Adam and Eves Church

Adam and Eves Church is the home to the National Shrine of St. Anthony and the novena in his honour takes place every Tuesday at 12 noon and 7pm. The relic of St Anthony is present at each Novena Mass and those present receive a special blessing at the end of the Mass. Petition boxes are available in St. Anthony's Chapel. The Annual Novena takes place each year from the 4th-13th of June and is always preached by a guest preacher. The blessing of children and the blessing of the Lillies is a major liturgical event on the feast of St. Anthony each year.

1230 Traditional date for the coming of the Franciscans to Ireland.

1235 or 1236 Foundation of the Dublin Friary on Francis Street.

1284 Friar John Stamford, ofm, became Archbishop of Dublin.

1348 The black death swept Europer - in Dublin 24 friars died.

1534 - 1535 The Rebellion of Silken Thomas; his headquarters were in the friary in Francis Street.

1535 Henry VIII was empowered to confiscate religious houses.

1540 Francis Street Friary was confiscated and the community dispersed.

1615 Fr. Donagh Mooney, ofm, Provincial, assembled the friars in Cook Street in a community of four or five.

1629 26th December, the Lord Mayor and the Archbishop of Dublin, with soldiers attacked and wrecked the chapel at Adam and Eves, during the eleven o'clock Mass. A few days later all religious houses were closed.

1690 The friars attempt to re-establish themselves in Francis Street, under Fr. Barnewall ofm., failed under new persecution. They then handed over their house and chapel to the secular priests, the new church becoming Dublin's pro-Cathedral, which it remained till the time of Archbishop Troy. In 1834 the old church, built by the friars, was replaced by the present Church of St. Nicholas.

1749 The new church in Cook Street was constructed.

1757 The friars purchased a house in Merchant's Quay which they adapted as a friary.

1834 16th April, the foundation stone was laid for the new Adam and Eves Church. The present high altar is practically on the very same spot as that of the old church of St. Michael, which was in Rosemary Lane.

1870 The valuable Franciscan collection of manuscripts and other books came to Merchants' Quay into the care of the friars.

1923 The church and friary were further improved.

1938 Renovations were completed.

1939 29th April. The church was solemnly consecrated.

1959 Repairs begin on church.

1961 Reconstruction and renovations were completed on Adam and Eves.

1972 The sanctuary was renovated.

1981 The Shrine of St. Anthony was destroyed by fire and reopened in 1983.

As a Friar, Joseph (Louis) Corcoran spoke very little about this life prior to joining the Franciscans. His family, form Dublin, were cobblers by trade and he followed in his families footsteps while in the Order, making sandals for the friars.

In his youth Joseph Corcoran played a significant role in the fight for Irish freedom and was significantly involved in the 1916 Rising, the war of Independence and the Civil War. He joined the Volunteers in early 1916, and for his part in the Easter Rising, while stationed at the Jameson Distillery in Marrowbone Lane, he was interned until August that year at the prison camp in Frongoch, Wales.

During the war of Independence Joseph was involved in a number of IRA Operations including an ambush of British forces outside St Catherine's Church in Thomas Street and the burning of military lorries at Kingsbridge Railway Station. In 1922 he joined the National Army and was granted a pension on his retirement a year later when he waived upon joining the Order of Friars Minor in 1932. As a Friar, Joseph resided in the Franciscan communities in Killarney, Limerick and finally Dublin where he died in 1973 and is buried with the Friars in Glasnevin cemetery.

With thanks to Philip Corcoran and the Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks