Chapel Royal (Dublin Castle)
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To its right is the last surviving example of Dublin Castle's mediæval towers.
The Chapel Royal (Irish: Séipéal Ríoga) in Dublin Castle was the official Anglican chapel of the Household of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from mediæval times until the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922. The creation of the new Irish state terminated the office of Lord Lieutenant and his British government regime in Ireland, which had been based in Dublin Castle.
Designed by Francis Johnston (1760-1829), the foremost architect working in Ireland in the early 19th century, and architect to the Board of Works, the chapel contains one of the finest Gothic revival interiors in Ireland. Replacing an earlier undistinguished 18th century church that suffered structural problems having been built close to the site of the original castle moat, the new Chapel Royal was built using a timber frame to make it as light as possible. Indeed so difficult was the nature of the site that the chapel took seven years to build: begun in 1807 and completed behind schedule in 1814. The budget also substantially overran. All the interior vaulting and columns are cast in timber and feature a paint wash to give the effect of stone. The exterior is clad in a thin layer of limestone, and famously features many carved heads.
As each Lord Lieutenant left office, their coat of arms was placed in a window of the chapel. It was noted by Irish nationalists that the last window available was taken up by the man who proved to be the last Lord Lieutenant, Viscount Fitzalan (who was himself a Roman Catholic.)
In 1943, the former Anglican church became a Roman Catholic Church, under the name the Church of the Most Holy Trinity. Though it has not been deconsecrated, neither Masses nor Divine Services take place there any more. It has however been recently restored to its nineteenth century state.
[edit] External links
- Chapel Royal (Dublin Castle) is at coordinates Coordinates:
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