Notable Figures and Famous Connections

Daniel O’Connell ("The Liberator")

A parishioner and prominent benefactor of the church, O'Connell donated the marble baptismal font (known locally as the "O'Connell Font," originally designed as an antique marble wine cooler). He also presented the large oil painting depicting the Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket in 1840, which hangs in the south transept.

Willie & Patrick Pearse:

The Pearse brothers grew up nearby at 27 Great Brunswick Street (now Pearse Street) and went to school next door at the Christian Brothers School (CBS Westland Row).

Willie Pearse, a talented sculptor who was executed in 1916 alongside his brother Patrick for his role in the Easter Rising, carved the Carrara marble statue of the Mater Dolorosa (Our Lady of Sorrows), which sits on the altar of the Mortuary Chapel.

James Joyce & Leopold Bloom (Ulysses):

In episode five ("Lotus Eaters") of Ulysses, Leopold Bloom walks from the Westland Row post office into St. Andrew’s, which Joyce refers to as "All Hallows"—a nod to the medieval Priory of All Hallows that once occupied the surrounding land before Trinity College was established.

Bloom quietly observes the end of a Catholic Mass, contemplates communion wafers, and listens to the choir. Because of this scene, St. Andrew's remains an essential stop on the annual Bloomsday trail.

Oscar Wilde:

Wilde was born in 1854 directly across the street at 21 Westland Row (now home to the Oscar Wilde Centre at Trinity College). While he was initially baptised into the Church of Ireland at nearby St. Mark's, the surrounding parish of Westland Row shaped his childhood before the family moved to Merrion Square.