DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN VISIT THE SAINT HERE IN DUBLIN
Throughout the centuries since Valentine received martyrdom there have been various basilicas, churches and monasteries built over the site of his grave. Therefore, over the years, many restorations and reconstructions took place at the site. In the early 1800’s, such work was taking place and the remains of Valentine were discovered along with a small vessel tinged with his blood and some other artefacts.
In 1835 an Irish Carmelite by the name of John Spratt was visiting Rome. Apparently his fame as a preacher had gone before him, no doubt brought by some Jesuits who had been in Dublin. The elite of Rome flocked to hear him and he received many tokens of esteem from the doyens of the Church. One such token came from Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) and were the remains of Saint Valentine.
On November 10, 1836, the Reliquary containing the remains arrived in Dublin and were brought in solemn procession to Whitefriar Street Church where they were received by Archbishop Murray of Dublin. With the death of Fr Spratt interest in the relics died away and they went into storage. During a major renovation in the church in the 1950s/60s they were returned to prominence with an altar and shrine being constructed to house them and enable them to be venerated. The statue was carved by Irene Broe and depicts the saint in the red vestments of a martyr and holding a crocus in his hand. Hand-painted replicas of this statue are available in our Church Shop.
Today, the Shrine is visited throughout the year by couples who come to pray to Valentine and to ask him to watch over them in their lives together. The feast-day of the saint, February 14, is a very popular one.
Throughout the centuries since Valentine received martyrdom there have been various basilicas, churches and monasteries built over the site of his grave
I was very far away from the people in the photograph and there was a degree of camera shake which result in some blur.
Actually the man is using a tennis racquet to propel tennis balls into the Irish Sea for the dog to chase and recover.
Seapoint is a small seafront area between Blackrock and Monkstown in Dublin in the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown area. It is best known for its beach and bathing areas, beside a Martello Tower on the Dublin Bay seashore. The beach currently has an International Blue flag award and a national Green flag award.
The Martello Tower is now the headquarters of the Genealogical Society of Ireland.
The route linking Dún Laoghaire harbour to the N11 National primary route has itself been designated a National primary route, the N31. Part of the route includes Seapoint Avenue, and the Seapoint area is located on the strip of land, which includes the railway line, between the road and the sea.