St Luke's Church, Summerhill North

St Luke's Church is a red sandstone building completed in 1889 featuring Romanesque Revival design with an octagonal steeple and limestone buttresses at each corner. The structure has paired apses on both the north and south sides, along with a square-plan bell tower positioned at its southwestern corner.

A church first stood at this location, followed by a second structure that was destroyed by fire in February 1887. The present building was constructed as a replacement, completed and opened to the congregation in 1889.

The deconsecrated church now hosts live music performances, where audiences sit among the original wooden pews during concerts. This repurposing has preserved the sacred character of the space while creating an unusual setting for entertainment.

Enter through the front entrance of the building, keeping in mind that the interior has uneven floors and narrow spaces between the pews. Visit outside of scheduled events if you prefer quieter conditions, or arrive early for better seating during performances.

The building was reconstructed after a devastating fire with distinctive architectural choices, including the uncommon feature of paired apses on opposite sides. This dual-apse arrangement is relatively rare in churches of its era and region.

Location: Cork

GPS coordinates: 40.10305,-75.15183

Latest update: December 14, 2025 09:42