St. Andrew's, Blackrock is a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

church on Mount Merrion Avenue,

Blackrock, Dublin Blackrock () is an affluent suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, northwest of Dún Laoghaire. It is named after the local geological rock formation to be found in the area of Blackrock Park. In the late 18th century, the Blackrock Ro ...

. The Blackrock parish was established in 1895 and the church was opened in 1899. Its sister church is St. Andrew's of Bray.

History

A Presbyterian congregation started meeting in Blackrock Town Hall from 29 July 1894. It was 1895 when the parish of Blackrock Presbyterian Church was formed and plans were set forth to build a church.St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Blackrock History
The congregation decided to buy Albion House on Mount Merrion Avenue around November 1895 for £750. They raised £304 towards building and William Hewat, a local Blackrock member of the congregation, suggested the church be named St. Andrew's and later donated £800 enabling the purchase of Albion House in March 1896. The architects Messrs, Murray and Forrester were commissioned and the builder Patrick Caufield of Booterstown was chosen.Patrick Caufield on the Directory of Irish Architects
/ref> The foundation stone of the church was laid on 27 October 1898 and the church was opened with its first service on 5 February 1899. The building is designed in an octagonal shape fronted by a large tower containing the main entrance. The church organ was installed in 1912 with half of the money donated by

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

(a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, entrepreneur and a major philanthropist). His conditions for donating the money were simple. Once the congregation had raised half of the £900 required, he would donate the rest. Under the ministry of Rev. Desmond Black a new hall was built and opened on 5 December 1959 to a cost of £15,000. The hall was opened by Mrs. Scott McLeod, the wife of the

United States Ambassador to Ireland The United States ambassador to Ireland is the ambassador, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States of America to Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is considered a highly prestigious position within the United States F ...

at the time, and dedicated by Rt. Rev. Thomas Alexander Byers Smyth, the

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the Chair (official), chairperson of a General Assembly (presbyterian church), General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Calvinism, Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbytery (church pol ...

Ministers

Rev. James Snowdon (minister 1895–1936). Rev. James Noel Thompson (minister 1936–1956). Rev. Albert Desmond Pattison Black (minister 1957–1986). Rev. George Denis Campbell (minister 1986–2018). Rev. Andrew Gill (minister 2020–present)

References

* Henderson, Gordon (1995). "St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Blackrock. 1895 to 1995 - The First Hundred Years" {{reflist

External links

Official website
Blackrock, Dublin Churches in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Presbyterian churches in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown

History

Ministers

See also

References

External links