Immaculate Heart of Mary
Up to 1666, City Quay did not exist. It was under the water of the River Liffey. One of the city Alderman by the name of Hawkins commenced work on walling in the river and created new areas such as D’Olier Street, Hawkins Street and Tara Street. In 1713, Sir John Rogerson was granted a lease of the strand between Lazar’s Hill (Townsend Street) and Ringsend and he continued this work. The wall was extended along the river and in 1715, City Quay was established.
By the early 19th century, most of Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and City Quay had been built upon. Port traffic had developed significantly and housing was needed for the families and seafarers who worked there. The only place of worship was an old chapel existed in Lazar’s Hill. St. Andrew’s Church in Westland Row was built in 1834 and the old chapel was no longer considered suitable or adequate for the growing waterside population. By 1855 St. Andrew’s was not large enough to cater for the ever growing population. The locals wanted a new church on the quayside but funds were not available.
Things changed with the appointment of Rev. (Joseph) Christopher McCann in 1861. He began the task of building the now much needed new church on the quayside. He had personal means of £5000 which he spent on the project. The foundation stone was laid on 25 September 1861 by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Paul Cullen, to the honour of God and under the invocation of the ever Immaculate Mary. The gothic-style church was completed in a short time and was blessed by Archbishop Cullen on 20 September 1863. The architect was John Bourke.
The altar rails, marble steps and mosaic tiling cost £250, stained glass £250 and Altar of Perpetual Succour £110. The pulpit cost £120 and was designed by architect G. O’Connor and made by a local contractor, Mr. O’Neill. The organ was erected by Mr. Scriber, Westmoreland Street. In 1867 the church was formally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. At that time, it was the second church in the world to be so dedicated. Joseph Christopher McCann was born in 11 July 1807 and baptised in St. Michan’s Church, Halston Street. He was ordained in 1825. His first appointment was to St. Michan’s, Halston Street as a Curate immediately following his ordination. He remained there until he moved to City Quay. Rev. McCann died 27 August 1867 at Summerhill, Dublin city, age 60 years.
Rev. McCann was a man of means, but nothing is known about his family or their occupations. There is surviving evidence to show he had a number of properties. In 1854 for example, there is a record that he bought property in Commons Street. (Estate Records especially for counties Dublin and Clare and Dublin City, including Vandeleur Estate, Kilrush, Co. Clare 1749-1950, catalogue 99/13, National Archives of Ireland.)
Following the death of Rev. McCann, the church was committed to the Administration of St. Andrew’s, as portion of the mensal parish of the Archbishop. A sub-administrator was appointed and he was assisted by the chaplains of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Baggot Street Convent and Lower Mount Street Convent.
On 17 October 1881, the new altar was consecrated to the memory of the late eminent sculptor, Patrick J. O’Neill by Archbishop (later Cardinal) Edward McCabe. His Grace was received at the Church by the Very Rev. Nicholas Donnelly, who later became the first Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin. The new altar of Caen stone is 20 feet (6.096 m) high and 14 feet (4.267 m) in length. Beneath the altar table is a life-size figure of the dead Christ. In the reredos are two large groups, covered by double gables, of St. Patrick preaching and St. Bridget in her cell of oak. On the other side of these groups are canopied niches, each 15 feet (4.572 m) in height, containing statues of St. Columbkille and St. Laurence O’Toole, the three patron saints of Ireland and the patron of the Archdiocese of Dublin.
The bell tower was added between 1888 – 1890 at a cost of £900. The architect was John Loftus Robinson, the building contractor being Thomas Hammond. The space in front of the church was cleared and the elegant piers, entrance gate and railings were erected about 1895 at a cost of £250. In 1908, Archbishop William Walsh made City Quay a distinct mensal parish of the Archbishop. It was no longer under the jurisdiction of St. Andrew’s. The last addition was the presbytery which was built in 1915.
Many renovations have taken place over the years. In 1954 there were discussions about the re-painting of the church. The choice of colour gave a “sense of somber melancholy” according to the Archbishop and he pondered what this would achieve in a dock-side church, surrounded by buildings. The Parish Priest explained that the church suffered from damp and a high concentration of coal-dust in the atmosphere so their choice of colours was limited. Coal would have been wheeled from the coal boats berthed adjacent to the church.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8 December, was a very significant day in the life of the parish. The parishioners actively celebrated the Feast day, with a procession moving along the quays, watched by crowds of spectators. The whole area would be festooned with flags and bunting. A Statue of Our Lady would be specially decorated for the event and many would come to kneel and pray before
and after the Holy Day liturgies.
During the 1970s the inner city, including City Quay, was in need of revitalization. In the early part of the 20th century the parish population had been 10,000 but by the ‘70s it was reduced to approximately 2000 people. The local parish community was very active in calling for reform. On 20 December 1980, Archbishop Dermot Ryan blessed the new houses which were finally built in the parish, the first of many.