Church of St Michael le Pole

The church is often referred to in historical accounts as St Michael de le Pole.

It is proposed by O'Donovan that the name 'Michael' is actually a Norman era phonetic corruption of the name MacThail, referring to Aengus son of Dergan who was one of three similarly named prelates of Kilcullen, County Kildare.^[2][3]

The name 'le pole' refers to the pool which was created by the River Poddle to the south and east of Dublin Castle and gives Dublin its name from being a corruption of the native Irish term "Dubh Linn" meaning black pool. Nearby Ship Street Little is also referred to as Poole Street on early maps as well as references the nearby and similarly named Pole gate. The church may be illustrated on John Speed's Map of Dublin (1610) noted beside Ship Street ('Sheepe Street').

The church was deconsecrated in 1682 when the parish of St Michael le Pole merged with that of St. Bride's and St Stephen with only the St Bride's name being retained and an entirely new church being built on Bride Street.^[4][5]

The church grounds of St Michael le Pole also featured a round tower which existed separately alongside the church and later as part of a 1707 school until 1775 when it was blown down in a storm and finally demolished owing to the danger posed by its collapse.^[6]

The tower features in illustrations attributed to the artist Gabriel Beranger in 1766 and later although at least one of these is itself likely a copy of a copy made by J Huban Smith from an unsigned original in the collection of William Betham (1779–1853) from 1751.^[7]