Christ Church Cathedral, more formally The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The cathedral was founded probably sometime after 1028 when King, Sitrick Silkenbeard the Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin made a pilgrimage to Rome. The first bishop of this new Dublin diocese was Dunan or Donat. The church was built on the high ground overlooking the Viking settlement at Wood Quay.

The cathedral was originally staffed by secular clergy. The second Bishop of Dublin introduced the Benedictines. In 1163, Christ Church was converted to a priory of the Regular Order of Arrosian Canons (Reformed Augustinian Rule). This priory, the Priory of the Holy Trinity, became the wealthiest religious house in Ireland, holding over 10,000 acres (40 km2) of property in County Dublin alone.

Step into the Cathedral and you will discover its beautiful interior, a magnificent nave, a fascinating medieval crypt, and many important treasures – reflecting part of the history of Ireland, both religious and political.
The Nave is magnificent in its beauty. It contains the tomb of Richard de Clare (Strongbow), a medieval Norman-Welsh peer and warlord, notable for his leading role in the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. It also includes the heart of Saint Laurence O’Toole (1128 –1180), who is Dublin’s patron saint, and was Archbishop of Dublin at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland.

The restored 12th-century crypt, one of the largest in Ireland or the UK, now houses the important Treasures of Christ Church exhibition. The exhibition features manuscripts and artefacts that give the visitor some impression of nearly one thousand years of worship in the cathedral and nearby churches.

Outstanding among the rare church silver is the stunning royal plate given by King William III in 1697 as a thanksgiving for his victory at the battle of the Boyne. The Treasury also plays host to a rare 14th Century copy of the Magna Carta Hiberniae.

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