A Glorious Extravaganza: The History of Monkstown Parish Church (Dublin).
Author: MURPHY, Etain.
Bray: Wordwell Ltd, 2003. xxiv, 424 pages. Illustrated. Hardback.
“Love it or loathe itΒ β the unique building of Monkstown Parish Church, dominating this small village in south Co. Dublin, was completed in 1831 by John Semple & Son, after years of changing sites, plans and personalities. The fascinating story of this well-known landmark is revealed in this new history, meticulously researched from the original sources. As well as a detailed guide to the church, its architecture, stained glass and organs, this is an account of its people, both saints and sinners, many of whom have left a remarkable legacy behind, extending far beyond Monkstown.
Monkstown Parish Church was the favourite church of the poet, Sir John Betjeman, who said ‘A church isn’t just an old building which interests pedantic brass rubbers, but a living building with history written all over it and history that, with very little practice, becomes easy and fascinating reading’. The church has alternatively been described as ‘a glorious extravaganza’,'a mule between the Gothic and the Saracenic’, a place unsuitable for Christian worship, a ‘perversion of judgement and taste’, a building of originality and beauty, a masterpiece. Outraged critics and ecstatic admirers outdo each other in their adjectival usage, while others use more cautious words like curious, quaint and conspicuous. It has been compared to a chess set, a cruet stand, a sponge cake, combining ’sumptuousness with oddity’. Readers can form their own conclusions.”
ISBN: 1869857631
Search For "A Glorious Extravaganza: The History of Monkstown Parish Church (Dublin)." on abebooks.com
Abebooks.com is a book marketplace offering millions of titles from thousands of booksellers worldwide.
Please note that BiblioIreland offers this search page as a service to our visitors, but any transactions undertaken with the sellers on Abebooks are not our responsibility.