Awash in splendid Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles, the imposing Christ Church Cathedral underlines both, magnificence and might. The church is one of Dublin's two Anglican cathedrals and has stood on this site since the 6th Century. The present building was founded in 1172 by Strongbow, the Anglo-Norman conqueror of Dublin. In the hundreds of years since, the building has weathered many changes of design, and periods of steady deterioration. Since 1870 however, the Cathedral has been gradually and sensitively restored. The cathedral houses some of the remains of Strongbow, a pair of monumental, carved statues, aged books, altar artifacts, a casket containing the heart of St Laurence (the patron saint of Dublin), a tabernacle and candlesticks used by James II in 1689 when the Latin Mass was briefly celebrated. Furthermore, the cathedral is complete with a string of archways, a smattering of stained glass windows, and one of Ireland's largest crypts. The cathedral choir is one of the finest in Ireland.
This building was previously owned by the Church of Ireland and was the Synod Hall right up until 1983. The Medieval Trust now supports the Dublinia exhibition, which aims to cover Dublin's early history, starting with the arrival of the Vikings in 1170 and ending with the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539. Start the tour in the basement with an audio-tape, taking you through life-size reconstructions, depicting major events, including the Black Death, the rebellion of Silken Thomas, and the United Irishmen uprising. Upstairs features a huge model of Dublin in about 1500. Also of note, in the Great Hall, is a multi-screen presentation on medieval Dublin.
Located in one of Dublin's most exclusive seaside towns, this charming heritage center gives a flavor of how Dublin developed from the Middle Ages, through the Victorian era, to the present day. The center includes models and audio-visual presentations, and an exhibition script specially written by the Irish author and playwright Hugh Leonard. St. Begnet's, an interesting 8th-century church, is just next door.
This spectacular feudal stronghold is the only remaining castle in Ireland to be surrounded by a flooded moat, which is now teeming with fish. The Drimnagh Castle consists of a restored Great Hall, a battlement tower commanding impressive views of the area, look-out posts, a stable, a coach house and folly tower. Visitors may also find the castle's 17th-century formal gardens of interest, they feature mop head laurels, box hedges and yew trees.
Located inside the Trinity College Library, The Long Room is a historic room built in the early 18th Century. The rooms is home to about 200,000 old books and is an attraction in itself. One of the most famous copies of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic is housed inside the Long Room. High ceiling, marble busts and books lined from the floor to the top make for this spectacular room.
Once upon a time in ancient Dublin, a great stone wall surrounded the city. The wall was huge and formidable and entry into the city was granted through the handful of arched gates. This wall and gates were built by the Norman settlers in the 13th century to defend the city from invading clans and foreign people. The gateways also served as tollbooths. As centuries passed the wall around the historic city began to crumble and was lost with time. Only one of the city’s historic gates exists to this day that is located behind a side of a church and is called the Saint Audoen’s Gate or Arch that leads to a narrow alleyway. The gateway was restored in 1976 and is still used by the locals to reach the High Street and Cornmarket.