It was the church where Gullivers' Travels author Jonathan Swift was baptised and Lord Edward Fitzgerald of the United Irish was laid to rest.But 290-year-old St Werburgh's in the heart of historic Dublin is now under threat.
Plasterwork is crumbling, damp pervades the building and the crypt, where coffins are disintegrating, and the original black and white floor tiles are cracked and pitted, according to the Dean of nearby Christ Church Cathedral who has now issued a plea for help.
"St Werburgh's is not ours, it is in the ownership of Dublin" says Dean Derek Dunne. "The work needs to be done -- it is almost too late".
Neglected
Discussion with the Office of Public Works to open the church as a heritage building and a venue for music, because of its superior acoustics, have come to nothing.
Dean Dunne says the church has been neglected for decades.
The population of the parish is very small and cannot fund the extensive repairs needed.
The building needs a new roof, repointing, guttering and damp-proofing. The interior need restoration and rewiring.
The paintwork on the curved ceiling is cracked and peeling and the plasterwork on the walls is crumbling. A heavenly blue sky with gold stars painted above the altar has begun to flake away and the stucco detail is also in need of repair.
At the moment, the building is locked most of the time and is only used once or twice a month for 40 minutes by its tiny congregation.
Author Jonathan Swift was baptised in the Anglican church, which was originally built in the 12th century.
The current structure dates back to 1719. An organ in the church built by Henry Millar dates back to 1767.
The Lord Lieutenant's viceregal pew is set before the organ and marked on either side by brass rods topped with brass and red velvet crowns.
The interior was designed by architect Joseph Jarratt and features wooden galleries on three sides supported by Doric pillars and a wooden pulpit thought to be carved by Richard Stewart in 1807.
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