“Picture this. It’s 1864. Viscount Palmerston grants a site on Temple Road for a new church.” This is the story of Saint Philip’s Church of Ireland in Milltown. It was designed to serve a growing Dublin suburb.
Saint Philip’s Church was commissioned in 1864. But construction took several years. The architect was Sir Thomas Drew. He lived from 1838 to 1910.
The Irish Builder mentioned Saint Philip’s on December 1, 1864. The article stated the church would hold 200 people.
Entrance to Saint Philip’s is through an open porch. It sits beneath an intended belfry. The belfry was never completed. It was cut short just above the roof of the covered cloister.
In the 1870s, a plan emerged. It proposed adding a south aisle and transept. The plan also included completing the spire. Only the aisle was built. The tower remains unfinished to this day.
Today, Saint Philip’s is part of the Grouped Parishes of Sandford. The church shares its ministry with St Philip’s Milltown. You can find St Philip’s Hall on Temple Road. It provides a space for social and educational activities.
So, next time you pass Saint Philip’s, remember its story. Think of the architect’s vision. Imagine the belfry that never was. Saint Philip’s stands as a testament to Dublin’s evolving story.