St. Peter's Church Phibsborough, Dublin
Encyclopedia
Saint Peter's Church in Dublin is a large Roman Catholic parish church
in the Dublin suburb of Phibsborough or Phibsboro (informal). It is considered to be a monument of triumph over proselytisers and is viewed upon by parishioners with pride.
and converting people to Anglicanism
. Eventually, the concern for the children of Phibsborough materialised and a Catholic
school was built in 1826. Two of the priests who were then running the school, Rev. W. Young and Rev. W. Carroll, converted the top floor of the school into a chapel
. In 1843, new schools were built to house the growing number of students. The second floor of the old school building was removed and the chapels length was augmented, leaving it 123 feet (37.5 m) long and 35 feet (10.7 m) high. It then became known as a church. Over time, more and more additions, augmentations and improvements were made to the church. In 1907, work on the spire commenced after Cardinal Moran of Australia
commented on the lack of Catholic
church spires in the Dublin skyline.
You could hardly be called a Dubliner if you hadn't heard of St. Peter's Church, Phibsborough. Standing proudly on Dublin's Northside, each stone of this noble landmark bears the story of hundreds of Irish people of many generations who dared to dream a dream.
windows, particularly the west window and Harry Clarke
's early masterpiece entitled 'The Adoration of the Sacred Heart
'. The window depicts the Sacred Heart
, Mary Magdalene
and St. John the Evangelist. The window was installed in 1919.
St. Peters is richly decorated with Gothic
embellishments, such as gargoyles, pinnacle
s, bosses
and columns made from Newry granite
.
The principal entrance is in the front, which consists of double doors, deeply and richly recessed with Newry granite
columns and moulded jambs, while the tympanum
is elaborately carved, and has a statue of St. Peter in the centre, the whole surmounted with a crocket
ted gable
and panelling.
gave a recital here. Over time, hundreds of pipes have mysteriously gone missing from the organ. It is now in a state of disrepair, with many features not functioning. Henry Willis
& Son have given a preliminary assessment of the organ to estimate the cost of refurbishment.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Dublin suburb of Phibsborough or Phibsboro (informal). It is considered to be a monument of triumph over proselytisers and is viewed upon by parishioners with pride.
History
In the early 19th century, Phibsborough was a crime-ridden suburb home to many families living in poverty. Proselytisers were roaming the streets discouraging CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and converting people to Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
. Eventually, the concern for the children of Phibsborough materialised and a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
school was built in 1826. Two of the priests who were then running the school, Rev. W. Young and Rev. W. Carroll, converted the top floor of the school into a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. In 1843, new schools were built to house the growing number of students. The second floor of the old school building was removed and the chapels length was augmented, leaving it 123 feet (37.5 m) long and 35 feet (10.7 m) high. It then became known as a church. Over time, more and more additions, augmentations and improvements were made to the church. In 1907, work on the spire commenced after Cardinal Moran of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
commented on the lack of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church spires in the Dublin skyline.
You could hardly be called a Dubliner if you hadn't heard of St. Peter's Church, Phibsborough. Standing proudly on Dublin's Northside, each stone of this noble landmark bears the story of hundreds of Irish people of many generations who dared to dream a dream.
Decorative
St. Peter's is noted for its beautiful stained glassStained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows, particularly the west window and Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.- History :...
's early masterpiece entitled 'The Adoration of the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
'. The window depicts the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
, Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
and St. John the Evangelist. The window was installed in 1919.
St. Peters is richly decorated with Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
embellishments, such as gargoyles, pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s, bosses
Boss (architecture)
In architecture, a boss is a knob or protrusion of stone or wood.Bosses can often be found in the ceilings of buildings, particularly at the intersection of a vault. In Gothic architecture, such roof bosses are often intricately carved with foliage, heraldic devices or other decorations...
and columns made from Newry granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
.
The principal entrance is in the front, which consists of double doors, deeply and richly recessed with Newry granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
columns and moulded jambs, while the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
is elaborately carved, and has a statue of St. Peter in the centre, the whole surmounted with a crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ted gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
and panelling.
Organ
The pipe organ, dating from 1910, is originally a Magahy instrument. The instrument was majorly rebuilt and refurbished between 1947 and 1949 by the Conacher organ company. At this time it was a very highly regarded instrument, so highly regarded in fact the in 1952, the world famous French organist Jeanne DemessieuxJeanne Demessieux
Jeanne Marie-Madeleine Demessieux , was a French organist, pianist, composer, and pedagogue.-Biography:...
gave a recital here. Over time, hundreds of pipes have mysteriously gone missing from the organ. It is now in a state of disrepair, with many features not functioning. Henry Willis
Henry Willis
Henry Willis was a British organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era.-Early Life and work:...
& Son have given a preliminary assessment of the organ to estimate the cost of refurbishment.
Specification Of The St. Peter's Organ
| Pedal | Great | Swell | Choir | Couplers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32' Harmonic Bass | 16' Double Diapson | 16' Lieblich Bourdon | 16' Contra Viola | Ch/Gt |
| 16' Open Diapason | 8' Open Dia. No.1 | 8' Small Open Dia. | 8' Open Diapason | Sw/Gt |
| 16' Violone | 8' Open Dia. No.2 | 8' Stop'd Diapson | 8' Viol D'Orchestre | Sw Sub-Octave/Gt |
| 16' Sub bass | 8' Open Dia. No.3 | 8' Echo Gamba | 8' Gedackt | Sw Octave/Gt |
| 16' Lieblich Bourdon | 8' Harmonic Flute | 8' Dulciana Celeste | 4' Viola | Sw/Ped |
| 8' Open Diapson | 8' Hohl Flute | 4' Principal | 4' Harmonc Flute | Gt/Ped |
| 8' Principal | 4' Principal | 4' Wald Flute | 2' Violin | Ch/Ped |
| 8' Cello | 4' Octave | 2' Fifteenth | 2' Harmonic Piccolo | Sw/Ch |
| 8' Bass Flute | 4' Concert Flute | Mixture III | 1' Larigot | |
| 4' Principal | 2' Twelfth | 8' Oboe | Mixture III | |
| 4' Flute | 2' Fifteenth | Tremulant | Mixture II | |
| 16' Bombarde | Mixture III | 8' Harmonic Trumpet | 8' Cromorne | |
| 8' Trompette | 16' Trompette | Octave | Tremulant | |
| 4' Clairon | 8' Trompette | Sub Octave | 16' Trompette | |
| 4' Trompette | 8' Trompette | |||
| 4' Trompette | ||||
| Choir Octave | ||||
| Choir Sub Octave |