Here stands St Mary’s Star of the Sea a beacon of faith and history. This church has watched over Sandymount and Irishtown for generations. Its story is one of resilience and community. It is a story etched in Dublin granite.
St Mary’s Star of the Sea parish was established in 1876. This was to serve the growing population of Sandymount and Irishtown. But the story of the church building itself begins earlier.
Let us go back to a parish meeting in Irishtown in 1850. Parish Priest Andrew O’Connell declared it was time to replace the old chapel. It had served the people for three centuries. A committee was formed to plan and raise funds.
James J. MacCarthy a renowned architect designed the new church. He was a disciple of Augustin Pugin. MacCarthy favored the Gothic Revival style. He designed St Mary’s Star of the Sea in Dublin granite. The site was provided by the landlord Sydney Herbert. It offered a beautiful view of Dublin Bay. MacCarthy chose the “Middle Pointed Style” for the church. His plan included a nave with two side aisles. The main entrance faced the road to the west. The side porches were added later in 1883.
In 1851 Archbishop Daniel Murray laid the first stone. A cross was carved into each surface. A cavity held Victorian coins and a copy of the Freeman’s Journal. But fate had other plans.
Christmas Day 1852 brought disaster. Violent storms toppled the front and rear gable walls. The church was still incomplete. This was a major setback. Yet the community persevered.
Archbishop Cullen dedicated St Mary’s Star of the Sea on August 15 1853. However, it took several years to fully complete. The north transept served as the sacristy. Later a new one was built on the east end. The south transept is a more recent addition.
Notice the pointed nave arcade. It has plain moulding on granite pillars. The roof features exposed timbers on granite corbels. The aisles are almost as high as the nave. This allows for tall windows. The outer walls are granite. The interiors are smooth plaster. The east window is especially striking. It shows the Four Evangelists in stained glass.
In 1859 Mrs Eliza Morris gifted the family memorial window. It sits above the altar of the Virgin Mary.
In 1880 Thomas Leahy the first parish priest died. Parishioners erected a pulpit and altar rails in his memory. The current ambo includes marble from the original pulpit. It also encases a tablet honoring him. John O’Hanlon became parish priest. He was a history scholar. He continued writing his “Lives of the Irish Saints”. Stained glass windows honoring Irish saints reflect his passion.
The parish celebrated the centenary of St Mary’s Star of the Sea opening in 1953.
Dr Richard McNevin became parish priest in 1963. He founded Our Lady’s Choral Society. He added galleries and sacristy rooms.
In 1995 “The Return from Egypt” was restored. It was a seventeenth-century painting. Stella Harte restored it. It was placed next to the 13th Station of the Cross.
Refurbishment plans in 2000 aimed to restore the roof. They also planned painting, repairs, and a new heating system. The sacristy was replaced in the north transept. The existing sacristy area was redesigned. A small extension provided a parish office.
Today St Mary’s Star of the Sea continues to serve its community. It offers daily and weekend Mass. It is a place of prayer community and history. The church stands as a testament to faith. It is a testament to the enduring spirit of Sandymount and Irishtown.