The Church of the Sacred Heart, Arbour Hill, Dublin 7 was given the title “Church of the Defence Forces” in 1997, with the closure of Collins Barracks, which is located directly across the road from the Church.
Historically the location is of major significance, since in the grounds of Arbour Hill Church are buried the remains of the leaders who died in the Easter Rising of 1916.
The Church of the Sacred Heart forms part of a tripartite façade – known as Arbour Hill Prison. The church is linked to the main entrance of the prison by screen walls, which extend to the Governor’s House on the far side. This complex of buildings was designed by Jacob Owen in 1835 and later rebuilt by Joshua Webb in 1845. Work on the buildings was completed in 1848.
The church has an elaborate cruciform interior and a stained glass window by the Harry Clarke Studios behind the altar. It has an unusual entrance porch with stairs leading to twin galleries for visitors at the nave and transept. This feature is copied from the National Scotch Church, Bow St, London designed by Robert Wallace.
Another interesting architectural feature is the Celtic round tower which erupts from a rectangular base.
Stoneybatter, historically known as Bohernaglogh, is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, on the Northside of the city between the River Liffey, the North Circular Road, Smithfield Market, and Grangegorman. It is in the Dublin 7 postal district.
It is often referred to as Dublin’s “hipster quarter” and was in TimeOut magazine’s list of ’40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world’ in 2019.
James Collins’ 1913 book Life in Old Dublin notes that “Centuries ago (Stoneybatter) was called Bothar-na-gCloch”. In Joyce’s Irish names of places we find the following interesting information as to the original name of the place: “Long before the city had extended so far, and while Stoneybatter was nothing more than a country road, it was — as it still continues to be — the great thoroughfare to Dublin from the districts lying west and north-west of the city; and it was known by the name of Bothar-na-gCloch (Bohernaglogh), i.e. the road of the stones, which was changed to the English equivalent, Stoneybatter or stony road”.
Stoneybatter is the main location for events in the Tana French novel “The Trespasser” and the area is mentioned in the Irish folk song “The Spanish Lady”.
You must be logged in to post a comment.