Our little city of Dublin is jam-packed with architectural gems. After you’ve called in to our gorgeous STABLE shop in the heart of Dublin’s manufacturing district and browsed amongst our lovely Irish-made Linen scarves and blankets, why not make a day of it and explore nearby St Stephen’s Church?

With its distinctive, Wes Anderson-esque exterior and eccentric character, St Stephen’s Church – known to every Dub as the Pepper Canister Church for its instantly recognizable canister-shaped tower – sits on Mount St Crescent, just off Merrion Square. Built in 1824, this quirky little building is often bathed in a warm, yellow light that you can see clearly in the evening. The little church sits smack bang in the middle of a crescent of mainly Georgian houses. You can see it peeking over the top of rows of houses in South Dublin, peacefully and silently surveying the everyday comings and goings of busy Dubliners, weathering rain, sunshine and snow for nearly two hundred years.

St Stephen’s is one of the last of a series of Georgian churches built by the Church of Ireland and scattered all over the city. Surrounding the church are streets with peculiar origins and stories. Mount Street, for example, is named after a corner of Fitzwilliam and Baggot Street where criminals were executed – by gallows, to be precise, hence the reference to mounting the block. It’s certainly a far cry from that quiet street now. In fact Dublin’s history is very much discernable by its street names and suburbs: just think of Misery Hill at Grand Canal Dock, or Beggar’s Bush, just a stone’s throw from the Canister itself.

The area around the Pepper Canister Church have never been short of celebrity inhabitants: famous Dubliners who frequented the parish include Oscar Wilde, who spent much of his childhood at his home in 1 Merrion Square. The poet William Butler Yeats, along with his painter brother Jack, roamed the area, and W.B. even had his funeral at the church. For such a small city, Dublin’s famous inhabitants and intricate architecture are intimately interwoven, which makes the study of this beautiful little church all the more interesting.

The Pepper Canister Church is just a ten-minute stroll from Westbury Mall. Once you’ve had your fill of our lovely Irish-made linens, blankets, cushions and hats, just head north along Grafton Street and take a leisurely lander through St Stephen’s Green, emerging on the Baggot st side. Turn left onto Merrion St and walk towards Merrion Sq where you will turn right. The Pepper Canister church is straight ahead of you. And if you get lost, no matter – there are plenty of benches, cafés and hidden nooks to be found along the way.