St Thomas', Marlborough Street
St Thomas’s Church on Marlborough Street was built between 1758 and 1768 to a design by John Smith
who also designed St Catherine’s. The parish was separated from St Mary's in 1749 by an Act of the
Irish Parliament as St Mary's was too large and the new parish of St Thomas's came into effect in March
1749. It was a Palladian style church with the wings forming the churchyard wall. The church was quite
large measuring 130 x 65 feet and was described by Malton as ' an exact copy of from a design by Palladio
with some omissions...' The Gardiner family who donated the site to the parish, and the Earl of
Blessington's family were buried in the vaults.
Incumbents
Rev John Jebb, 1749 non resident
Rev Tomas Murray 1751 - 1754
Rev Samuel Whaley 1755 - 1766
Rev Lewis Burroughs 1767 - 1768
Rev Thomas Paul 1769 - 1798
Rev Edward George Burland 1920
Rev David Henry Hall 1922
Rev John Pursar Shortt
In July 1922 the church was destroyed during what has become know as the Battle of Dublin at the
beginning of the Civil War. The church was badly damaged during the fighting but it was the fire on the
6 Jul 1922 that left the Church gutted. Church services continued at the St Thomas' Parochial Hall and the
remains of those interred in the vaults and the churchyard were re-interred. These went mainly to Mount
Jerome, although some families made their own arrangements. The destruction of the church offered
the city planners an opportunity to adjust some streets, Findlater's Place was created, Gloucester Street
(Sean MacDermott Street) was extended and the new St Thomas' was built on a island created by the
new street now known as Cathal Brugha Street. The new church was designed by Frederick Hicks,
architect (1870-1965), later president of the RIAI. The foundation stone was laid on the 28 Jun 1930 and
the church was consecrated on 21 Dec 1931.
The church was built from brick (both inside and out) and was roofed with Italian tiles and a small campanile.
A few monuments were retained from the old church.
St Thomas's ceased to be the Church of Ireland parish church in 2017.
© Karen Poff 2015
St Thomas’s Church on Marlborough Street was built between 1758 and 1768 to a design by John Smith
who also designed St Catherine’s. The parish was separated from St Mary's in 1749 by an Act of the
Irish Parliament as St Mary's was too large and the new parish of St Thomas's came into effect in March
1749. It was a Palladian style church with the wings forming the churchyard wall. The church was quite
large measuring 130 x 65 feet and was described by Malton as ' an exact copy of from a design by Palladio
with some omissions...' The Gardiner family who donated the site to the parish, and the Earl of
Blessington's family were buried in the vaults.
Incumbents
Rev John Jebb, 1749 non resident
Rev Tomas Murray 1751 - 1754
Rev Samuel Whaley 1755 - 1766
Rev Lewis Burroughs 1767 - 1768
Rev Thomas Paul 1769 - 1798
Rev Edward George Burland 1920
Rev David Henry Hall 1922
Rev John Pursar Shortt
In July 1922 the church was destroyed during what has become know as the Battle of Dublin at the
beginning of the Civil War. The church was badly damaged during the fighting but it was the fire on the
6 Jul 1922 that left the Church gutted. Church services continued at the St Thomas' Parochial Hall and the
remains of those interred in the vaults and the churchyard were re-interred. These went mainly to Mount
Jerome, although some families made their own arrangements. The destruction of the church offered
the city planners an opportunity to adjust some streets, Findlater's Place was created, Gloucester Street
(Sean MacDermott Street) was extended and the new St Thomas' was built on a island created by the
new street now known as Cathal Brugha Street. The new church was designed by Frederick Hicks,
architect (1870-1965), later president of the RIAI. The foundation stone was laid on the 28 Jun 1930 and
the church was consecrated on 21 Dec 1931.
The church was built from brick (both inside and out) and was roofed with Italian tiles and a small campanile.
A few monuments were retained from the old church.
St Thomas's ceased to be the Church of Ireland parish church in 2017.
© Karen Poff 2015