The Stained Glass of Earley Studios Walking tour with Michael Earley

With its beginnings in 1864, Earley Studios grew to become the largest stained glass studio in Ireland. Aiming to exclusively serve the requirements of Catholic patrons, the studio contributed greatly to the dominant stained-glass aesthetic of Irish stained glass in the early decades of the 20th Century. Stroll through Dublin’s colourful streets with Michael Earley, whose new book The Stained Glass of Earley Studios:1864 – 1975 (UCD Press) looks back on the studios’ history. Discover Dublin’s heritage buildings featuring the stained glass of Earley Studios, including St Kevin’s Church and Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church.

Meeting point: this tour departs from St Kevin’s Church, Harrington Street, Dublin 8, D08 V8W5

When Michael Earley retired from medical practice as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, he enrolled in a PhD course in the National College of Art and Design (NCAD), obtaining a doctorate in December 2023 for his thesis on ‘Devotion and Tradition in Stained Glass in Twentieth Century Ireland’. He has given lectures on Irish stained glass with particular emphasis on his forebears’ studio often combined with tours of their work. His stained glass publications have been in local county and church booklets, in blogs for ‘Arts and Crafts Tours’, and in the annual review ‘Glass Ireland’. His book on Earley Studios is published by UCD Press in November 2026.