Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

There has been a chuch of some kind or another since 1030 and it's pretty impressive inside. I don't have any pictures of he inside because I never use a camera inside a church. Admission is 5 Euro.

They have a gift shop inside that sells religious items and books on the churches history. The bells ring on Sunday 10.00 and 14.30 and I feel sorry for the folks at Jury's Inn right across the road because I hear their pretty loud.

It's worth a visit because it's a quiet and serene place after walking the busy streets of Dublin all day.

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For some reason I really enjoy visiting these huge cathedrals wherever I go. No matter if it Cologne, Milan, Florence, Rome, London, Paris, Neaples, Genoa or Dublin - I'll go there.

Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin is one of the more beautiful. Maybe not so much for the architecture, which is as beautiful in his way as anyone else, but more for the calmness that surrounds the cathedral. There is a small park just behind it, and even if a lot of cars were driving past it there were still something in the atmosphere that really appealed to me.

The Christ Church Cathedral is the oldest building in Dublin, dated all the time back to 1038. Between 1871 and 1878 it was restaurated.
According to photos I've seen of the inside here at VT it's really beautiful, but unfortunaly I arrived to the church two minutes after closing time...

Although there is an admission fee to enter, and since I really hate when they make you pay to enter God's house it was maybe better that way...

Unfortunately I didn't manage to find St Patrick's cathedral, which is said to be close to Christ Church. So only one cathedral for me in Dublin.

Well, maybe next time instead.

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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.

Earliest reports show that this Cathedral was built in 1030 by Dunan, the first bishop of Dublin. It was originally founded as a Viking church, and was a subject of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Throughout the years, documents show that it was changed to an Irish Church. In the 1600's King James attended mass here, and has been renovated several times since.

The church is open from 9:45 to 4:30 every day, and on Sundays, no groups are allowed until after 12:45.

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There is a large arched crypt extending under the entire Christ Church Cathedral. It dates back to the 12th century. In the crypt there is a treasury containing the cathedrals silver and gold. Among the exhibits there is a stunning gilt plate, which was donated by king William III after he had won at the Battle of Boyne in 1697. In the crypt you can also see the stocks from 1670 were people were put as punishment. There is also a short film telling the history of Christ Church. In the treasury it is strictly forbidden to take photos.

This is Christ Church, I took many angle pictures of the church. It was a very beautiful church. You can tour inside and they ask for a donation.

It has alot of history, so I recommend it. I tried to go to service there, but was too early.

This cathedral is very large & many artifacts have survived in the crypt.
This cathedral is C1030 although lots of restoration work has been done.

A donation of Euro 5 is requested & you can take photographs inside.

The unusual item in this cathedral is a glass case holding a mumified cat & a rat, the cat was chasing the rat in around 1860's & got stuck in an organ pipe. When they were discovered the cat & rat were in a perfect mumified state

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Just around the corner from Christ Church Cathedral you'll find a green wall, full of leafs. It's hard to describe, so have a look at the photos instead... ;)

The whole street surrounding the cathedral is worth a visit. First the "ark" where the cars and busses passes under, and then directly to the right you'll see this green wall, which also have very nice doors.
For some reason I started to think about the movie "Notting Hill" when I saw it. Don't ask me why...

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In 1038 a wooden church was built on the site of Christ Church Cathedral, by the Vikings. The construction of the stone cathedral was begun in 1172 after an agreement between Archbishop Laurence O’Tool and the Norman knight Strongbow (Richard de Clares). The cathedral has undergone many restorations, especially between 1871 - 78 when it had to be saved.

As the cathedral has been restored so many times over the centuries you can find many different architectural styles in the building, from Romanesque to English Gothic.

The cathedral is an Anglican church .

Entrance fee is 5 Euro (February 2007). But there is of course no entrance fee for people attending a service.

The cathedral is open:
September - May 9.45 - 17.00 (or 18.00)
June, July, August 9.00 - 18.00

Looking up the hill behind the Civic Offices you see Christchurch. (picture on Dublin mainpage) Up you go!
Christchurch is well worth a visit when open, and well worth a walk around the outside anytime. Don't miss the Gargoyles! There are very few buildings in Dublin with Gargoyles, so make sure see them here (East end of the building, facing down Dame St.)