Rich in Faith, Beauty and History: St Mary’s Church, Haddington Road, Dublin
by Patrick Claffey (From the Parish Office, €5.00)
Felix M. Larkin
One of the ways we find God – or, more accurately perhaps, how He finds us – is through the art and architecture of places like St Mary’s, in Haddington Road, a lovely church whose art is celebrated in this little publication. Founded in 1839, the church has been extended and renovated extensively on various occasions since then. Peter Costello records in his book on Dublin churches that the first church here “was simple in style, even to having an unpaved earth floor”. Things have improved in the intervening years.
The title of this booklet – Rich in Faith, Beauty and History – captures the essence of St Mary’s. It certainly does justice to this wonderful church, so beloved of so many of us.
The short text is largely about the beauty of its artefacts and, in particular, its stained glass. which is “central to the interior of the church…and is one of the highlights of the building. It could be described as the Gospel in glass”.
The church has an outstanding selection of work from the great phase of Irish stained glass production [pictured] in the first half of the 20th Century, with works by A.E. Child, Beatrice Glenavy and Earley’s Stained Glass Studio. My own favourite window – that of ‘Christ the King’ in the east transept – is by Earley, as is the ‘Rose Window’ at the back of the church.
A beautiful panel from the ‘Rose Window’ features on the cover of the booklet – a serene image of Our Lady, patron of the church. Our Lady’s Chapel in the west transept is also a magnificent shrine to the patron of the church, with an exquisite image of the ‘Madonna and Child’ on the side wall which is difficult to see properly from outside the sanctuary – but it is well worth making an effort to see it.
The first strand in the title of this booklet – Faith – is, of course, what inspires and defines the other two strands: the beauty and the history. One can only wonder at the power of that Faith and marvel at the physical evidence of it that this building and its art represent.