Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

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This is the original cathedral of Norse Dublin, founded in 1030 by King Sitric, and is Dublins' oldest building.

Highlights include the medieval crypt, a magnificent display of church treasures, and the tomb of Strongbow - leader of the Normans.

Linked to the cathedral by the Victorian footbridge is Dublinia & The Viking World - one of the city's most popular heritage centres that explores the history of the medieval city and the Viking World.

I read multiple reviews on it before visiting and when i realized how close my hostel was to it i decided to give it a go. Although i am not big on visiting cathedrals, it's nothing personal as i am Catholic. I just normally dont find them all that intresting. But when you go inside this one it is Amazing, i really enjoyed it. Next time i am in Dublin i might actually see it again, which is something i normally dont do.

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Christ Church cathedral was founded around 1030 by Sitric, king of the Dublin Norsemen. I didn't visit this church either as once again there was an admission fee of £6 and it was not included on my Heritage Card although it is included as part of the Heritage Island Touring Guide. But I did enjoy poking around the grounds and taking a few pictures, on the street side you'll see a bridge reminiscent of Venice's Bridge of Sighs, this was a Victorian era addition to the structure. On the backside of the church you'll find part of the old city walls and gate dating to 1240.

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Christ Church Cathedral is a stunning structure and well worth a visit. The church was established by the "Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin in the 11th century and later rebuilt by an "Anglo-Norman bishop" in the late 12th centry. In the 16th century is was further altered by King Henry the VIII.

Located on the grounds of Christ Church are some ruins. The cathedral has a stunning gothic nave and beautiful alter. There is a crypt which was recently restored and the Treasury located in the crypt has a small "silver exhibit" as well. (PHTOGRAPHS ARE NOT ALLOWED OF THIS EXHIBIT)

There is a charge of 5 Euros to enter the cathedral and during service visitors are not allowed inside.

Check out their scedule before visiting.

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Dating back to 1038, Christ Church Cathedral is often described as the most beautiful church in Dublin, and perhaps rightfully so. It underwent an extensive period of restoration in the 19th century and the result, though far from being faithful to the cathedral's original Medieval design, is quite tasteful and elegant. There are a number of interesting features that are sure to catch the attention of visitors: one of them is the purported tomb of Strongbow (the original one was destroyed when the cathedral's roof collapsed in 1562), and another is the small casket containing the heart of St. Laurence O'Toole. The cathedral's crypt is over 60 m long and it was open to visitors after its restoration in 2000. It contains a collection of historical relics, most of which I found more or less interesting. I did however liked the mummies of the cat and the rat - the story goes that the rat, trying to escape from the cat that was chasing it, ran into an organ pipe to hide. The cat ran after it and got stuck - both animals died and the dry air in the cathedral mummified their bodies. Kinda spooky but really neat to see!

Christ Church Cathedral is open daily. Admission: 6 Euros.

The church was first constructed in the 11th century and restored in the 14th century. It is the oldest landmark in Dublin and well worth a visit. The church was originally built as a Catholic Church by Strongbow, but eventually became an Anglican Church. The inside of the church is beautiful and the crypt is an interesting stop.

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If you are into visiting Cathedrals you are in luck as Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick's Cathedral are within a minutes walk of each other.

The existing Cathedral was rebuilt in 1186 and and completely remodelled by architect George Street during the 1870's.

The Cathedral is Church of Ireland, (Anglican). We did not have sufficient time to visit both Cathedrals and chose to enter St Patrick's.

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Christ Church was founded by the King Sitric of Norway in 1030 - it's Dublin's oldest building. Must sees are the medieval crypt and tombs of the Normans. Linked to the church by a Victorian footbridge is Dublinia and the Viking world, a heritage center that explores the medieval city and the Vikings.

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The Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin was founded in 1038, by the Norse king Sitric Silkenbeard.

There is one unique proof of the preservative quality of the air in the cathedral: there are more than 150 years old mummified bodies of a cat and a rat that were found accidentally. The other one had been chasing the other, and they were trapped in an organ pipe. They are still seen in a glass box inside the church.

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Christchurch cathedral is a beautiful church right at the top of dame street... you'll recognize it by its dimension and by the fact that it has a sort of arched bridge at the back, linking the cathedral to another builing, while cars drive under it.

Just as you get to the church, outside, you'll see some ruins of the old chapter house - they date back to the 13th century. When you go inside, sights are plenty... I obviously have my personal favourites.

- the grave of the Norman king Strongbow, who died in 1176/7 and who was one of the founders of this cathedral

- the amazing pavements... stand right by the altar and look back, admire the decorations on the floor. They are lavish (enlarge the small photos to see what I mean)

- the walls of the nave... again best viewed from the altar, looking back. The walls of the romanesque arches on your right are leaning by 18 inches.

- the medieval crypt... I saw it grow, at the beginning it was just heaps of stones with no particular order, now it has been reconstructed as it once was in the 13th century.

Entrance to Christchurch cathedral (May 2008) is 6 euros for adults, and the reason why there's an entry charge is that the church doesn't receive any state aid - entrance is free during services, though. While not being religious, I remember attending quite a few times the choral evensong late in the afternoon, just because the choir is so excellent.