| Abbey Presbyterian Church | |
| Location: | Parnell Square, Dublin |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Denomination: | Presbyterian |
| Founded Date: | 1864 |
| Founder: | Alexander Findlater |
| Architect: | Andrew Heiton William Leiper |
| Style: | Gothic |
| Height: | 180feet (Spire) |
Abbey Presbyterian Church is a church located at Parnell Square, Dublin. Designed by architect Andrew Heiton of Perth, Scotland, it is a decorated Gothic building, with a spire 180feet high. The church was erected in 1864 with funding from Alexander Findlater (1797–1873),[1] a Dublin merchant and philanthropist, and is known colloquially as "Findlater's church",[2] [3] and it is referred to in two of James Joyce's novels as Findlater's Church.
The Church was built on the north eastern corner of Rutland (now Parnell) Square and North Frederick Street. It was built on the site of Headford House, which was owned by the Earl of Bective (also the Marquess of Headfort), and named after his family's County Meath estate.
One of the first preachers was John Hall (1829–1898).[4]
The congregation had previously, from 1667 until 1864, worshipped on Capel Street, on the site of the old St. Mary's Abbey. It was founded by a preacher from Bull Alley, the Rev. William Jacque, who left along with some of its congregation to form the new church. The Capel Street Congregation was sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Scots Church, and confused with the Scots Presbyterian Church, Lower Abbey Street. In 1778 during Rev. McDowell's ministry, the congregation renamed itself Mary's Abbey Congregation (whence the Abbey Presbyterian Church gets its name).
In 1911 Abbey Church, along with other Presbyterian churches, The Scots Church, Ormond Quay and Union Chapel, founded Lindsay Road National School.[5]
In 1918 the Union Chapel, on Lower Abbey Street, whose chapel had been damaged during the 1916 Rising, joined the Abbey Presbyterian Church.