Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ral that would symbolise Anglo-Norman glory. The new cathedral opened its doors late in
the 12th century, by which time Strongbow, O'Toole and Cumin were long dead.
Above ground, the north wall, the transepts and the western part of the choir are almost
all that remain from the original. It has been restored several times over the centuries and,
despite its apparent uniformity, is a hotchpotch of different styles, ranging from
Romanesque to English Gothic.
Hard Times
Until the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1869, senior representatives of the
Crown all swore their allegiance here. The church's fortunes, however, were not guaran-
teed. By the turn of the 18th century its popularity waned along with the district as the up-
per echelons of Dublin society fled north, where they attended a new favourite, St Mary's
Abbey. Through much of its history, Christ Church vied for supremacy with nearby St
Patrick's Cathedral, but both fell on hard times in the 18th and 19th centuries. Christ
Church was virtually derelict - the nave had been used as a market and the crypt had earli-
er housed taverns - by the time restoration took place. Whiskey distiller Henry Roe
donated the equivalent of €30 million to save the church, which was substantially rebuilt
from 1871 to 1878. Ironically, both of the great Church of Ireland cathedrals are essen-
tially outsiders in a Catholic nation today, dependent on tourist donations for their very
survival.
From its inception, Christ Church was the State Church of Ireland, and when Henry
VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 16th century, the Augustinian priory that managed
the church was replaced with a new Anglican clergy, which still runs the church today.
Chapterhouse & Northern Wall
From the southeastern entrance to the churchyard you walk past ruins of the
chapterhouse
,
which dates from 1230. The
main entrance
to the cathedral is at the southwestern corner and
as you enter you face the ancient
northern wall
. This survived the collapse of its southern
counterpart but has also suffered from subsiding foundations (much of the church was
built on a peat bog) and, from its eastern end, it leans visibly.
