Phibsborough
In 1838 the Archbishop of Dublin and the Parish Priest of St. Paul’s, Arran Quay, both expressed a wish that the Vincentian Community should take over Phibsborough – Dr. Yore of Arran Quay surrendering all proprietary rights but reserving those that were parochial (at this time St. Peter’s was within the parish of St. Paul’s). Thus St. Peter’s church was handed over, in 1838, to a Religious Community which has served Ireland well through her troubled years to our Independence in 1922 and since then as a free nation of the World. The first priests appointed by the Vincentian Community to look after the new work were Fathers McNamara (who was one of the co-founders of St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys, Cabra and founder of St. Gabriel’s School for Deaf Girls, Cabra), Hand and Scully. Fr. Hand left after a short while to devote his energies in other directions and in November, 1842, he founded All Hallows College in Drumcondra, the first purely missionary college in Ireland.
The Vincentians established themselves quite rapidly and improved the services of the Church but soon the little edifice proved inadequate for the accommodation of the ever increasing congregation and in 1841 a beginning was made to secure more space. A public meeting was held which was a very remarkable one at that time – it was the first public meeting of Dublin Catholics for a charitable purpose, viz. the enlargement of St. Peter’s Church and was presided over by Dublin’s first Catholic Lord Mayor in over 200 years, the great Daniel O’Connell. The meeting proved to be a great success financially and as a result 43 feet were added to the Church’s length. In 1843 new schools were built on a site adjacent to the Church and the upper floor removed, leaving the Church 35 feet high instead of 25 feet.