The Church was designed by the eminent Architect, Thomas Cooley, and is believed to have been built in 1771.
Cooley is believed to be the architect for the original main building of the school, which opened in 1770, the wings and other parts being designed by Francis Johnston in the years 1806-1812.
Johnston had been a pupil of Cooley, 1778-1782, and seems to have taken over the more significant parts of his practice.

The school opened in 1770, but the earliest recorded burial is in 1850. It is not known where the burials of the pupils who died in the earlier years took place.

The youngest pupil to be buried here was
Alfred Sparling
who was 7 years and 11 months old at his death.

The last child who was a pupil at the school to be buried here was
Arthur F. Lovelock
who died in 1921.

The last former pupil of the school to be buried here was
William Benjamin Peat
who died in 1984.


Some former teachers and those who served or attended the school are also buried here.

In recent years, those who lived in or around Chapelizod village are also buried here.