| St Peter's Church, Phibsborough | |
| Location: | Phibsborough, Dublin |
| Country: | Ireland |
| Denomination: | Roman Catholic |
| Website: | www.stpetersphibsboro.ie |
| Founded Date: | c. 1826 |
| Dedication: | St. Peter |
| Architect: | Mr. G. C. Ashlin, F.R.I.B.A. |
| Style: | Gothic revival |
| Completed Date: | Changed and augmented over time. Current church (with tower) stands since 1907. |
| Length: | 200feet |
| Spire Height: | 200feet |
| Materials: | Limestone |
| Parish: | Cabra/ Cabra West/ Phibsborough |
| Diocese: | Archdiocese of Dublin[1] |
| Archbishop: | Archbishop Diarmuid Martin |
| Priest: | Fr Paschal Scallon, CM Fr Eamon Devlin, CM |
St Peter's Church is a large Roman Catholic church located in Phibsborough, in the north of Dublin.
In the early 19th century, Phibsborough was a crime-ridden suburb home to many families living in poverty. Ultimately, the concern for the children of Phibsborough resulted in the founding of a Catholic school in 1826. Two of the priests running this school, Rev. W. Young and Rev. W. Carroll, converted the top floor of the school into a chapel.
In 1838 the Vincentian order, under Dean Philip Dowley, took over the running of the church.[2]
In 1843, new school buildings were built to house the growing number of students. The second floor of the old structure was removed and the chapels length was augmented, leaving it 123feet long and 35feet high. In 1907, work on the spire apparently commenced after Cardinal Moran of Australia commented on the lack of Catholic church spires in the Dublin skyline.
St Peter's Church is recognised as an important landmark in North Dublin. In 1984 Bernard Neary wrote:
St. Peter's is noted for its beautiful stained glass windows, particularly the west window and Harry Clarke's early masterpiece entitled The Adoration of the Sacred Heart. The window depicts, among scenes of the life of Jesus Christ, the adoration of the Sacred Heart with Ss. Mary Magdalene and John the Evangelist.
St. Peters is richly decorated with Gothic embellishments, such as gargoyles, pinnacles, bosses and columns made from Newry granite.
The pipe organ, dating from 1910, is originally a Magahy instrument.[3] The instrument was majorly rebuilt and refurbished between 1947 and 1949 by the Conacher organ company. At this time it was a very highly-regarded instrument. In 1952, Jeanne Demessieux gave a recital here.
| Pedal | Great | Swell | Choir | Couplers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32' Harmonic Bass | 16' Double Diapson | 16' Lieblich Bourdon | 16' Contra Viola | Ch/Gt | |
| 16' Open Diapason | 8' Open Dia. No.1 | 8' Small Open Dia. | 8' Open Diapason | Sw/Gt | |
| 16' Violone | 8' Open Dia. No.2 | 8' Stop'd Diapson | 8' Viol D'Orchestre | Sw Sub-Octave/Gt | |
| 16' Sub bass | 8' Open Dia. No.3 | 8' Echo Gamba | 8' Gedackt | Sw Octave/Gt | |
| 16' Lieblich Bourdon | 8' Harmonic Flute | 8' Dulciana Celeste | 4' Viola | Sw/Ped | |
| 8' Open Diapson | 8' Hohl Flute | 4' Principal | 4' Harmonic Flute | Gt/Ped | |
| 8' Principal | 4' Principal | 4' Wald Flute | 2' Violin | Ch/Ped | |
| 8' Cello | 4' Octave | 2' Fifteenth | 2' Harmonic Piccolo | Sw/Ch | |
| 8' Bass Flute | 4' Concert Flute | Mixture III | 1' Larigot | ||
| 4' Principal | 2' Twelfth | 8' Oboe | Mixture III | ||
| 4' Flute | 2' Fifteenth | Tremulant | Mixture II | ||
| 16' Bombarde | Mixture III | 8' Harmonic Trumpet | 8' Cromorne | ||
| 8' Trompette | 16' Trompette | Octave | Tremulant | ||
| 4' Clairon | 8' Trompette | Sub Octave | 16' Trompette | ||
| 4' Trompette | 8' Trompette | ||||
| 4' Trompette | |||||
| Choir Octave | |||||
| Choir Sub Octave |