Church Micro IE 18 - Our Lady of Victories, D11 Traditional Geocache

The rapid growth in housing during the late fifties and early sixties in the Dublin suburban areas saw the need for a parish church to cover the areas now covered by Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun Road. A fundraising campaign was undertaken, the highlight of which was the invitation to supper extended to each household both in Whitehall and the Victories parish area. In May 1965, the supper was held for two nights in the Kennedy Stadium, Santry. 8,000 parishioners sat down to a three course meal in a huge marquee.

The success of the planned giving and entire fund raising campaign enabled the parish to raise the necessary loan and plan the building of the Church.

The laying of the foundation stone took place in 1967.The Church of Our Lady of Victories, Ballymun Road, was solemnly blessed and dedicated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Most Rev. Dr. John Charles McQuaid, on Sunday, 2nd February, 1969. The Archbishop inspected a guard of honour from C Company, 20th Battalion, F.C.A.,when he arrived. All who were present remember the heavy fall of snow that day. The headline in one of the newspapers the following day read: "Dublin's newest Church dedicated in snowfall."

Our Lady of Victories Church was built in accordance with the directions of the Second Vatican Council for church design. The design emphasises the full and active participation of the congregation in the Mass. The Church cost £220,000 to build and has seating for 1,900 people. The design incorporated new concepts such as the crying room. As the outer walls and the area above the altar are all stained glass this makes for a very beautiful and colourful church.

The Church's title "Our Lady of Victories" is one that dates back to the Crusades. Perhaps the best known church bearing the name is the Basilica of Notre Dame des Victories in Paris.

Visitors to the church over the years include : President Childers visted the Church in 1973.Cardinal O'Connor of New York visited the Parish on the 25th of July 1988, as part of the Marian Year Visit of Peace to Northern Ireland.Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited on the 4th of June 1993.