Conveyance by John Vesey, 2nd Viscount de Vesci to his son Thomas Vesey of Abbeyleix, MP for Queens’ County (later 3rd Viscount de Vesci), of a moiety of the aforementioned plot of ground on the west side of Church Street whereupon a Roman Catholic Church is built, held by Fr. Bonaventure Delaney OSFC as specified in the above noted lease of 4 Aug. 1826. (See CA CS/2/2/1/2). In consideration of 10s. With a printed form certifying that the aforementioned Thomas Vesey was registered as a voter in the city of Dublin by right of freehold for the yearly value on properties situated at Church Street. 20 Nov. 1838.
Conveyance by George Lynch, Ulverton House, Dalkey, County Dublin, to Fr. Fiacre Brophy OSFC and Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC, Church Street, Dublin, of an old dwelling house and yard situated on the north side of Carter’s Lane in consideration of £144.
Conveyance by Edward Cannon, shopkeeper, and Bridget Cannon, North King Street, to Fr. Nicholas Murphy OSFC and other Capuchin friars, Church Street, of a yard containing two wooden sheds with an entrance from Bow Street through a plot of ground held by J. Cunningham, in consideration of £125. With a draft prepared by James Plunkett & Son, 23 Upper Sackville Street, Dublin. The conveyance includes a coloured map of the premises referred to in the deed.
A Capuchin chapel has stood on Church Street from at least 1720. The present-day Church of St. Mary of the Angels was designed James Joseph McCarthy (1817-1882) in a decorated Gothic style. McCarthy was also responsible for St. Saviour’s Dominican Church on Dominick Street in Dublin (also constructed in the fourteenth-century Gothic style), Mount Argus Church in Dublin, Maynooth College Chapel, and parish churches in Celbridge and Kilcock in County Kildare. The foundation stone for St. Mary of the Angels was laid by the Most Rev. Paul Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin, on 12 June 1868. The sermon for the occasion was preached by the celebrated Dominican preacher, Fr. T.A. Burke OP (1830-1883). The building was constructed under the supervision of the architect and was completed in 1881. The builders were Hammond of Drogheda. Fr. Daniel Patrick O’Reilly OSFC (1831-1894) was responsible for the raising of funds for the church’s construction and adornment. Two side-altars, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to St. Francis, were installed in 1876. They were the work of Farrell and Sons of North Gloucester Street Lower (now Seán McDermott Street). Their most famous works in Dublin are the monuments to Archbishop John Troy and Cardinal Cullen in the Pro-Cathedral on Marlborough Street, and the statues of Sir John Grey and William Smith O’Brien on O’Connell Street. This section includes records relating to the construction and maintenance of the Sacred Heart Chapel which was built as an aisle church in 1908-9. This chapel was later enclosed and converted into a large sacristy.
The section includes documents relating to the construction and financing of the new Capuchin Friary building situated adjacent to St. Mary of the Angels on Church Street. Work on the new Friary commenced in November 1999 and was completed in October 2000.
Constitution of the Catholic Boys’ Brigade authorised under the patronage of the Most Rev. William J. Walsh, Archbishop of Dublin. One copy is endorsed on the front cover ‘Founded by Fr. Benvenutus Guy OFM Cap.’. The file contains eight copies of the document.
Condition Report and Survey Drawings by William A. Maguire & Associates, architects, 34 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2. The report was prepared in preparation for major renovation work on St. Mary of the Angels which got underway in the mid-1970s. The introduction to the report affirmed that the ‘ultimate objective of the exercise is the adaptation of St. Mary of the Angels to conform with current Liturgical principle and to achieve this … a comprehensive survey of the existing building has now been carried out and accurate scale plans prepared’. The architect’s report also noted that the original plans of the Church were no longer available. The report is divided into seven sections: I. Introduction: History and Development II. Walls and Plastering III. Floors IV. Roofs V. Gutters and Downpipes VI. Water tanks, Heating, Hot Water Services, Electrical VII. Re-Planning and Summary The summary concluded that the Friary and adjoining Church were ‘generally in good structural condition’ but that a considerable amount of money would need to be expended to bring the buildings up to modern standards and requirements. ‘The high cost of repair and improvement’, the report concluded, emanated, ‘from the uneconomic planning of the Friary and the height of the Church’.
