Saint Matthews

Is this spire trying to touch the heavens? We are standing before Saint Matthew’s Church. Its towering presence has watched over Ringsend for centuries. Saint Matthew’s was founded in 1704. It served a bustling port community whose livelihoods depended on the ebb and flow of the River Liffey. Back then, reaching the nearest church in Donnybrook often proved impossible. High tides and marshy ground would turn the route into a treacherous bog. Archbishop William King appealed to the government, and they agreed to fund the construction. That’s why it was initially known as the Royal Chapel of St Matthew, a title it held until 1871. Now, look closer. Notice how far inland the church stands? What was once coastline has been transformed by centuries of land reclamation. You might say Saint Matthew’s witnessed Dublin expanding before its very eyes! The original design, a smaller rectangle without transepts, was based on plans by the renowned Sir Christopher Wren. The tower we admire today wasn’t part of the initial structure either. Dublin Corporation, recognizing its potential as a navigational aid, requested the tower’s addition in 1713. Sailors relied on its height and the small steeple, sadly lost to a storm in 1839, to guide them safely through the often-treacherous coastline. Saint Matthew’s Church, once a beacon for ships navigating the Irish Sea, now stands as a beacon for the community, its history intricately woven with the city it has faithfully served for over 300 years.