 1841 and 1847 to the design of Patrick Byrne who also designed nearby St. Paul's Church on Arran Quay and Church of the Immaculate Conception (Adam and Eve's) on Merchants Quay.
A central dome positioned over the crossing of the nave was the main external feature of the church until it collapsed in 1880 and was replaced with a flat roof. In 1898 the portico including the piazza to the front and railings was added by George Ashlin.
The interior is lit by lunette windows high above the walls and next to the coffered ceiling. The statue of Our Lady's Altar is by Peter Bonanni of Rome, which won a gold medal at the Dublin Exhibition in 1853.
The walls are constructed of Black calp and are best appreciated from Cook Street from where their sheer bulk dominates the area and the Medieval Dublin City Walls. Because of its steeply sloping site, the church has a double level crypt to the rear.
The holy water stoups on either side of the main doors are giant clam shells that were donated in 1917 by a Pacific-Sea captain as a gift to his brother, the parish priest at the time.
Until December 2007 the church hosted a regular Tridentine (Latin) Mass. The church has experienced a resurgence of attendance due to the influx of Polish immigrants who regularly celebrate mass in the church in their native language. St Audoen's Church is now home to the Polish chaplaincy in Ireland.