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St Barnabas' Church, Lower Sheriff Street
The parish of St Barnabas was established in 1866 and by 1869 the church was built. It was
designed in the Gothic style by Alfred Gresham Jones of Molesworth Street who designed
Tullow Church and Merrion Hall. The builders were Messrs Gahan & Sons of Whitechurch,
Rathfarnham. The church was one of three that was built by a bequest from a Miss Jane
Shannon of Belgrave Square, Rathmines. A lot of the Protestant men in the district worked
for the North Western Railway which was based on the North Wall Quay and the area was
also the temporary home to a large number of dockers, so it became known as the
Mariners Church.
'The ceremony of consecrating the new District Church of St Barnabas, in the parish of St
Thomas, was celebrated yesterday (24 Jan 1870) in the sacred edifice, Upper Sheriff street,
North Lotts, His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, in presence of a numerous congregation. The
Church is one of three, for the erection of which large sum of money was bequeathed by the
late Miss Jane Shannon, of Belgrave square, Rathmines, and placed in the hands of the
following trustees : —The Very Rev the Dean of Limerick, the Rev James Hewitt, Rev Dr Stanford,
Rev Dr Griffin, Edward Burroughs, Esq, QC, Charles Gaussen Esq, and Francis Lowe, Esq. The
first of the three churches provided for in the bequest was built some time since, and is that of
St Paul, at Glenageary, Kingstown. The position for the present building was chosen because of
the large increase which has taken place in the population of the locality during the past few
years. A space of about two acres was kindly granted for the erection of the church and the
school building in connection with it, by Charles Gaussen, Esq. The new church is in the
perpendicular Gothic style of architecture. The nave is eighty feet in length thirty-two feet six
inches in breadth, and the chancel 20 feet by 18. Advantage was taken of the fall in the ground,
to obtain a vestry-room, which is immediately beneath, and co-extensive with the chancel. The
tower is 135 feet high by 15 feet square, and the main entrance to the building is situated at its
base. The entire frontage is 63 feet 6 inches in extent, and the principal window, which is partly of
stained glass, is 23 feet high 14 broad. The building is constructed black cut stone, with granite
and Bath stone dressings. It calculated to accommodate upwards of 500 persons, and has cost the
sum of about £5,500.'
It was made famous in Sean O’Casey’s play 'Red Roses for me'. O'Casey was a parishioner and in
the play the church is called Saint Burnupus and the rector is called Rev Clinton, this is thought to
have been modelled on the Rev Griffin who was the rector there during the emergency. O’Casey
also wrote the Biography of Rev Griffin and the National Library has it in its O’Casey collection, a
file called 'The Rev E M Griffin, BD, MA, who kept the door of the Church wide open for all to enter
by refusing to be either Orangemen or Freemason.'
The parish closed in 1965 and the church was demolished in 1969. The bell from the church
donated by Rev Daunt is now in St Pauls Portarlington, County Laois. It is thought that twenty
seven of the parishioners were killed in WW1 but the memorial plaque shows just twelve. The
plaque and roll of honour were moved to North Strand Church.
Clergy
1870 - 1872 Rev William Daunt
1873 - 1899 Rev James Saul Fletcher
1899 - 1918 Rev Edward Morgan Griffin
1919 - 1929 Rev David Henry Hall (known as the building parson)
1929 - 1965 The Rev Canon John Purser Short
Irish genealogy have the following online@ www.irishgenealogy.ie
Baptisms 1866 - 1900
Marriages 1874 - 1900
The RCB Library list the following:-
Baptisms 1866 - 1932
Marriages 1874 - 1930
© June Bow & Karen Poff - November 2015
Return to Church of Ireland Churches page
The parish of St Barnabas was established in 1866 and by 1869 the church was built. It was
designed in the Gothic style by Alfred Gresham Jones of Molesworth Street who designed
Tullow Church and Merrion Hall. The builders were Messrs Gahan & Sons of Whitechurch,
Rathfarnham. The church was one of three that was built by a bequest from a Miss Jane
Shannon of Belgrave Square, Rathmines. A lot of the Protestant men in the district worked
for the North Western Railway which was based on the North Wall Quay and the area was
also the temporary home to a large number of dockers, so it became known as the
Mariners Church.
'The ceremony of consecrating the new District Church of St Barnabas, in the parish of St
Thomas, was celebrated yesterday (24 Jan 1870) in the sacred edifice, Upper Sheriff street,
North Lotts, His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, in presence of a numerous congregation. The
Church is one of three, for the erection of which large sum of money was bequeathed by the
late Miss Jane Shannon, of Belgrave square, Rathmines, and placed in the hands of the
following trustees : —The Very Rev the Dean of Limerick, the Rev James Hewitt, Rev Dr Stanford,
Rev Dr Griffin, Edward Burroughs, Esq, QC, Charles Gaussen Esq, and Francis Lowe, Esq. The
first of the three churches provided for in the bequest was built some time since, and is that of
St Paul, at Glenageary, Kingstown. The position for the present building was chosen because of
the large increase which has taken place in the population of the locality during the past few
years. A space of about two acres was kindly granted for the erection of the church and the
school building in connection with it, by Charles Gaussen, Esq. The new church is in the
perpendicular Gothic style of architecture. The nave is eighty feet in length thirty-two feet six
inches in breadth, and the chancel 20 feet by 18. Advantage was taken of the fall in the ground,
to obtain a vestry-room, which is immediately beneath, and co-extensive with the chancel. The
tower is 135 feet high by 15 feet square, and the main entrance to the building is situated at its
base. The entire frontage is 63 feet 6 inches in extent, and the principal window, which is partly of
stained glass, is 23 feet high 14 broad. The building is constructed black cut stone, with granite
and Bath stone dressings. It calculated to accommodate upwards of 500 persons, and has cost the
sum of about £5,500.'
It was made famous in Sean O’Casey’s play 'Red Roses for me'. O'Casey was a parishioner and in
the play the church is called Saint Burnupus and the rector is called Rev Clinton, this is thought to
have been modelled on the Rev Griffin who was the rector there during the emergency. O’Casey
also wrote the Biography of Rev Griffin and the National Library has it in its O’Casey collection, a
file called 'The Rev E M Griffin, BD, MA, who kept the door of the Church wide open for all to enter
by refusing to be either Orangemen or Freemason.'
The parish closed in 1965 and the church was demolished in 1969. The bell from the church
donated by Rev Daunt is now in St Pauls Portarlington, County Laois. It is thought that twenty
seven of the parishioners were killed in WW1 but the memorial plaque shows just twelve. The
plaque and roll of honour were moved to North Strand Church.
Clergy
1870 - 1872 Rev William Daunt
1873 - 1899 Rev James Saul Fletcher
1899 - 1918 Rev Edward Morgan Griffin
1919 - 1929 Rev David Henry Hall (known as the building parson)
1929 - 1965 The Rev Canon John Purser Short
Irish genealogy have the following online@ www.irishgenealogy.ie
Baptisms 1866 - 1900
Marriages 1874 - 1900
The RCB Library list the following:-
Baptisms 1866 - 1932
Marriages 1874 - 1930
© June Bow & Karen Poff - November 2015
Return to Church of Ireland Churches page