Christ Church Cathedral Dublin
Dublin has the honour of hosting two Protestant Cathedrals. Christ Church Cathedral is the older of the two - St Patrick's being the other. The site of Christ Church Cathedral dates back to the 11th century, when the then Christianised Viking settlers built a wooden cathedral there. It was the work of the Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin, Sitric 'Silkbeard', and the first bishop of Dublin, Dunan.
In 1186 Anglo-Norman archbishop, John Cumin, began work on a stone cathedral on the site. This work was completed by 1240 when it opened as a cathedral for the Church of Ireland diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, which it still serves today. By the 19th century the building was in a state of disrepair and was completely restored and remodelled in the 1870s, funded by Henry Roe, a Dublin whiskey distiller.
The current structure is a popular tourist spot with many noteworthy attractions. Its famous 12th century crypt has been recently restored. In the Great Nave there lies a large effigy, called the Strongbow Monument. Strongbow, whose remains are buried at the cathedral, was the leader of the Anglo-Norman invasion of the area and this sculpture is thought to have been part of his original tomb. Also on display in the nave is a medieval brass lectern, hand-wrought in the Middle- Ages. It is located on the north side of the nave, on the south is a matching lectern, dating back to Victorian times. In the chapel of St Laud, at the east end of the cathedral, the casket wall contains the heart of St Laurence O'Toole, the patron saint of Dublin. Christ Church is open to visitors from 10am-5pm (6pm in summer) and offers two daily services.