Christ Church Cathedral continued to play a leading part through all the vicissitudes of Irish history over the centuries, although in the 13th C. another church, only 0.25mi/400m away to the south was raised to the status of cathedral and has retained that status, in spite of all subsequent changes, down to the present day. This is St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, the largest church in Ireland (305ft/93m long) which is an Anglican cathedral.
At the time of its foundation in the 11th C. the church stood on a marshy site outside the town walls. Like Christ Church Cathedral, it has suffered from over-restoration (1864-69). The massive tower at the northwest corner dates from the end of the 14th C., the steeple from 1739.
The church is entered from the south side. The high interior, in severe Early English style, is of impressive effect. It contains numerous monuments and tombs.
At the second pier, to the right of the entrance, are the tombs of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) and his "Stella" (Hester Johnson, 1681-1728). To the left of the nearby door is a bust of Swift, with an epitaph which he himself composed: "He lies where furious indignation can no longer rend his heart." Swift was Dean of St Patrick's for 35 years.
Other notable monuments are the following: to the right of the baptismal chapel (old font) the Boyle Monument (1631) commemorating the Earl of Cork, with a number of colored figures, including a child who is believed to be Richard Boyle, later the celebrated physicist; on the north wall, opposite the entrance, the monument of Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738), last of the Irish bards; on the north wall of the choir a marble effigy of Archbishop Fulk de Saundfort (d. 1271); on the south wall of the Lady Chapel an effigy of Archbishop Tregury (d. 1471); on the south wall of the choir four brasses, the finest of which are those of Dean Sutton (d. 1528) and Dean Fyche (d. 1539); and at the southwest corner of the south transept, the typically 18th C. monument of Lady Doneraile.
The choir was, from 1783 to 1869, the Chapel of the Order of the Knights of St Patrick, whose banners, swords and helmets can be seen above the stalls.
In the little park near the cathedral 12 tablets let into the wall commemorate Irish writers.
Address: St Patrick's Cathedral, St Patrick's Close, IRL-8 Dublin, Ireland
Hours:
March 1 to October 31: 9am-6pm; Sat:9am-5pm
November 1 to February 28: 9am-6pm; Sun:9am-3pm; Sat:9am-5pm
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
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