“Once, this was hallowed ground.” That is what they say about St. Paul’s Ward in 1840. Today, we stand where history whispers. St. Paul’s Ward was once a vibrant part of Dublin. It existed between 1840 and 1849. It was defined by the boundaries set in 3+4 Vic. 108.
Now, let me tell you about the story of St. Paul’s Church. The first church on this site opened in 1702. A new building replaced it in 1824. William Farrell designed it in the Gothic style. This parish was once part of St. Michan’s. St. Mary’s and St. Paul’s were created from St. Michan’s. Land on North King Street was set aside for St. Paul’s in 1697. The older St. Paul’s Church held its final service on Easter Sunday in 1821. In 1830, part of the parish went to All Saints Church in Grangegorman.
Albert E. Murray added a chancel and porches in 1880. This reversed the church’s orientation. The church closed its doors for good in 1987. It was deconsecrated. Worship moved back to St. Michan’s.
Several rectors served at St. Paul’s. These include Rev. Dr. Charles Carr and Rev. Dr. Oliver Brady. Also Rev. Dr. Boyle Travers and Rev. Dr. Dixie Blundell. Rev. Thomas Radcliffe and Rev. W. J. Le Fanu were also rectors.
The older church was said to be Robert Emmet’s burial place. George Berkeley was consecrated as Bishop of Cloyne here in 1734. Viscount Charlemont was an original churchwarden.
The cemetery near St. Paul’s was important. It was the main burial site for the Dublin garrison. A monument honored Lt. Col. Lyde Browne. United Irishmen shot him dead in 1803. A tablet remembered three privates killed in the 1803 insurrection. The Ormsby family mausoleum was also here. The graveyard closed in the 1860s.
Today, most of the graveyard is under tarmac. An unused fenced area to the south is under gravel. Another section houses a community center in a former school building. Church of Ireland records from 1702 to 1892 are at the Representative Church Body. Burial records are at the Genealogical Office. Minute books record church proceedings back to 1698.
Let us remember those who walked these streets. St. Paul’s Ward 1840 may be gone. But its stories remain etched in Dublin’s heart.