I have strolled under the stone arch on Winetavern Street on numerous occasions, but until yesterday I had never once set foot inside the cathedral it's attached to. It is one of those incredible pieces of architecture that gives you a genuine "wow" moment the first time you see it, only to slowly become just another part of the furniture as time goes by.
Arriving at Christ Church Cathedral
Stepping off the busy footpath, you immediately leave the rush of the capital behind. The first thing you spot is a great little miniature model of the cathedral sitting on a stone base, giving you a perfect bird's-eye layout of the whole estate before you even head in.
Just beyond that, you cross a wide, paved courtyard leading up to the main doors. Because the whole area is set down a level from the street, it's a nice, open space where people just sit on the benches chatting and taking photos, a handy spot to get a break from the hectic city above.
Inside the Cathedral
But if the courtyard turns the volume of the city down a notch, walking through the heavy front doors mutes it completely. You step straight into an immaculately clean, incredibly peaceful space. The interior architecture is as stunning as the exterior. Between the soaring vaulted ceilings and the intricately patterned floor tiles leading down the main nave, it delivers exactly the kind of quiet, sombre atmosphere you'd expect from a thousand-year-old cathedral.
There is a lot of heavy history sitting on this main floor. You can walk right up to the tomb of Strongbow, the infamous Norman conqueror, but if you poke around the smaller side chapels, things get even more fascinating. Tucked away in the Chapel of St. Laud, for instance, you'll find an iron cage holding a heart-shaped stone box. Inside is the actual preserved heart of St. Laurence O'Toole, Dublin's patron saint, a relic that was famously stolen back in 2012 before being mysteriously recovered in Phoenix Park a few years later.
Wandering through the nave, I also managed to accidentally eavesdrop on a tour guide pointing out a huge, elaborate marble tomb against the wall. It's a monument to the 19th Earl of Kildare, whose family name was Fitzgerald. As the guide happily explained to the group, this is the exact same noble Irish lineage that eventually gave us the "F" in John F. Kennedy.
The Crypt
Upstairs is definitely impressive, but the 12th-century crypt down in the basement is where you'll find the history that really sets Christ Church apart. Getting down there is surprisingly easy — the stairwell is bright and spacious, with large, manageable steps and solid handrails all the way down.
Just like the main floor, unless you've booked a guided tour, you are completely free to wander at your own pace, read the accompanying plaques, and explore the nooks and crannies yourself. There are plenty of installations to take in, but two main draws usually steal the show. The first is the Magna Carta Hiberniae, a rare 14th-century Irish copy of the Magna Carta preserved in the cathedral's ancient Black Book.
The second is a little more unusual: the mummified remains of a cat and a rat. Locally known as "Tom and Jerry," the pair famously got stuck in the cathedral's organ pipes in the 1860s and have been a Dublin oddity ever since — even getting a nod from James Joyce in Finnegans Wake.
As you loop around, you'll also stumble across a display of elaborate historical costumes. These original outfits are from the television drama The Tudors, which filmed extensively inside the cathedral. There's even a little dress-up stall tucked away where you can try replica costumes on yourself, which is a nice bit of fun that breaks up the heavier history.
The path eventually leads to the gift shop. It stocks the usual souvenirs and trinkets, but it is woven so neatly into the stone fabric of the crypt that it doesn't seem at all out of place.
Was It Worth It? My Honest Thoughts
Standout Moments
- The contrast of stepping out of the noisy Dublin traffic and having the volume instantly muted the second you enter the nave.
- Getting up close to "Tom and Jerry" — a mummified cat and rat stuck in an organ pipe is definitely not what you expect to find in a cathedral basement.
- Accidentally learning about the Fitzgerald and JFK connection just by wandering around the side chapels.
- The dress-up stall in the crypt. Trying on replica costumes from The Tudors is an unexpected bit of fun that breaks up the heavy medieval history.
What I Wish I Knew
- Give the crypt more time: I assumed the basement would be a quick 10-minute walk-through, but between the Magna Carta, the costumes, and the sheer scale of the place, I could have easily spent another hour down there.
- The stairs are surprisingly forgiving: If you normally avoid medieval buildings because of steep, terrifying stone spirals, don't let the crypt put you off. The stairwell down is bright, wide, and has solid handrails all the way.
- Check out the combined tickets: That famous stone arch over Winetavern Street actually connects Christ Church directly to Dublinia (focusing on the Viking and Medieval history of the city) next door. If you have a full morning to spare, it is well worth doing both together.
- Don't skip the courtyard: Even if you decide not to pay the entry fee to go inside the cathedral, the lowered courtyard at the front is free to enter. It is a fantastic little pocket to just sit on a bench and escape the madness of the city traffic for a few minutes.
Who will love this?
Anyone that's into architecture, religion, or medieval history, and kids if they are not too spooked out by the crypt's atmosphere, and the grotesque mummified remains of the cat and the rat!
Where to Eat
There's a handy little horsebox set up alongside the courtyard if you just want a quick coffee before or after you head inside. For proper grub, though, the second you step back outside the gates you have the endless food options of Dublin city right on your doorstep.
Photo Gallery
Here's a look at a few more snaps of my visit to Christ Church Cathedral
The Verdict
Christ Church is the perfect reminder not to take the city's biggest landmarks for granted. Between the soaring nave upstairs and the famously weird history buried down in the crypt, it offers much more than the standard cathedral walkthrough. Whether you want to escape the rush of Dublin City for a while, or you just have to see "Tom and Jerry" for yourself, it's time well spent.
