St Catherine's Church, Dublin, Catholic church on Meath Street, Dublin, Ireland
St Catherine's Church on Meath Street is a Roman Catholic church built from 1852 to 1858 to designs by James Joseph McCarthy, replacing an earlier octagonal chapel of 1782. Its tower and spire were never finished to the original design. A small grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes stands in the grounds.
The first church on this Meath Street site was an octagonal chapel opened in 1782, which was later demolished along with a presbytery. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 30 June 1852 to designs by James Joseph McCarthy, and the main building was completed in March 1858. It was dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria on 30 June 1858, though the upper tower and spire of McCarthy's design were never finished.
The church is named for Catherine of Alexandria, and James Joyce's first short story, The Sisters, concerns a former priest of St Catherine's on Meath Street. A small grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes stands on the grounds; it was renovated and rededicated in 2000.
The church stands on Meath Street in the Liberties, a short walk from Thomas Street and close to bus routes serving the city centre. The main entrance is on Meath Street; the Lourdes grotto is on the grounds beside the church. It remains an active parish church, so visits are best made outside Mass times.
James Joyce's first short story, "The Sisters", centres on a former priest of this Meath Street church. The building also holds a small grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes, renovated and rededicated in 2000, and the church was damaged in an arson attack in January 2012.
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