Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [67]
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
The mother of all of Dublin’s churches is Christ Church Cathedral (Church of the Holy Trinity; Map; 677 8099; www.cccdub.ie; Christ Church Pl; adult/senior/student €6/4/3; 9.45am-4.15pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-2.30pm Sun Sep-May, 9.45am-6.15pm Mon-Tue & Fri, to 4.15pm Wed-Thu & Sat, 12.30-2.30pm & 4.30-6.15pm Sun Jun–mid-Jul, 9.45am-6.15pm Mon-Fri, to 4.15pm Sat, 12.30-2.30pm & 4.30-6.15pm Sun mid-Jul–Aug), just south of the river and west of Temple Bar. It was founded in 1030 on what was then the southern edge of Dublin’s Viking settlement. It was later smack in the middle of medieval Dublin: Dublin Castle, the Tholsel (Town Hall; demolished in 1809) and the original Four Courts (demolished in 1796) were all close by. Nearby, on Back Lane, is the only remaining guildhall in Dublin. The 1706 Tailors Hall was due for demolition in the 1960s, but survived to become the office of An Taisce (National Trust for Ireland; Map).
The original wooden church in this spot wasn’t really a keeper, so the Normans rebuilt the lot in stone from 1172, mostly under the impetus of Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke (better known as Strongbow), the Anglo-Norman noble who invaded Ireland in 1170.
Throughout much of its history, Christ Church vied for supremacy with nearby St Patrick’s Cathedral (opposite) but, like its neighbour, it fell on hard times in the 18th and 19th centuries – earlier, the nave had been used as a market and the crypt had housed taverns – and was virtually derelict by the time restoration took place. Today, both Church of Ireland cathedrals are outsiders in a largely Catholic nation.
From the southeastern entrance to the churchyard you walk past ruins of the chapter house, which dates from 1230. The entrance to the cathedral is at the southwestern corner and as you enter you face the northern wall. This survived the collapse of its southern counterpart but has also suffered from subsiding foundations.
The southern aisle has a monument to the legendary Strongbow. The armoured figure on the tomb is unlikely to be Strongbow (it’s more probably the Earl of Drogheda), but his internal organs may have been buried here. A popular legend relates that the half figure beside the tomb is Strongbow’s son, who was cut in two by his father when his bravery in battle was suspect.
The southern transept contains the superb baroque tomb of the 19th Earl of Kildare (died 1734). His grandson, Lord Edward Fitzgerald, was a member of the United Irishmen and died in the abortive 1798 Rising.
An entrance just by the southern transept descends to the unusually large arched crypt, which dates back to the original Viking church. Curiosities in the crypt include a glass display case housing a mummified cat chasing a mummified mouse, which were trapped inside an organ pipe in the 1860s! From the main entrance, a bridge, part of the 1871–78 restoration, leads to Dvblinia (below).
DVBLINIA & THE VIKING WORLD
A must for the kids, the old Synod Hall attached to Christ Church Cathedral is home to the seemingly perennial Dvblinia (Map; 679 4611; www.dublinia.ie; adult/student/child €6/5/3.50; 10am-5pm Apr-Sep, 11am-4pm Mon-Sat & 10am-4.30pm Sun Oct-Mar), a kitschy and lively attempt to bring medieval Dublin to life. Models, streetscapes and somewhat old-fashioned interactive displays do a fairly decent job of it, at least for kids. The model of a medieval quayside and a cobbler’s shop are both excellent, as is the scale model of the medieval city. The newly added Viking World tells the story of Dublin’s 9th- and 10th-century Scandinavian invaders and the city they built – but the real treat is finding out what life was like aboard their longboats and why they pillaged so many monasteries. Finally, you can climb neighbouring St Michael’s Tower for views over the city to the Dublin Hills.
Your ticket gets you into Christ Church Cathedral for free (via the link bridge).
ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
It was at this cathedral (Map; 475 4817; www.stpatrickscathedral.ie;