St Audoen’s Church and Visitor Centre

About the museum

St Audoen’s is the only surviving medieval parish church in Dublin. It was founded after the Anglo-Norman arrival in the late twelfth century and is dedicated to Audoen, or Ouen, a seventh-century bishop of Rouen who is the patron saint of Normandy. The church stood close to the centre of the walled city, and papal bulls were proclaimed and public penances carried out here.

Over the centuries the building was extended with a longer nave, a chancel and a guild chapel dedicated to St Anne, which was run by a powerful medieval fraternity. In the late fifteenth century Sir Roland Fitz-Eustace, Baron Portlester, added a chapel of his own, and his richly carved tomb and that of his wife still stands in the church. By the nineteenth century parts of the building had fallen into ruin, and parts of it were closed off or left without a roof.

Today part of the church is still used for worship by the Church of Ireland, while the rest is cared for by the Office of Public Works as a heritage site. The visitor centre in the Guild Chapel of St Anne holds an award-winning exhibition on the church and its importance to medieval Dublin, together with a replica of one of the church’s bells, which are more than 600 years old.

Highlights

• Dublin’s only remaining medieval parish church
• Award-winning exhibition in the Guild Chapel of St Anne
• Fifteenth-century tomb of Baron Portlester and his wife
• Replica of a bell more than 600 years old
• Free admission in the heart of the medieval city

Permanent exhibition

• St Audoen’s exhibition in the Guild Chapel of St Anne – An exhibition on the importance of St Audoen’s Church to life in medieval Dublin, set in the former guild chapel.

Operated by

Office of Public Works (Heritage Ireland)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the church and the visitor centre is free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Heritage Ireland describes access for visitors with disabilities as partial. Only assistance dogs are admitted.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The church is on Cornmarket, near High Street and close to Christ Church Cathedral.

Amenities & dining

Toilets are listed among the facilities.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit