This section includes news articles on cathedrals and churches that are situated along the Poddle. These include St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, Mount Argus, St. Thomas Abbey and St. Michael de Le Pole’s.

Great fire in Dublin
22 Jun 1875Further Particulars As might he expected, the scene of the conflagration was visited by many thousands of the citizens on Saturday and Sunday. From the report of tho police, it…
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Three persons killed
15 Sep 1882THEEE PERSONS KILLED Yesterday, shortly after noon, without a moments’ warning, one ‘ of the huge buttresses of the north chancel of St. Patrick’s”Cathedral fell to tho ground with a…
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Liberty of St. Patrick’s – as it was and as it is.
30 Jan 1901YE OLDE CITIE LIBERTY OF ST. PATRICK’S – AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS. A most excellent suggestion was made weeks ago by a correspondent in tie columns of…
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Interesting discovery at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
27 Jun 1901HISTORIC SITE UNEARTHED BY MR. HARTY. In a litter to the Dean of St. Patrick’s, Sir Thomas Drew draws attention to a very interesting discovery just made at St. Patrick’s…
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The recent discovery at St Patrick’s – an old drawing
27 Jul 1901ANCIENT DUBLIN THE RECENT DISCOVERY AT ST. PATRICK’S – AN OLD DRAWING In the inclosure of the Church of Saint Patrick, not far from the Tower we have seen that…
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A Glance Backward – Ye Old Citie
31 Aug 1901The Poddle River – It’s Historic Association The following description of the Poddle is taken from an old History of Dublin:—”The great water course which cleanses the Liberties and the…
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Poddle treasures found
13 Jan 1906ARCHAEOLOGISTS excavating the bed of the River Poddle alone the route of the new Dublin Corporation main drainage scheme near the city’s Christchurch Cathedral have uncovered finds of “extreme archaeological…
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Serious fire outbreak in Dublin
17 Sep 1906Our Dublin correspondent says —A big blaze occurred in the small hours of the 15th inst. in Messrs. Barnatt’s food stores, Fumbally’s Lane, in the Liberties, west of St. Patrick’s…
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Dublin Civic Maps in the National Gallery
12 Oct 1907[In relation to John Speeds Map 1610] One feature, however, is missed in the latter. The Poddle in the days of Queen Bess and Pragmatical King James did not sneak…
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Norse Dublin
5 Jan 1918More about Our Ancient City Churches By W.A Henderson Outside the Dublin walls were circumvallated with groups and lines of churches and monasteries. Many of these diminutive buildings were little…
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Seen and Heard – Notes on notions for Men and Matters
20 Jun 1923An adequate supply of clear water is one of the first essentials looked for by colonists, and the early visitors to what is now the city of Dublin found that…
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A Quaint System
12 Aug 1923A QUAINT SYSTEM ACCUSTOMED as we are to a plentiful supply of water at high pressure, and, in cases of fire, to the services of. a, skilled brigade, it is…
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A Dublin Street in the Olden Days
10 Jun 1924Famous and Fashionable In the account of the landing of human remains under the walls of 7-8 Upper Stephen’s Street, it was stated correctly that, this was in former times…
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Relief of Dublin Distress
23 Dec 1924Further details of the comprehensive scheme of works prepared by the Dublin Borough Commissioners for the relief of unemployment, for which the Government has allocated £45,000 to be expended in wages before March 31,…
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The Rathmines of the past
9 Mar 1928On the coming of Christianity churches sprang up along the River Poddle and were dedicated to Irish saints, distinguishing them from later Danish foundations.
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Around and about St. Patrick’s Cathedral
14 Apr 1929In his splendid story of O’ Connell and Catholic Emancipation Mr. Michael Donagh quotes the Liberator as stating:—”It was the Union which stirred me to come forward in politics, I…
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Dublin Floods of Former Days
13 Sep 1931The recent disastrous floods recall the many severe inundations that affected Dublin and its suburbs in years gone by. For centuries past residents in the city and Liberties have suffered…
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Cameos of Old Dublin
20 Oct 1932The erection of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the thirteenth century on the site of-the ancient Celtic Church o£ ” St. Patrick in Insula ” can be explained only by the…
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A Forgotten Dublin Parish
9 Apr 1934A FORGOTTEN DUBLIN PARISH. To the Editor ” Irish Independent,” Sir—Information is sought on the records of the forgotten little parish of St. Mary, whose church of St. Mary La…
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Great heritage work of catholic lay teachers
20 Jul 1935At the annual Congress of the Catholic Truth 8ociety in Kilkenny, Very Rev. T. Corcoran, S.J., D. Litt., University College, Dublin, read the following paper:— The outstanding sources of guidance…
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Make Liffey Beautiful
18 Feb 1938As the volume of water for the Liffey scheme at Poulaphouca was controlled, why not use it to make the Liffey always an ornament, said Mr. Stephen Gwynn, the well-known…
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Saint Patrick’s – Dublin’s Ancient Cathedral
18 Feb 1939The offer of a last resting place for the late Mr. W. B. Yeats in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, has drawn public attention to that ancient edifice, and, this being-…
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Crucifix for Council Chamber
12 Feb 1952A LARGE Crucifix, four foot long and two and wide, now hangs on the Dublin Corporation four feet Street a half feet wall of the Assembly Chamber over the Mayoral…
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Water Underneath
30 Apr 1953While the Church of Ireland General Synod was continuing its meetings at the Synod House at Christchurch Place to-day, water was seeping slowly into the basement of this fine building.…
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Dean Swift – His Association with St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin
18 Sep 1954One of the earliest references to be found to the Irish-settlement of Dubh Linn (Black’ Pool)’ is in the eleventh century life of St. Kevin of Glendalough who flourished in…
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Mount Argus
16 Oct 1956THE original Mount Argus was a tall, red-brick building on a few acres of land through which the River Poddle lazed, owned by a Mrs. Elizabeth Byrne, a widow, and a cousin…
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Fill Her Up Please-With Water
2 May 1958The ratepayers of Dublin are in business, says the “HERALD”. Man with the Inquiring Mind-exporting water of all commodities! Fill Her Up Please-With Water I had the telephone directory in…
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This building survives in paintings
22 Apr 1960Church and the pool of Round tower of Dublin By Dr. George A. Little At Eastertide the Liturgy of the Festival focuses attention on the Church. The season’s special quality…
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The face of Dublin
10 Jan 1963THE worst castle in the worst situation in Christendom A was how one of the Duke of Ormonde’s relatives described Dublin Castle in the 17th century. In the middle ages…
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Parish of St. Nicholas Without
27 Apr 1963The Parish of St. Nicholas Without, is one of the most historic parishes in Dublin City. It is a long narrow strip between New Street, and the Poddle, and is…
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The night of the big wind
6 Jan 1967By MALACHY HYNES It began at about 10p.m. on this day 128 years ago. A gale swept the country leaving death and destruction in its wake and registering the date…
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The Poddle at Mount Argus
8 Apr 1967The Poddles principal claim to fame is that its waters once formed the moat at Dublin Castle, and provided some part of the water supply for the ancient city. Today…
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Mount Argus Harold’s Cross
22 Apr 1967The twin towers of the Passionist Fathers great church have been a feature of the landscape along the course of the Poddle River since 1878. Now quite surrounded by vast…
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Historic Palace is now Garda Station
1 Sep 1967In a few years time a main road will pass over part of what was once sacred and historic ground in Dublin. Nowadays hundreds of peopl padd the spot every…
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From Boater to Bishop
24 Feb 1969Bishop Street is hemmed in between the bulk of Jacob’s factory on one side, and tall flats built about five years, on the other. Back in 1610, John Speed’s map…
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Complex piece of Irish history
14 Apr 1969“The city stood on the high ground between the Liffey and the now subterranean Poddle extending along the ridge from Christ Church westward as far as the end of High…
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Poddle Poses Problem
27 Jun 1969CONTRACTORS who will start on Monday morning to reconstruct Patrick Street will have a problem. They will uncover for the first time in centuries the Poddle River. The river runs…
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School in Blackpitts
14 Aug 1969St. Kevin’s National School for boys was built 1894-’95, and officially opened on April 20 in the latter year. The directories give St. Kevin’s as fronting on to Blackpitts, a…
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In Marrowbone Lane
11 Feb 1970Liam’s drawing here recalls one of the strangest corruptions that have befallen any Dublin street name. It is marked, but not named, on Brooking’s map of 1728, and seems to…
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Across The River…
4 Jun 1970We crossed the Liffey last night from Capei Street to Wellington Quay to visit the new offices of the Irish Life Assurance Company, who were holding a small party to open the…
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The Danes in Dublin
1 Sep 1971The Scandinavian towns, Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Waterford and Wexford, have suffered from the fact that they have all continued as cities up to our time, the modern houses covering up…
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Old Cross Poddle
31 Jan 1972OLD CROSS PODDLE What we call Dean Street, leading from Patrick Street to the Coombe, in ancient times was known as Cross Poddle. The change of name was made as recently as May, 1826,…
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Appeal launched for St. Patrick’s Cathedral
24 Mar 1972ST. PATRICK’S Cathedral in from the 5th Century, and which has withstood the ravages of lime and even Cromwell, is now being attacked by a new and hidden enemy —…
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Firhouse Weir
2 Aug 1972This is the Firhouse Weir on the River Dodder which was of vital importance to every citizen of Dublin for the best part of eight hundred years. This remarkable piece…
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City Scene
2 Jan 1973IF DUBLIN SHOULD forget all about the Liberties it certainly won’t be the fault of the Liberties. What they’re at now is compiling a book which is due out any…
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River Burst
16 Jul 1973RIVER BURST At Mount Argus, the Poddle burst its banks, flooding two houses in Loder Park. Mr. William Walton, who lives there with his wife and four children claimed that the…
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Place of Worship since the time of St. Patrick
25 Jan 1974THE FOLLOWING is the full text of the late President’s proposed address: “We are worshipping this evening to commemorate yet one more episode in the history, and indeed the survival,…
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Parishes Face Problems
17 Aug 1974Parishes Face Problems By PATRICK MURRAY THE-months ahead are full of problems for the parish priests of Dublin’s two newest parishes. Although the new parishes of Priorswood and Mount Argus appear…
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Dreaming Spires
21 Dec 1979A view from St. Michael’s Close, Dublin, of the Minot tower and spire of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, so named because the tower was built by Archbishop Thomas Minot. Dean Swift’s…
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High-heeled shoes damage Cathedral
19 Nov 1985Women in high-heeled shoes do more damage to St. Patrick’s Cathedral than the heavy traffic on the adjoining road, a meeting of Dublin City Councillors heard last night. The submerged…
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Mount Argus Gets Go-Ahead
7 Feb 1986SERVICE charges criticised as “penal” have been substantially reduced in a new grant outline permission for residential buildings on land owned by the Passionist Congregation at Mount Argus in Dublin.…
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Mount Argus
16 Jul 1986I first discovered Mount Argus way back in another lifetime when we used to climb the Dublin Mountains on St. Patrick’s Day. I think we took the wrong turn coming home and…
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Viking Dublin
25 Oct 1988A THOUSAND years ago Dublin, though smaller and mainly built on the south side of the Liffey, was as thriving a port as it is today. Viking longships sailed from…
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Claire digs in to save treasures
26 Apr 1990SIMPLE wooden planks uncovered in the heart of Dublin this week hold the key to a map of how the capital city looked several centuries ago! The stout timber barriers…
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Mount Argus . . . £20 m. scheme launched today
18 May 1990Mount Argus . . . £20 m. scheme launched today By Cliodhna O’Donohue The land surrounding Mount Argus, the headquarters for Fr. Brian D’Arcy’s mammoth fund raising activities, in Harold’s…
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New Homes Choice
25 May 1990MOUNT ARGUS is perhaps one of the finest landscaped developments to come on the market in the area for a long time.The River Poddle has been brought through the parkland…
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Cllrs Oppose Plans on Poddle Cover Up
19 May 1993PLANS to put more of Dublin’s Poddle River underground are being opposed by city councillors. The Corporation is evaluating tenders for the erection of concrete culverts over a section of…
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How history flows through Dublin
10 Feb 2004The River Poddle has been known by several different names over the centuries such as the Puddle, Pottle and the Podell. It was known as the Tiber and also as…
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