Legal action is being taken by the clergy at Dublin’s esteemed Westland Row church after receiving an order from the City Council prohibiting them from displaying service times on their railings.
This decision by the council has faced strong criticism from Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn. In an interview with the Irish Mail on Sunday, Flynn remarked, “They’re not advertising half-price Victoria’s Secret,” highlighting what he sees as an overreach by the authorities.
Flynn further emphasized that the church is merely trying to communicate its availability to a dwindling congregation, indicating a need for the community to know that the church remains open and active.
The priests at St. Andrew’s Westland Row Church have noted that posting notices about Masses and church events on the railings has been a tradition since the 19th century. Despite this long-standing custom, a recent notice announcing Easter Mass times, which included a special performance by renowned soprano Celine Byrne, was flagged by Dublin City Council as a violation of planning laws.
In light of this directive, the church has urged parishioners to disseminate the information through social media, anticipating that they will soon be required to remove the notice from the railings.
The notice asked Mass-goers to share the information on social media, as the church would soon be forced to take it down.
The parish has now confirmed that it has approached its solicitors about finding a compromise with DCC.
Sign that was put up by St Andrew’s Parish Westland Row on their protected railings at the front of the Church which was completed in 1837, just a decade after Catholic Emancipation
Fr Alan Hilliard, who is parish administrator, told the MoS: ‘The Parish of Saint Andrew’s Westland Row are respectful of the work of Dublin City Council.’
But he continued: ‘The matter of fixing notices for Church services and other events to the front railings is a practice that has been in place for a long number of years.
‘It was a bit of a shock to be served notice that we are in breach of planning regulations when we fixed posters to these railings last month.’
The Dublin-based priest confirmed: ‘We have asked our solicitors to liaise with the Council to ascertain a way forward and for that reason we refrain from [further] comment.’
The sign posted on the railings this week said: ‘We have been informed by Dublin City Council that notices such as this, that have been in place since the beginning of the mid-19th century, are in breach of our planning laws and have to be removed.’
The sign continued that the church had been left with ‘greatly reduced means to inform’ parishioners of their Easter Mass times, before outlining those times, which included an Easter Vigil last night televised by RTÉ.
The sign’s final line goes on to add: ‘Please assist us by sharing this information on social media as we will have to remove these notices when we are served notice by DCC.’
Fr Hilliard told the MoS: ‘Many local people get their information from our notices, as do visitors to our city and the many tourists who come through our doors.
‘We await an amicable solution and direction based on the legislation that has been put in place, and advice on the various subtleties and exemptions existing within the legal framework.
‘We appreciate the support and the wisdom received from various public representatives.’
Fr Alan Hilliard, who is parish administrator of St. Andrew’s Parish Church, Westland Row says they have engaged lawyers to discuss with Dublin City Council the notices the parish use to advertise their mass times for the best part of the past two centuries
Local councillor Mannix Flynn told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘This is where the city council gets a little bit ridiculous.’
The independent councillor said the church technically has to apply for planning permission to erect signs, ‘but the council never told them’.
‘What the priest has received is a warning notice. The railings are a protected structure.
‘But if you go around to the National Gallery of Ireland or Collins Barracks [both also protected], you’ll see signs plastered all over the place and there’s no issue in relation to it, because it’s seen as cultural.’
The South East Inner City councillor continued: ‘The [DCC] staff are just exercising their duty, that if someone puts an advertisement up, or a notice on a building, they are obliged to inform the council.
‘But reason needs to prevail here. This is a place of worship. These are non-commercial events listed.’
The veteran public representative called St Andrew’s ‘a revered church, where many a dignitary and officer of the State has gone to Mass and ultimately has been buried there.
‘It’s a well-known, wonderful, beautiful church. It’s not an appropriate way to approach this particular issue.’
DCC was contacted for comment yesterday, but no response had been received by the MoS last night.
Celebrated soprano Celine Byrne who is scheduled to perform at St Andrew’s as part of the Easter celebrations
Construction on St Andrew’s church began in 1832, three years after Catholic emancipation in Ireland, and was completed in 1837.
The decision to build it was strongly backed by Daniel O’Connell, who was one of its most eminent parishioners.
The parish of St Andrew’s Westland Row includes public institutions like the aforementioned National Gallery, The Houses of the Oireachtas, The Mansion House and Trinity College.
The church stands next to Pearse Station, which was first built around the same time.
Westland Row is famous as the birthplace of Oscar Wilde.
