St Audeon's Church

Last Bank Holiday Monday was a beautiful sunny day and after a picnic lunch provided by the Glenisk Upfront and Personal Pop-up Shop on Dawson St we wandered almost aimlessly around the city enjoying some rare moments of sunshine!

St Audeon's Church

The Forty Steps leading up to St Audeon's Church

We found ourselves at the bottom of the Forty Steps at St Audeon's Church. Given that it was a Bank Holiday I wasn't holding out much hope that the church would be open but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was and even more pleasant was the fact that entrance is free!

The bell tower houses six bells. Three of these are the oldest bells in Ireland they
date back to 1423. They are still in use today.

St Audeon's is the only medieval parish church in Dublin which retains any of it's original features and is also still in use as a church. Building here began in 1181 when High Street would have been the principle street in medieval Dublin. The church is dedicated to St Audeon of Normandy a much revered saint of the Anglo-Normans who had recently arrived in Dublin.

The Lucky Stone is housed in the main porch.
It has been associated with the church since 1309 and is said to bring the church good luck.
More recently it has been suggested that the stone may have originated from an older church on the site which was dedicated to St Colmcille.

During medieval times this church would have been one of the most prosperous in the city and had many wealthy patrons. Unfortunately by the late seventeenth century the effects of the reformation began to take their toll and the dwindling congregation meant that maintaining such a large church was no longer viable. Parts of the roof of the eastern part of the church were removed. In the nineteenth century the roof of St Anne's Chapel also fell to the same fate. Eventually though the church was put into the care of the OPW and it is now maintained by them.

The eastern end of the church which had it's roof removed in 1773 due to a
declining congregation and the expensive cost of repairs.

The free tour given by a really knowledgeable OPW guide begins in the oldest part of the church. It's here that archaeologists uncovered a small cobbled lane that in medieval times led from the River Liffey, through St Audeon's Gate in the city walls, up to High Street. It is the oldest street in Dublin and part of it is on view in the Church.

Part of the oldest street in Dublin.

The tour also leads you through the main church which is still in use today. There is a very impressive eagle adorned lectern donated by St Catherine's parish when their church closed and the ornate baptismal font is also on display and called into use occasionally.

The lectern donated by the nearby St Catherine's Parish.

There are a huge number of wealthy medieval Dubliners buried both in the church and it's grounds. Some of their headstones have survived and are on display. While at the church be sure to visit the churchyard where you'll be able to see some of the last surviving pieces of Dublin's medieval city walls.

The elaborate seventeenth century wall monuments of the Sparke and Duff families.
Most likely the church walls were covered in monuments like this which have been lost.

St Audeon's is open every day from 9.30am to 5.30pm during April until October and it's free! It really is a fantastic way to learn a bit more about Dublin's medieval past. I personally get a real kick out of standing in a building that is over eight hundred years old and trying to contemplate all the people who have crossed the threshold in the intervening time. It's spine-tingling stuff!