Christ Church Cathedral, more formally The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, is the
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...
of the
United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the
ecclesiastical province
An ecclesiastical province is one of the basic forms of jurisdiction in Christian Churches with traditional hierarchical structure, including Western Christianity and Eastern Christianity. In general, an ecclesiastical province consists of seve ...
of the
United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the (Anglican)
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...
. It is situated in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, and is the elder of the capital city's two
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
cathedrals, the other being
St Patrick's Cathedral.
The cathedral was founded in the early 11th century under the Viking king
Sitric Silkenbeard
Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (also Sihtric, SitricÓ Corráin, p. 123 and Sitrick in Irish texts; or SigtrygWinn, p. 46 and SigtryggrMac Manus, p. 278 in Scandinavian texts) was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin (possibly AD 989–994; restored ...
. It was rebuilt in stone in the late 12th century under the Norman potentate
Strongbow, and considerably enlarged in the early 13th century, using
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
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stones and craftsmen. A partial collapse in the 16th century left it in poor shape and the building was extensively renovated and rebuilt in the late 19th century, giving it the form it has today, including the tower, flying buttresses, and distinctive covered footbridge.
Overview and history
Overview
![Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, 2016-06-03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Christ_Church_Cathedral%2C_Dublin%2C_2016-06-03.jpg)
Christ Church is officially claimed as the seat (''cathedra'') of both the Church of Ireland and
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
archbishops of Dublin. In law, and in fact, it has been the cathedral of only the Church of Ireland's
Archbishop of Dublin since the
English Reformation. Though nominally claiming Christ Church as his cathedral, the Roman Catholic
Archbishop of Dublin uses
St Mary's in Marlborough Street in Dublin as his
pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostoli ...
(acting cathedral).
[Periodically, it has been suggested that the Catholic Church intends to "downgrade" Christ Church to parish church level (i.e. to effectively acknowledge that the Church no longer regards it as its ''cathedra'') and to either upgrade St Mary's to full cathedral status or to build a new cathedral. Until the 1970s, the park in the centre of ]Merrion Square
Merrion Square () is a Georgian garden square on the southside of Dublin city centre.
History
The square was laid out in 1752 by the estate of Viscount FitzWilliam and was largely complete by the beginning of the 19th century. The demand fo ...
was the planned site for the new cathedral but that location was instead given on a long lease to Dublin City Council
Dublin City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Dublin in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the council was ...
. From 1974–2010, it was known as "Archbishop Ryan Park" after Archbishop Dermot Ryan
Dermot J. Ryan (26 June 1924 – 21 February 1985) was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland from 1972 until 1984.
Early life and education
Born Dermot Joseph Ryan in 1924, to Andrew Ryan a medical doctor and Therese nee McKenna, in ...
, who made the gift to the people of Dublin.
Christ Church Cathedral is located in the former heart of medieval Dublin, next to
Wood Quay
Wood Quay () is a riverside area of Dublin that was a site of Viking settlement. It is now the location of the Dublin City Council offices.
Location
The site is bounded on the north side by Wood Quay on the River Liffey, on the west by Win ...
at the end of Lord Edward Street. However, a major dual carriageway building scheme around it separated it from the original medieval street pattern which once surrounded it, with its original architectural context (at the centre of a maze of small buildings and streets) lost due to road-building and the demolition of the older residential quarter at Wood Quay. As a result, the cathedral now appears dominant in isolation behind new civil offices along the quays, out of its original medieval context. The cathedral is used as the setting for filming from time to time.
Christ Church is the only one of the three cathedrals or acting cathedrals which can be seen clearly from the
River Liffey
The River Liffey ( Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the Riv ...
.
First cathedral
The cathedral was founded probably sometime after 1028 when King
Sitric Silkenbeard
Sigtrygg II Silkbeard Olafsson (also Sihtric, SitricÓ Corráin, p. 123 and Sitrick in Irish texts; or SigtrygWinn, p. 46 and SigtryggrMac Manus, p. 278 in Scandinavian texts) was a Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin (possibly AD 989–994; restored ...
, the Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin made a pilgrimage to Rome. The first bishop of this new Dublin diocese was
Dúnán
Dúnán (died 6 May 1074) was the first bishop of Dublin, appointed under Dublin's Hiberno-Norse kings. He is known also as Donatus or Donat. The diocese was put on a regular basis, in 1028, at the request of Sigtrygg Silkbeard. In his obit i ...
or Donat, and the diocese was at that time a small island of land surrounded by the much larger
Diocese of Glendalough
The Bishop of Glendalough ( ga, Easpuig Gleann Dá Loch) was an episcopal title which took its name after the monastery at Glendalough in County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland. An Irish version of the place name, ''Glenndálocha'', is now used fo ...
, and was for a time answerable to Canterbury rather than to the Irish Church hierarchy. The church was built on the high ground overlooking the Viking settlement at Wood Quay and Sitric gave the "lands of Baldoyle, Raheny and Portrane for its maintenance."
[Dublin: Catholic Truth Society, 1911: Bishop of Canea: Short Histories of Dublin Parishes, Part VIII, p. 162] Of the four old Celtic Christian churches reputed to have existed around Dublin, only one, dedicated to
St. Martin of Tours, lay within the walls of the Viking city, and so Christ Church was one of just two churches for the whole city.
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) by the second Archbishop of Dublin, later saint,
Laurence O'Toole, who adhered to the rule himself; it was subsequently headed by an Augustinian prior, who ranked as the second ecclesiastical figure of the diocese, and not a dean, until re-establishment in 1541. This priory, the Priory of the Holy Trinity, became the wealthiest religious house in Ireland, holding over of property in County Dublin alone, most notable of which were the three home farms held at
Grangegorman
Grangegorman () is an inner suburb on the northside of Dublin city, Ireland. The area is administered by Dublin City Council. It was best known for decades as the location of St Brendan's Hospital, which was the main psychiatric hospital se ...
,
Glasnevin
Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home t ...
and Clonken or Clonkene, now known as
Deansgrange
Deansgrange () is a southern suburb of Dublin, centred on the crossroads of Clonkeen Road and Kill Lane. The area shares the name Clonkeen () with the area further east, known as Kill of the Grange (i.e. "Church of the Grange of ": referring to ...
.
Norman period
Henry II attended the Christmas service at the cathedral in 1171. According to the cathedral guidebook, this was the first time Henry received
Holy Communion following the murder of
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...
by Henry's knights in Canterbury.
In the 1180s,
Strongbow and other Norman magnates helped to fund a complete rebuilding of Christ Church, initially a wooden building, in stone, comprising the construction of a choir, choir aisles and transepts, the crypt and chapels to
St. Edmund and
St. Mary and
St. Lô.
A chapel to
St Laurence O'Toole was added in the 13th century and much of the extant nave was built in the 1230s. Its design was inspired by the architecture of the English western school of Gothic, and its wrought stones—of a Somersetshire oolite—were sculpted and laid by craftsmen from the same area.
In 1300
Richard de Ferings,
Archbishop of Dublin arranged an agreement between the two cathedrals, the ''Pacis Compostio'', which acknowledged both as cathedrals and made some provisions to accommodate their shared status (see below for more on this).
In the 1350s a major extension was undertaken by
John de St Paul
John de St Paul ( 1295 – 1362), also known as John de St. Pol, John de Owston and John de Ouston, was an English-born cleric and judge of the fourteenth century. He was Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin, Archbishop of Dublin 1349–62 and Lo ...
,
Archbishop of Dublin, 1349–1362. By 1358, the nave of the cathedral was partly in use for secular purposes and a "long quire" was added, extending the old choir area by around 10 metres. St Paul also installed an organ. His works were destroyed by the major rebuilding project in the 1870s. He was buried under the high altar.
In 1480 the wealthy judge
William Sutton bequeathed all his lands and silver to the cathedral.
The cathedral was the location of the purported coronation, in 1487, of
Lambert Simnel
Lambert Simnel (c. 1477 – after 1534) was a pretender to the throne of England. In 1487, his claim to be Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick, threatened the newly established reign of Henry VII (1485–1509). Simnel became the ...
, a boy pretender who sought unsuccessfully to depose
Henry VII of England
Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
Henry's mother, Margaret Beauf ...
, as "King Edward VI".
The choir school was founded in 1493.
Reformation period
In 1539, King
Henry VIII converted the priory to a cathedral with a dean and chapter and worked to ensure Christ Church adhered to his new church structure. His immediate successor,
Edward VI of England
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first ...
, in 1547, provided funds for an increase in cathedral staffing and annual royal funding for the choir school.
King Edward VI formally suppressed St Patrick's Cathedral and, on 25 April 1547, its silver, jewels and ornaments were transferred to the dean and chapter of Christ Church. This episode ended with a late document of Queen Mary's reign, a deed dated 27 April 1558, comprising a release or receipt by Thomas Leverous, dean, and the chapter of St Patrick's, of the "goods, chattels, musical instruments, etc." belonging to that cathedral and which had been in the possession of the dean and chapter of Christ Church.
Queen
Mary I of England, and later
James I of England
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
, also increased Christ Church's endowment. Meanwhile, in 1551, divine service was sung for the first time in Ireland in English instead of Latin. In 1560, the Bible was first read in English.
Kingdom of Ireland
![Royal pew, Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Royal_pew%2C_Christ_Church_Cathedral%2C_Dublin.jpg)
The foundations of the nave, resting in peat, slipped in 1562, bringing down the south wall and the arched stone roof (the north wall, which visibly leans, survived, and largely dates back to 1230). Partial repairs were carried out but much of the debris was simply levelled and new flooring was built over it until 1871. In 1620 the English-born judge
Luke Gernon
People
*Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name)
* Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name)
*Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known a ...
observed that Christchurch was in a better state of repair than St. Patrick's; he does not seem to have been overly impressed by either.
In the 17th century, both parliament and the law courts met in buildings erected alongside Christ Church. King
James II himself presided over a state opening of parliament in that location. However, parliament and the law courts both moved elsewhere: the law courts to the newly built
Four Courts
The Four Courts ( ga, Na Ceithre Cúirteanna) is Ireland's most prominent courts building, located on Inns Quay in Dublin. The Four Courts is the principal seat of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Dublin Circui ...
on the riverfront, and Parliament to
Chichester House
Chichester House or Carew's House was a building in College Green (formerly Hoggen Green), Dublin, Ireland, used in the 17th century to house the Parliament of Ireland. Originally built to be a hospital, it was never used as such.
At one time ...
in Hoggen Green, into the building which is now The Bank of Ireland, College Green.
Like nearby St Patrick's, the building was in poor condition for much of the 19th century. After the building was declared unsafe and no longer fit for use, some limited works were carried out by Matthew Price (architect) between 1829 and 1831.
19th and 20th centuries
![Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin at night](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Christ_Church_Cathedral_in_Dublin_at_night.jpg)
The cathedral was extensively renovated and rebuilt from 1871 to 1878 by
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street (20 June 1824 – 18 December 1881), also known as G. E. Street, was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex. Stylistically, Street was a leading practitioner of the Victorian Gothic Revival. Though mainly an eccl ...
, with the sponsorship of the distiller Henry Roe of Mount Anville. The great 14th-century choir was demolished and a new eastern end was built over the original crypt. He built a new chapter house. The tower was rebuilt. The south nave arcade was rebuilt. The flying buttresses were added as a decorative feature. The north porch was removed. The baptistry was built in its place. Street built the adjacent Synod Hall, taking in the last remnant of
St Michael and All Angels's Church, including the bell tower. The synod house is linked to the cathedral by Street's iconic covered footbridge. Roe spent over £230,000 at the time (over €26 million in 2006 terms). Further renovations were carried out, notably between 1980 and 1982.
Role
Christ Church is the centre of worship for the united dioceses and holds notable annual events such as the Citizenship Service. As the cathedral of the southern province of the Church of Ireland, it also hosts ordinations of priests and consecrations of bishops.
Architecture
Impact of the restoration
The extensive renovation in Victorian times preserved the seriously decayed structure from collapse, but it is now difficult to tell which parts of the interior are medieval and which parts are
Victorian pastiche. Photographs of the exterior show the extent of the Victorian rebuilding: Archbishop de St Paul's 14th-century cathedral, in particular, the "long choir", was almost entirely destroyed. As a result, Christ Church is a mixture of surviving medieval and later church building.
Nave
The cathedral contains the reputed tomb of
Strongbow, a medieval Norman-Welsh peer and warlord who came to Ireland at the request of King
Diarmuid MacMorrough
Diarmait Mac Murchada (Modern Irish: Diarmaid Mac Murchadha), anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough, Dermod MacMurrough, or Dermot MacMorrogh (c. 1110 – c. 1 May 1171), was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deposed by the High King ...
and whose arrival marked the beginning of Anglo-Norman involvement in Ireland. According to the Christ Church Cathedral website, in 1562 the nave roof vaulting collapsed and Strongbow's tomb was smashed; the current tomb is a contemporary replacement from
Drogheda. As is well documented from a number of sources, the tomb of Strongbow was used as the venue for legal agreements from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Alongside the main tomb is a smaller figure with sloping shoulders, suggesting a female figure, but wearing chain mail, which may indicate that it was a child.
Crypt
![The cat and the rat Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/The_cat_and_the_rat_Christ_Church_Cathedral_in_Dublin_02.JPG)
Christ Church also contains the largest cathedral crypt (63.4m long) in Britain or Ireland, constructed in 1172–1173. Having been renovated in the early 2000s, it is now open for visitors.
The crypt contains various monuments and historical features, including:
* the oldest known secular carvings in Ireland, two carved statues that until the late 18th century stood outside the ''
Tholsel
Tholsel was a name traditionally used for a local municipal and administrative building used to collect tolls and taxes and to administer trade and other documents in Irish towns and cities. It was at one stage one of the most important secular bu ...
'' (Dublin's medieval city hall, which was demolished in 1806)
* a tabernacle and set of candlesticks which were used when the cathedral last operated (for a very short time) under the "Roman rite", when the Roman Catholic king,
James II, having fled England in 1690, came to Ireland to fight for his throne and attended
High Mass in the temporary restoration of Christ Church as a Roman Catholic cathedral.
* the stocks, formerly in Christ Church Place, made in 1670 and used for the punishment of offenders before the Court of the Dean's Liberty (the small area under the cathedral's exclusive civic authority), moved here in 1870
* historic books and altar goods of the Cathedral
* "The Cat & The Rat" are displayed with an explanatory note.
Chapter house
Behind the altar area, there is the
chapter house, which contains cathedral offices, meeting rooms and other facilities.
Synod hall and bridge
At the west end of the cathedral is a fully integrated stone bridge, leading to the former
synod hall, which was built on the site of St Michael's, a
prebendal
A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of t ...
church of Christ Church which was demolished by Street during his restoration of the cathedral. This hall, which incorporates the old St Michael's tower, was formerly used for hosting general synods and diocesan synods for Dublin, Glendalough and Kildare. It is now home to the "
Dublinia
Dublinia is a historical recreation (or living history) museum and visitor attraction in Dublin, Ireland, focusing on the Viking and Medieval history of the city. Dublinia is located in a part of Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral, known as the S ...
" exhibition about medieval Dublin.
Status
Two cathedral issue
For most of their common history, both Christ Church and St Patrick's held the status of cathedral for the Dublin diocese, a rare arrangement which only ended following the move to disestablish the Church of Ireland. In early times, there was considerable conflict over status but under the six-point agreement of 1300, ''Pacis Compositio'', still extant, and in force until 1870:
* The consecration and enthronement of the Archbishop of Dublin was to take place at Christ Church – records show that this provision was not always followed, with many archbishops enthroned in both and at least two in St Patrick's only
* Christ Church had formal precedence, as the mother and senior cathedral of the diocese
* Christ Church was to retain the cross, mitre and ring of each deceased Archbishop of Dublin
* Deceased Archbishops of Dublin were to be buried alternately in each of the two cathedrals unless they personally willed otherwise
* The annual consecration of
chrism
Chrism, also called myrrh, ''myron'', holy anointing oil, and consecrated oil, is a consecrated oil used in the Anglican, Assyrian, Catholic, Nordic Lutheran, Old Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Latter Day Saint churches in th ...
oil for the diocese was to take place at Christ Church
* The two cathedrals were to act as one and shared equally in their freedoms
The 1868 Church Commissioners' report proposed making St Patrick's the sole cathedral and reducing Christ Church to a parish church.
Roman Catholicism
To this day, the acting seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin,
St Mary's, is known as a "pro-cathedral" in acknowledgement of the fact that the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
claims Christ Church as the rightful seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop.
Governance
Dean and chapter
The dean and chapter, with the consent of the Archbishop of Dublin, preside over the cathedral, with the dean as "first among equals" in the chapter but holding a day-to-day authority, subject to the special roles of some other figures (the dean and chapter together are in a similar position to a rector of a parish).
The chapter comprises the dean, precentor (who must be skilled in music), chancellor, treasurer, Archdeacons of Dublin and Glendalough and 12 canons, eight being clergy of the Diocese of Dublin and four clergy of the Diocese of Glendalough (the three most senior in order of appointment are known as the Prebendary of St Michael's, Prebendary of St Michan's and the Prebendary of St John's).
The dean is appointed by the Archbishop of Dublin and, in an arrangement commenced in 1971, is also incumbent of the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes, the day-to-day care of which is in the hands of a vicar appointed by a special board of patronage.
The dean can appoint a deputy and also appoints the cathedral verger. The dean and chapter together appoint the precentor, while the other members of the chapter are appointed by the archbishop.
Board
Having been historically governed by its clerical chapter alone, since 1872 the cathedral has been operationally overseen by a board comprising nine clerical members (the dean, precentor, two clerical vicars and five other clerics) and nine lay members, elected every third annual Easter vestry. The board has the power to appoint and remove officers of the cathedral other than those whose appointment is vested in the archbishop, or the dean and chapter, or dean, to regulate salaries and to manage financial matters. The board is in a similar position to a select vestry of a parish.
The board has committees – mid-2007, these are administration and finance, culture (including the treasury), deanery, fabric, fundraising, health and safety, information technology, music, safeguarding trust and tower.
Other clergy
There is a dean's vicar (and clerk of the chapter), a vicar of the Cathedral Group of Parishes and posts for a curate assistant and a student reader. There are also usually honorary clerical vicars.
Music
Christ Church has a long musical history, with a well-known cathedral choir and a girls' choir. Along with the precentor, the musical side of its work is led by the "Organist and Director of Music", working with any assistant organist and organ scholar, as well as the "Honorary Keeper of the Music and Music Librarian" and, , a "Music Development Officer".
List of organists
*1595 John Fermor
*1608 Thomas Bateson
*1631 Randal Jewett
*1639
Benjamin Rogers
*1646 John Hawkshaw
*1688 Thomas Godfrey
*1689 Thomas Morgan
*1692 Peter Isaac
*1694 Thomas Finell
*1698
Daniel Roseingrave
*1727 Ralph Roseingrave
*1747 George Walsh
*1765
Richard Woodward
*1777 Samuel Murphy
*1780 Langrishe Doyle
*1805 William Warren
*1816 Francis Robinson
*1834 John Robinson
*1844 Sir
Robert Prescott Stewart
*1894 John Horan
*1906 James Fitzgerald
*1913
Charles Herbert Kitson
*1920 Thomas Henry Weaving
*1950 Leslie Henry Bret Reed
*1955 Arnold Thomas McKiernan
*1980 Peter Sweeney
*1992 Mark Duley
*2003 Judy Martin
*2010 Judith Gannon (Locum)
*2012 Ian Keatley
*2020 Tom Little
Bells
![Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin - Ringing Room](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Christ_Church_Cathedral%2C_Dublin_-_Ringing_Room.jpg)
Christ Church Cathedral probably had at least one ringing bell from its foundation. By 1440 there were known to be three great bells in the tower; however, on 11 March 1597,
an accidental gunpowder explosion on one of the nearby quays damaged the tower and caused the bells to crack. The effects of this blast also damaged the tower nearby of
St. Audoen's Church.
In 1670, six new bells were cast for the tower from cannon metal. These were recast and augmented to eight in 1738 by
Abel Rudhall. In the 1840s, several of the bells were recast by
John Murphy of Dublin. In the 1860s and 1870s, the bells were gradually recast and augmented to twelve by John J Murphy, his son, with a tenor weight of 36
hundredweight
The hundredweight (abbreviation: cwt), formerly also known as the centum weight or quintal, is a British imperial and US customary unit of weight or mass. Its value differs between the US and British imperial systems. The two values are distingu ...
in the key of B. The tenor was recast in 1979.
The most recent augmentation was in 1999 when an additional seven bells were added to the ring, giving a grand total of 20 bells - 19 swinging bells (the world's highest number of change ringing bells) and one chiming bell, cast by the Rudhalls. Although this does not produce a diatonic scale of 19 notes, it does uniquely provide a choice of combinations: three different 12-bell peals (in the keys of B, C# and F#) as well as 14 and 16-bell peals. At the time of the augmentation, this was only the second 16
full circle bell peal in the world –
St Martin-in-the-Bullring, Birmingham being the first.
They are regularly rung on tower tours and on Sunday for Sung Eucharist and Choral Evensong, with a ringing practice on Friday nights.
Administrative staff
The cathedral staff is led by the Dean. The Senior Management Team consists of the Dean's Vicar, Head of Education, Head of Finance, Head of Operations, Head of Tourism & Events, HR Manager and the Director of Music.
Archives and publications
Christ Church has a range of historical archives and has arranged for a number of publications over the years, as well as maintaining a website since the 1990s. This work is overseen by the "Honorary Keeper of the Archives" and the "Web and e-mail Editor", along with the honorary secretary of Christ Church Publications, Ltd.
Friends
The cathedral is supported by the voluntary Friends of Christ Church Cathedral, founded in 1929, and works with the cathedral authorities in a variety of ways.
Access
As Christ Church receives no regular state support, while it welcomes all guests and has a chapel for those who simply wish to pray, there are fees for sightseeing, which can also be paid in combination with the purchase of a ticket for the neighbouring "
Dublinia
Dublinia is a historical recreation (or living history) museum and visitor attraction in Dublin, Ireland, focusing on the Viking and Medieval history of the city. Dublinia is located in a part of Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral, known as the S ...
" exhibition. There is a gift shop with souvenirs, recordings of cathedral music groups and publications.
Media usage
In recent years the cathedral has been used as a set for medieval dramas such as the CW's drama ''
Reign
A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, List of Belgian monarchs, Belgium, Co-prince of Andorra, Andorra), of a people (e.g., List of Frankish kings, the Franks, List of ...
'' and ''
The Tudors
''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...
'', the cathedral's longest-running television show. Many dresses and outfits worn by
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Maria Josephine Doyle Kennedy (born 25 September 1964) is an Irish singer and actress. With a singing and acting career that has spanned more than 30 years, she has established herself as one of Ireland's most prolific artists and entertainers. ...
(playing Catherine of Aragon) and
Jonathan Rhys Myers (King Henry VIII) can be viewed within the cathedral crypt.
Group of parishes
In 1971, the general synod, following prior discussions, created the "Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes", uniting what were then four parishes with the cathedral, whose dean is their rector: St Andrew's, St Werburgh's, All Saints (Grangegorman) and St Michan's, St Paul and St Mary. The parishes are overseen day-to-day by a vicar appointed by a special board of patronage.
Burials
*The heart of
Lorcán Ua Tuathail
Lorcán Ua Tuathail, known in English as Laurence O'Toole and in French as Laurent d'Eu (1128 – 14 November 1180), was Archbishop of Dublin at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland. Lorcán played a prominent role in the Irish Church ...
(Saint Laurence O'Toole / Archbishop of Dublin)
*
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (of the first creation), Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland (113020 April 1176), also known as Richard FitzGilbert, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman notable for his leading role in the Anglo-Norman invasio ...
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John Comyn (archbishop)
John Comyn (c. 1150 – 25 October 1212), born in England, was Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland.
Life
He was chaplain to King Henry II of England and on his "urgent" recommendation was elected Archbishop of Dublin following the death of St. Laur ...
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Thomas Cartwright (bishop)
Thomas Cartwright (1634–1689) was an English bishop and diarist, known as a supporter of James II.
Life
He was born and went to school in Northampton, and studied at the University of Oxford. He was first at Magdalen Hall, and then at Queen ...
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John Maxwell (archbishop)
John Maxwell (1591–1647), was a Protestant clergyman serving the Church of Scotland and Church of Ireland as Archbishop of Tuam.
Early life
He was born in 1591 the son of John Maxwell of Cavens, Kirkcudbrightshire, was born in or befor ...
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Stephen de Fulbourn
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John Parker (archbishop)
John Parker (died 28 December 1681) was a Church of Ireland clergyman who came to prominence after the English Restoration, first as Bishop of Elphin, then as Archbishop of Tuam and finally as Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.
Earl ...
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Thomas Lindsay (archbishop)
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Henry Leslie (bishop)
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St George Ashe
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Welbore Ellis (bishop)
Welbore Ellis (1651?–1734) was an English bishop of Kildare, bishop of Meath and Irish privy councillor.
Life
He was the fourth son of the Rev. John Ellis (1606?–1681), rector of Waddesdon, and author of ''Vindiciæ Catholicæ''; and brother ...
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John Garvey (archbishop)
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John de St Paul (archbishop)
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James Barry, 1st Baron Barry of Santry
James Barry, 1st Baron Barry of Santry PC (Ire) (1603–1673) was an Irish lawyer, judge and peer.
Early life
Barry was the son of Richard Barry and his wife Anne Cusacke; Anne was the daughter of John Cusacke of Rathgar Castle and his wife Marga ...
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James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster
Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, PC (Ire) (29 May 1722 – 19 November 1773), styled Lord Offaly until 1743 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1743 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 176 ...
Theft and recovery of the heart of Saint Laurence O'Toole
On 3 March 2012, the heart of
Lorcán Ua Tuathail
Lorcán Ua Tuathail, known in English as Laurence O'Toole and in French as Laurent d'Eu (1128 – 14 November 1180), was Archbishop of Dublin at the time of the Norman invasion of Ireland. Lorcán played a prominent role in the Irish Church ...
(Saint Laurence O'Toole, Archbishop of Dublin) was stolen from the cathedral. In April 2018, the heart was recovered in
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
, by Irish police following "an intelligence-led investigation".
Notes
References
See also
*
List of Gothic Cathedrals in Europe This is a list of gothic cathedrals in Europe that are active Christians, Christian cathedrals (the seats of bishops), but also includes former cathedrals and churches built in the style of cathedrals, that are significant for their Gothic architect ...
Further reading
* ''Floor Tiles: a Guide to the Medieval and 19th Century Floor Tiles of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin'' by Joanna Wren, Christ Church Cathedral Publications (2002)
External links
Official websiteChrist Church Cathedral (photograph gallery)
{{Authority control
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough
Burial sites of the FitzGerald dynasty
Bell towers in Ireland
Pre-Reformation Roman Catholic cathedrals
Former Roman Catholic church buildings
11th-century churches in Ireland