Newman University Church, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom

Free to visit
Rainy days

In 1856, John Henry Newman founded the University Church, which sits alongside The Museum of Literature of Ireland (MoLI) on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin City centre. This Catholic house of worship boasts a stunning interior with notable carvings, plaques and stained glass windows.

The origins of the Newman University Church date back to 1856, when Englishman John Henry Newman founded the church for the Catholic University of Ireland.

Newman began his religious career as a priest in the Church of England, but in 1845 he entered into the Catholic Church. After he addressed the anti-Catholic sentiments of an ex-Dominican friar, he was convicted of libel and sentenced to pay a fee. Catholics collected money for Newman, and with the excess, he established the church.

The structure features a Romanesque porch, wall plaques, an ante church area and a semi dome above the sanctuary, which was inspired by the Church of San Clemente in Rome.

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