Christ Church Cathedral
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Ardeaglais Theampall Chríost

[English:] , Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin’s oldest cathedral began life as a small church founded by Dúnán, the first bishop of Dublin, with funds from the Norse king of Dublin, Sitriuc. After the capture of the city by the Anglo-Normans in 1170, their leader Strongbow (who is buried here) planned a great cathedral with the Archbishop of Dublin, Laurence O’Toole. Their vision was completed in the 1230s., Following the Reformation, Christ Church became a Protestant cathedral and ‘Romish’ relics, such as St Patrick’s crozier, were burned in a huge bonfire. The cathedral was extensively restored in the 1870s. Its atmospheric medieval crypt is one of the oldest surviving structures in Dublin., Handel’s Messiah, Thought to be Dublin’s oldest street, Fishamble Street hosted the world premiere of George Frederic Handel’s ‘Messiah’, one of the greatest choral works of all time in April 1742. The cathedral choirs of St Patrick’s and Christ Church performed, while the composer himself played the organ. Some 700 people crowded the Musick Hall, whose archway can still be seen. Advertisements requested that ladies wear dresses without hoops to ensure there was enough room in the hall!, Viking Dublin, Excavations that took place at Wood Quay in the 1970s uncovered one of the world’s most important Viking sites. A large town of over 200 buildings was revealed, as well as quays and part of the original city walls. Thousands of artefacts, including leather materials, weapons, ceramics and metal work, were also unearthed. From these finds archaeologists were able to put together a detailed picture of Viking life in medieval Dublin., (Captions) , A chorus performs Handel’s Messiah outdoors in Temple Bar at ‘Messiah in the Street’ as part of the Handel Festival. , Pottery discovered during the Wood Quay excavations. Courtesy of the National Museum of Ireland ,