Church of Ireland Parish of Clontarf
Encyclopedia
The Parish of St. John the Baptist, the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Parish of Clontarf
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
, Dublin is a religious community located on the north shore of Dublin Bay, bounded by the Parishes of North Strand
North Strand
North Strand is an area of the inner city on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. The area is bounded roughly by East Wall to the east, Ballybough to the northwest, and Fairview to the north...
to the west, Coolock
Coolock
Coolock is a large suburban area, centred on a village, on Dublin city's Northside in Ireland. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds...
to the north and Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
to the east (the latter two are in a Union).
The Parish Church is situated on Seafield Road, approximately 2½ miles from the churches of each of the adjoining parishes. It was built in 1866 to replace an earlier church some 200 metres away on Castle Avenue, on the edge of the grounds of Clontarf Castle
Clontarf Castle
Clontarf Castle is a much-modernised castle, dating to 1837, in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, an area famous as a key location of the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. There has been a castle on the site since 1172...
.
The early days
The first church in Clontarf was reputedly founded by the great Abbot of Bangor, St. Comgall, as part of Christian development through north Dublin, perhaps from a base at St. Mobhi's Church at GlasnevinGlasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
. St. Comgall became the Patron of Clontarf and remained so until replaced by St. John the Baptist when the Parish came under the control of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in the 14th century.
Clontarf is probably most famous as a central location of the Battle of Clontarf
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
in 1014, when Brian Boroimhe (Boru) defeated the Vikings and reduced their power in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(although they retained control of Dublin city and much surrounding land). The remains of the well supposed to have been used by Brian Boru can still be seen on Castle Avenue, just under 0.5 km from the Parish Church. But the history of Clontarf, goes back much further.
The Middle Ages
In the reign of Henry IIHenry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, the lands of Clontarf passed to the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, an arm of the Church, and in turn, on the suppression of the Knights Templar in 1307, it became a preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
s of St. John of Jerusalem, which it remained until their disbandment in 1542, when the last Prior, Sir John Rawson, was created Viscount Clontarf.
An early church had existed on the Castle Avenue site and this was rebuilt in 1609, the new building remaining the Parish Church for over 250 years, serving Clontarf and later also the neighbouring Parish of St. Brigid, Killester
Killester
Killester is a small, largely residential suburb of Dublin and lies on the Northside of the city.-Location and access:Killester is located between Clontarf, Donnycarney, Raheny and Artane, and it falls within the postal districts of Dublin 3 or 5. St. Anne's Park lies just beyond Killester on the...
, which was amalgamated with Clontarf in 1686. In 1659, the population of Clontarf was 79 and of Killester 32.
The nineteenth century
A key arrival in the Parish was Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, the grandson of Arthur GuinnessArthur Guinness
Arthur Guinness was an Irish brewer and the founder of the Guinness brewery business and family.He was also an entrepreneur, visionary and philanthropist....
, and his partner in running the brewery, who purchased lands in Clontarf and Raheny to form St. Anne's Estate (the remnants of which now comprise St Anne's Park
St Anne's Park
St. Anne's Park is a public park and recreational facility, shared between Raheny and Clontarf, both suburbs on the northside of Dublin, Ireland....
). He was married to his cousin Elizabeth and all their children were baptised in Clontarf Parish Church.
In 1872 Arthur (by then Sir Arthur) was elected to the Select Vestry of the Parish but, in a letter from Ashford Castle
Ashford Castle
Ashford Castle is a medieval castle turned five star luxury hotel near Cong on the Mayo/Galway Border in Ireland, on the shore of Lough Corrib. Ashford Castle is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organization.-History:...
, declined the offer on the grounds of frequent absences from the parish. He funded the building of All Saints Church
All Saints Church, Raheny
All Saints' Church is the Church of Ireland Parish Church of the Parish of Raheny, prominent on the Howth Road as it approaches the centre of Raheny, Dublin, Ireland...
, Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
. Benjamin's cousin Dr. Arthur Grattan Guinness practised and lived in the parish and most of his children were baptised in the church. In 1872 he was appointed Officer of Health for the parish jointly with James Colville.
Clontarf, Dublin
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside of Dublin, in Ireland. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, in which Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster. This battle, which extended to districts...
, was baptised by Rev. Edward, a visiting clergyman from the Diocese of Ossory. Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
, as he became known, was the creator of the Dracula stories and is commemorated today in the Bram Stoker Museum in Westwood Club near the Crescent. Bram's family later moved to Artane Lodge but his younger siblings were also baptised in Clontarf.
The church, meanwhile, was becoming too small for its growing congregations, especially in the summer. Plans were developed in 1859 by Trustees including Mr. John E.V. Vernon of Clontarf Castle and substantial funding secured to build a second church at the Dollymount
Dollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
end of the parish. These plans were brought to an advanced stage, with an architect appointed and a site leased, despite the reservations of the Rector, Rev. William Kempston, who believed that the existing church was adequate and advised the Archbishop of his views. The Archbishop, whose permission was required for the building, told the Trustees that permission would not be given against the wishes of the Rector and the project was abandoned.
In 1862, Mr. Kempston left the Parish and was replaced by Rev. James Pratt. New plans were then developed with his co-operation for a new and larger church on a site close to the existing church. The foundation stone was laid by Mr. Vernon with great ceremony on 9 August 1864 and the church was completed over the next two years. The new church was consecrated by the Archbishop of Dublin at a service on 14 May 1866 and remains in use to this day. The church was originally built without a chancel and this was added in 1899.
The twentieth century
The First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
saw many of the parishioners joining up to fight and these were commemorated by an illuminated scroll in the church and a War Memorial erected in the grounds.
In 1916, the fiftieth Anniversary of the building of the Church was celebrated at a special service on 14 May at which the Archbishop, Dr. Bernard, preached.
The 1930s, 1940s and 1950s saw a building boom in the area and Clontarf grew to be one of the biggest parishes in the Church of Ireland. Greenlanes School, which had started in 1854 and had been located for most of its life in the Parish Hall on Seafield Road, about 200 metres from the Church, grew so much that a new school had to be built on a new site at Seafield Avenue and this was opened in 1952. The pace of growth was so rapid that by the time the new school was opened, it was too small and a further classroom was added and opened the following year.
The centenary of the Church was celebrated in 1966 with a programme of religious and social activities aimed at all age groups.
The twenty-first century
Impropriate Curates
(Definition - Perpetual (or Impropriate) Curate : Clergyman in charge of a benifice in which all the tithes were held by someone else who could be a layman or another clergyman, for example the Archdeacon of Dublin. This was a permanent appointment.)- 1546 John Quyn
- 1591 William Savage also Curate Drumcondra and Killester
- 1615 Simon Thelwell also Curate Drumcondra
- 1630 Richard St. Laurence
- 1637 Randolphe Dymocke; still Curate in 1639, as also of Balgriffin, St. Dolough's and Portmarnock.
- 1642 William Tedder : licensed 1 July 1642; appears Vicar of Garristown and Ballymadun during the rebellion of 1641 and lost property worth £52.
- 1643 Hugh Morrison: licensed 10 July 1643.
Rectors
(Definition – Rector : Parish Clergyman who received the whole tithes of the Parish; after Disestablishment usually referred to as Incumbent.)Incumbents
Curates
- 1630 Christopher Cuiston
- 1645 Laurence Wogan : licensed 16 October 1645.
- 1733 John Phipps : licensed 27 December 1733
- 1743-5 Adam Ussher : 'Minister of Clontarf, died of a fever and pleurisy on Sunday morning' (Dublin GazetteDublin GazetteThe Dublin Gazette was the Gazette, or official newspaper, of the Irish Executive, Britain's government in Ireland based at Dublin Castle, between 1705 and 1922...
, Thursday 10 September 1745.) - 1758 Robert Shenton : appointed Curate of Killester by the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church.
- 1779-81 William Montgomery : licensed 1 June 1779.
- 1799 John Bayly : appointed Curate of Killester by the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church 11 May 1799.
- 1808 John Armstrong Coughlan : licensed 22 October 1808.
- 1841 Augustus William West : licensed 13 January 1841.
- 1843 William Gilbert Ormsby.
- 1844-5 Christopher Henry Gould Butson.
- 1846 William FitzGerald.
- 1846-7 Edward Gabbett : licensed 8 April 1846.
- 1864 John Crawford : licensed 10 June 1864.
- 1870 Sidney Leslie Cousins : appointed 22 September 1870
- 1871 Robert Wyndham Guinness : licensed 8 December 1870.
- 1874-6 Peter Henry Schoales : licensed 5 August 1874.
- 1876 John Galloway Garrett : licensed 1 November 1876.
- 1881 James Joseph Woodroofe : licensed 2 February 1881.
- 1885 George Benjamin Taylor : licensed 30 September 1885.
- 1888 Samuel Russell McGee : licensed 10 September 1888.
- 1894 Henry Brodie Good : licensed 12 July 1894.
- 1896-03 Richard Henry Fawcett : licensed 30 September 1886.
- 1904-9 John George Donaldson Pyper : licensed 4 March 1904.
- 1909-12 Frederick McConnell : licensed 13 October 1909.
- 1912-23 Josiah Francis Shearman : licensed 10 February 1912.
- 1924-9 Charles John Tyndall : licensed 24 June 1924.
- 1929-32 John Bourke Neligan : licensed 5 October 1930.
- 1932-4 Edward Francis Butler Moore : licensed 31 December 1932.
- 1934-8 Matthew Thomas Porteus : licensed 1 October 1934.
- 1939-41 Graham Ronald McCollum : licensed 16 March 1939.
- 1941-4 William Warburton Lloyd Rooke : licensed 8 April 1941.
- 1944-9 Richard William Maurice Wynne : licensed 15 October 1944.
- 1949-53 Robert Denholm Moore : licensed 1 August 1949.
- 1953-57 Stanley Pettigrew : licensed 24 September 1953.
- 1957-60 Allen James Nelson : licensed 24 October 1957.
- 1961-4 Richard St. Lawrence Broadberry : licensed 5 October 1961.
- 1966-70 Donald William McClatchie : licensed 26 June 1966.
- 1970-73 Michael Alistair Graham : licensed 5 July 1970.
- 1974-6 Thomas Andrew Hayden Foster : licensed 9 June 1974.
- 1978-80 David Trevor Muir : licensed 25 June 1978.
Sources
Representative Church Body Library- Clontarf Parish Registers of Baptisms (from 1808 to 1914), Marriages (from 1812 to 1914) and Burials (from 1812 to 1875).
- Clontarf Parish Minute Books from 1815.
Publications
- H.M.Ecclesiastical Commissioners (Ireland), fourth Report on Ecclesiastical Revenue and Patronage. London 1838.
- Leslie, J.B.ed. (updated by Wallace, W.J.R.), Clergy of Dublin and Glendalough, Dublin 2001.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, London 1837.
- Maxwell, Lauren, My Parish Church – A History, unpublished Transition Year Project Essay, 2006.
- Mulally, Frederic, The Silver Salver – The story of the Guinness Family, London, 1981.
- Smyth, Mary M., “Christianity in Clontarf – a brief historical sketch” Centenary of Clontarf Parish Church, Dublin 1966.
- Wilson, Derek, Dark and Light – The story of the Guinness Family, London 1998.
Extract from “Clergy of Dublin and Glendalough”
Clontarf
"The Parish belonged to the Hospitallers of Kilmainham in the Middle Ages. The Parish or Chapel of Killester was joined to it from the sixteenth Century. A new church was built in 1609. The presentation was in the gift of the Crown. The present church, named like its predecessor in honour of St. John the Baptist, was consecrated on 14 May 1866."
Info
External links
- Church of Ireland website
- Clontarf Parish Church Website
- Mount Temple Comprehensive School - official website. Mount Temple is under Church of Ireland patronage and the Rector of Clontarf parish is a member of the Board of Management
- Clontarf Parish Lawn Tennis Club is attached to Clontarf Church of Ireland