The parish of St Ann was created in 1707 at a time when the eighteenth-century suburbs were beginning to envelop the site provided for the church by Sir Joshua Dawson, from whom the name of the street is derived.

The rapidly evolving suburb attracted members of the aristocracy, the gentry, professional classes, and prelates of the Church, including the Anglican Archbishops of Dublin. There were private pews in the church to accommodate distinguished residents like the Duke of Leinster, the Archbishop, and the Lord Mayor.