Christ Church Cathedral

Towering over Dublin on its hilltop location with its Romanesque style and magnificent flying buttresses, Christ Church is undoubtedly the most photogenic of Dublin’s three Cathedrals. Christ Church Cathedral is Dublin’s oldest building, a leading visitor attraction and a place of pilgrimage for almost 1000 years. Initially founded in 1030 on the southern edge of Dublin’s Viking settlement, the grandiose Cathedral we see today was initially a wooden Church until the Normans, under the impetus of Anglo-Norman invader Richard De Clare or Strongbow as he is known, decided to rebuild it in stone in 1170.

Admission to the Cathedral includes entry to the crypt and the ‘Treasures of Christ Church’ exhibition, where many of the Cathedral’s artefacts and manuscripts are on display, including the embalmed heart of St. Laurence O’Toole, the magnificent silver plate presented to the Cathedral by William III after the Battle of Boyne as well as the famous tomb of the legendary Strongbow. One of the most popular tours is the Belfry Tour, where visitors are brought up to the top of the Bell tower for a spectacular view of Dublin City and even get the chance to fulfil their wildest dreams and ring the famous church bells under expert supervision.

Fun fact

The crypt includes a glass display case housing a mummified cat chasing a mummified rat (known as Tom and Jerry), trapped inside an organ pipe in the 1860s!

Contact Details:

Address: Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch Place, Dublin 8

Tel: +353 (0)1 677 8099

Getting There:

Hop off the CityScape Tour at: Stop 25 Christ Church Place (see Route Map)

Admission:

Adult: €6.00

Child: €2.00

Group (10+): €4.20

Opening Hours:

Mon-Sat: 9.00am-5pm

Sun: 12.30-2.30pm

Longer Hours between Jun-Aug