By the end of the year, Mass will no longer be celebrated at one of Dublin's most historic Catholic churches in service, St Paul's on Arran Quay.
The fate of the first Catholic church built in the city after Emancipation has yet to be determined.
St Paul's has been run for many decades by the Capuchin Fathers, but the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, who was baptised there, will determine its future. His parents were also married there, as was Eamon de Valera.
A spokesman for the diocese said the decision was taken for pastoral reasons and due to small numbers using the church. "No decision has been taken on whether to close it or not."
The Capuchin order which runs the parish of Halston Street and Arran Quay of behalf of the diocese said the move represents the best use of its manpower.
The church was built in 1835 but contains records going back to the early 1700s. In neo-classical style, it has the distinctive combination of portico, tower in stages and cupola.
In his account of the capital's architectural heritage, Dublin 1660-1860, Dr Maurice Craig said: "St Paul's, from its riverside situation, is an important element in the shape of Dublin, and is worthy of its position, grouping admirably with the Four Courts' dome as one enters the city from the western quays."
The provincial of the Capuchin Order, Father Dermot Lynch, said the decision was not taken in isolation but after a "listening survey", and all options were considered. There would continue to be seven Sunday and four weekday Masses at nearby churches in Halston Street and Church Street.
The Capuchins were committed to continuing support for the people of the area, he added.
Mr Ian Lumley, of Dublin Civic Trust, said the move was worrying from a heritage perspective. "If you look at the history of redundant churches in Dublin over the past 20 years, it has been one disaster after another, especially if a church is sold on to the private market."
There was an urgent need for a mechanism, as exists in other states, to ensure sensitivity in dealing with such buildings and, if being sold, that there is provision for "appropriate use".
Where any church in the inner city has fallen into disuse, its architecture has suffered, said Mr Michael Smith, chairman of An Taisce's Dublin city association. "We would be very concerned if there is an interregnum."
Large numbers moving out of the inner city up to relatively recently led to the decline. Ironically, some 2,000 apartments have been built in the parish in the past five years. This, Father Lynch said, represented "a great opportunity"
A small garden and grotto were installed in front of the adjoining presbytery after it was built in the 1920s and set back from the road. It now houses the Catholic Youth Council headquarters.
The church was designed by Patrick Byrne, one of Dublin's most influential 19th century architects. If it closes, it will join a growing list of historic churches in Dublin taken out of service. These include St Michael's and St John's at Blind Quay on the opposite side of the Liffey, which was controversially converted into Dublin's Viking Adventure interpretative centre at a cost of £5.9 million.
