Saint Patrick on his journey through Ireland is said to have passed through Dublin. In a well close to where the cathedral now stands, he is reputed to have baptised converts from paganism to Christianity. To commemorate his visit, a small wooden church was built on this site, one of the four Celtic parish churches in Dublin.
In 1191, under John Comyn, the first Anglo-Norman archbishop of Dublin, Saint Patrick's was raised to the status of a cathedral and the present building, the largest church in the country, was erected between 1200 and 1270. Over the centuries as the elements, religious reformation and persecution took their toll, the cathedral fell into serious disrepair, despite many attempts to restore it. Eventually between 1860 and 1900 a full-scale restoration based on the original design, was carried out by the Guinness family.The gothic style cathedral has high vaulted ceilings and many colorful stained glass windows. Someone was playing the organ and it was neat to read all the monuments.
After Saint Patrick's Cathedral we walked over to Christ Church.
A wooden church was built at this site in 1038. In 1171 the original simple foundation was extended into a cruciform and rebuilt in stone for the English crown. The present structure dates mainly from the 1870s, when a major restoration took place, making the cathedral look more Victorian than Anglo-Norman.
It was in this period that one of Dublin's most charming structures was added: a Bridge of Sighs-like affair that connects the cathedral to the old Synod Hall, which now holds the Viking multi-media exhibition "Dublinia."
It's a beautiful church and also contains the largest cathedral crypt in Britain or Ireland, constructed in 1172-1173. The crypt had many artifacts including a mummified cat and rat found trapped in the organ.
