Christ Church Cathedral

People have been coming to this place to worship God for nearly one thousand years. While the building has journeyed through many changes over the centuries, the constancy of its witness has remained uninterrupted. The mission of any cathedral is to reflect through its beauty the transcendence of God. Every year thousands of visitors come through the doors to either visit a site of unique heritage or to celebrate with their liturgies.

Christ Church Cathedral (founded c.1028) is the spiritual heart of the city, and one of the top visitor attractions inDublin. Step inside and you can enjoy the cathedral’s beautiful interior and fascinating medieval crypt.

There’s so much to see and discover at Christ Church Cathedral. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Explore the crypt
Follow the steps that bring you beneath the cathedral and explore the medieval crypt, one of the largest in Britain & Ireland, and the earliest surviving structure in the city. The crypt houses fascinating memorials, the cat and the rat, The Treasury, an audio visual presentation, the cathedral shop and the Cathedral Café. The crypt can also be hired for events.

Follow in the footsteps of pilgrims
Christ Church Cathedral was a major pilgrimage site in the medieval period, with an important collection of relics ranging from a miraculous speaking cross to a piece from the crib of Jesus. Today, it is still possible to see one of these relics, the heart of Laurence O’Toole, patron saint of Dublin.

Visit the ‘Cat & the Rat’
A mummified cat & rat are the most unusual inhabitants of the crypt, but also the most popular. Mentioned by James Joyce in Finnegans wake, they are known locally as ‘Tom & Jerry.’
Experience Evensong
The choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, enjoys an enviable reputation as one of Ireland’s finest choirs, and is constantly in demand to perform in concerts, on tours and on radio broadcasts nationwide. Tracing its origins to 1493 with the founding of the choir school, the cathedral choir has always been highly regarded in Dublin’s musical life and took part in the first performance of Handel’s Messiah in Dublin in 1742. The choir sings Evensong four times a week during term time. To find out more about services please click here.
Treat yourself to tasty delights in the Cathedral Cafe in the atmospheric 12th Century Crypt

Relax after your visit with tea and coffee and culinary delights in the Cathedral Café. You can enjoy delicate sandwiches, scones with cream, a sumptuous variety of cakes as well as a selection of coffees and teas.

Book your Stay at The Fleet Hotel today