Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland | Cathedral

First constructed in XI century and restored in the XIX century, Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland, is known officially as The Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity.   Originally built as a Catholic Cathedral by Richard de Clare aka Strongbow, Second Earl of Pembroke, a Welsh Lord notable for the beginning the Norman conquest of Ireland, it eventually became an Anglican Cathedral.   Christ Church Cathedral is the oldest and most recognized landmark in Dublin. There is an admission to the and even a donation is requested of visitors who come to pray only.
Looking up the hill behind the Civic Offices you see Christ Church Cathedral  a well worth visit when open, and well worth a walk around the outside anytime. Don't miss the Gargoyles! There are very few buildings in Dublin with Gargoyles, so make sure see them here (East end of the building, facing down Dame St.).
How did Christianity arrive in Ireland? How long did its reputation as an island of saints and scholars last?   Why did the Reformation not take hold in Ireland? What impact did the Penal laws have on religious practice? What does the future hold for Christianity in Ireland in the twenty-first century? These are some of the questions considered in this collection of eleven essays originally given as lectures at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin.    No single volume can claim to be a definitive history of two thousand years of Christianity, but this collection of essays provides an accessible introduction to the topic from an Irish perspective.  In a world ever more polarised by religious conflict, one modest hope of this book is that it would encourage the inquisitive non-specialist to delve further into the myriad complexities of over two millennia of religious history and culture.