John Craig (priest)

Craig was born in 1805 in Blackrock, Dublin, where his father Robert, a Scot, was managing a boys' school in Frescati House.

[2] In Dublin he married Anne Jane Alley, and in 1831 they had a son named Robert, who would later die of consumption.

[2] It was reported at the time by local journalist George Morley that Craig's income exceeded £100,000.

[3] At that time, All Saints was a small medieval church, which had had some enlargement but was greatly inadequate to the needs of the growing population.

[4][5][6] Local tradition states that he dismissed 11 architects during the church's construction, and eventually appointed himself Clerk of Works.

[2] In 1867 he recommenced building of the church, this time engaging architect T C Barry to design the South transept.