Christ Church Cathedral

Dublin’s oldest cathedral began life as a small church founded by Dunan, the first bishop of Dubliin, with funds from the Norse king of Dublin Sitriuc. After the capture of the city by the Anglo-Normans in 1170, their leader Strongbow (who is buried in the cathedral) planned a great cathedral with the Archbishop of Dublin, Laurence O’Toole. Their vision was completed in the 1230’s! The cathedral was extensively restored in the 1870’s. Its atmospheric crypt is one of the oldest surviving structures in Dublin.

Guided tours of the cathedral, including the bell tower, the crypt & the treasury are conducted multiple times during the day and very well done. I would recommend it to everyone. Note how ever that there are lots of step ups & step downs, including an 86 step circular stone staircase (constructed in 1198) to the bell tower. The staircase and some of the doorways are very short and narrow. My people must have been tiny back then!

I received so much information on Irish history and dates that my head was swimming when it was over. The guide was informative & very witty. Below are just some of the photos I took during the tour.