Christ Church Cathedral

A true emblem of the city’s medieval heritage, Christ Church Cathedral is a must-visit for history fans. To set the scene, it’s important to know that the first wooden structure was built on this land in 1038 by Sitric Silkenbeard, king of the Viking settlement. Time passed and different tribes succeeded one another, notably with the Norman invasion at the end of the 12th century.They eventually claimed the site, replacing the wooden church with a more solid stone structure as well as expanding it over time. Severely damaged due to a landslide in 1562, the church was almost entirely rebuilt in the 19th century, during the Victorian era. The renovation was funded by a wealthy whiskey merchant, Henry Roe, giving the cathedral the neo-Gothic appearance you see today. Seen as the spiritual heart of the city, Christ Church Cathedral is well worth a visit. Although you must pay to enter, your pass grants access not only to the stunning interior but also to the cathedral’s impressive crypt—the largest in both Britain and Ireland! Built in 1172, the crypt extends beneath the entire cathedral and houses an array of strange and mysterious objects. Here, you can see the cathedral’s treasure, as well as the mummified heart of Saint Laurence O’Toole, Dublin’s former archbishop and patron saint. But the most peculiar exhibit is undoubtedly the mummified remains of a cat and a rat, discovered trapped inside an organ pipe and affectionately nicknamed “Tom & Jerry” by locals. You might also recognise the cathedral’s interiors from the TV series The Tudors, as several scenes were filmed here.