Church

Christ Church Cathedral

#3of 10 places to visit in DublinDublin, Leinster, Ireland

Also known as Cathedral of the Holy Trinity · Christchurch Cathedral Dublin

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:00–18:15, Wednesday 09:00–17:30; Thursday 09:00–17:30; Friday 09:00–18:30; Saturday 09:00–18:30; Sunday 12:30–15:00 and 16:30–18:30. Entry: €12. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 09:00-10:30.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Ingo Mehling / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: 09:00–18:15; Hours are roughly 09:00-18:15 Monday and Tuesday, 09:00-17:30 Wednesday and Thursday, 09:00-18:30 Friday and Saturday, and Sunday 12:30-15:00 and 16:30-18:30. Hours change with the season and are shorter in winter. The two published cathedral pages differ on weekday closing times, so verify. Last admission for tours is 45 minutes before closing.
Entry fee: €12; Ticket from
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: 09:00-10:30
Best months: May – Sep
Address: Christchurch Place, Dublin 8, D08 TF98, Ireland

About Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral charges EUR 12 for adults as of 2026 and is the seat of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, on a site first used for a timber church around 1030. Its present stone building dates from the late 12th century and was heavily rebuilt in the 1870s. Visitors go down into a medieval crypt that runs the length of the building, described as one of the largest in Britain and Ireland, and see the cathedral's Treasures exhibition, its tombs and a mummified cat and rat.

Best time of day: 09:00-10:30. On a weekday, before school groups and coaches arrive.

Christ Church Cathedral timings

Christ Church Cathedral opens at 09:00 and closes at 18:15. On Saturday it is open 09:00–18:30, and on Sunday 12:30–15:00 and 16:30–18:30.

Opening hours: 09:00–18:15; Mon–Tue 09:00–18:15
Wed–Thu 09:00–17:30
Fri–Sat 09:00–18:30
Sunday 12:30–15:00 and 16:30–18:30; Hours are roughly 09:00-18:15 Monday and Tuesday, 09:00-17:30 Wednesday and Thursday, 09:00-18:30 Friday and Saturday, and Sunday 12:30-15:00 and 16:30-18:30. Hours change with the season and are shorter in winter. The two published cathedral pages differ on weekday closing times, so verify. Last admission for tours is 45 minutes before closing.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Tue	09:00–18:15
Wed–Thu	09:00–17:30
Fri–Sat	09:00–18:30
Sunday	12:30–15:00 and 16:30–18:30

Good to know: Hours change with the season and are shorter in winter; the cathedral's two published pages differ on weekday closing times, so verify before travelling.

Opening hours compiled from christchurchcathedral.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Christ Church Cathedral ticket price

Entry fees for Christ Church Cathedral
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	€12
Concession (student / senior)	€10
Children	€4

Adult admission is EUR 12 as of 2026 for a self-guided visit with audio guide, seniors and students EUR 10, children under 12 EUR 4, family (2 adults and 2 children) EUR 28, and toddlers under 4 free. A combined Christ Church Cathedral and Dublinia ticket costs EUR 25 for adults. Online bookings are discounted against in-cathedral prices. Opening hours differ between the cathedral's own pages and third-party sources, so verify at christchurchcathedral.ie.

Prices compiled from christchurchcathedral.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Christ Church Cathedral

Quiet
Moderate
Busy
Very busy

09:00 - 10:30
OpeningBest time to go
Early weekday hours are quiet, and the crypt can be walked without sharing narrow passages.
Quiet
10:30 - 13:30
Group and coach window
School and coach groups combine with day visitors, and the crypt entrance queues.
Very busy
13:30 - 16:00
Afternoon
Crowds stay heavy, especially at weekends and in summer.
Busy
16:00 - 18:00
Late afternoon
Numbers thin toward closing, but last admission for tours is 45 minutes before closing.
Moderate

History of Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral is traditionally dated to about 1030, when Sitric Silkenbeard, Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin, and Bishop Dúnán founded a timber church on the hill. After the Anglo-Norman capture of Dublin in 1170, Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, and Archbishop Laurence O'Toole began rebuilding in stone from about 1172, and the crypt survives from that first stone building.

By the 19th century the fabric was in poor condition, and the distiller Henry Roe funded a rebuilding by the English architect George Edmund Street between 1871 and 1878. Street replaced much of the outer walls, rebuilt the nave in a Gothic Revival design and added flying buttresses, so the cathedral seen from Christchurch Place is largely a Victorian reconstruction of a medieval plan.

The nave holds a monument identified as Strongbow's tomb, in fact a 16th-century replacement, and the crypt displays a pair of mummified animals, a cat and a rat, found in an organ pipe. Both are favourite subjects of guides. A covered bridge over St Michael's Hill links Christ Church Cathedral to Dublinia, the Viking and medieval exhibition.

Rules & etiquette at Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral is a working cathedral with regular services, and sightseeing pauses when they run. The cathedral does not publish a formal dress code, but modest dress, removing hats indoors and keeping voices low are customary.

Photography rules are posted at the entrance, and staff give instructions inside the crypt and near tombs. Follow staff directions in the choir and nave during services, when photography and free movement are normally not permitted.

Christ Church Cathedral's tickets are sold in the welcome area, and online bookings are discounted against the price in the cathedral. Guided tours in English can be booked at the welcome desk and include access to the belfry, where visitors can ring the bells. Last admission for tours is 45 minutes before closing, so late-afternoon arrivals can miss them.

Tips for visiting Christ Church Cathedral

1
Christ Church Cathedral's EUR 12 ticket includes an audio guide of about one hour in 10 languages, with three themed tours: Power and Politics, Christ Church and the City, and Music and Spirituality. Pick one rather than trying all three, as most routes cover the crypt and Treasures exhibition.
2
The combined ticket with Dublinia costs EUR 25 for adults as of 2026, and suits a full 2.5-hour visit. Dublinia is aimed at families and school groups, so skip it if you want a quiet morning. St Patrick's Cathedral is a short walk south-west, and each cathedral has separate tickets.
3
Hours vary by day and season, and weekday closing times differ between the cathedral's pages, so check the website before a late-afternoon visit. Winetavern Street below the cathedral runs toward Wood Quay, the site of the Viking-era waterfront, and St Audoen's Church, with a surviving stretch of medieval city wall, is about five minutes' walk west.

How to reach Christ Church Cathedral

The red star is Christ Church Cathedral; the numbered pins are the 9 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Christchurch Place, Dublin 8, D08 TF98, IrelandDirections in Google Maps

From Dublin city centre (Dame Street)
0.5 km · 6-8 min
Free (walking distance)
From Dublin Airport (DUB)
12 km · 45-60 min
About EUR 8-9 by Airlink or Aircoach (as of 2026, verify)
From Heuston station
2 km · 15-20 min
About EUR 2.00 with a Leap Card (as of 2026, verify at luas.ie)

Nearest airport

From Dublin Airport (DUB)

about 12 km, 40-55 minutes by bus or taxi.

Nearest station

From Bus stops on Winetavern Street and Lord Edward Street beside the cathedral; Luas Red Line Four Courts stop about 10 minutes on foot.

Christ Church Cathedral FAQs

How much does Christ Church Cathedral cost?

Adult admission is EUR 12 as of 2026, with seniors and students at EUR 10, children under 12 at EUR 4 and a family ticket at EUR 28. A combined ticket with Dublinia costs EUR 25 for adults.

What is in the crypt at Christ Church Cathedral?

The crypt holds medieval architecture from the late 12th century, the Treasures exhibition and a mummified cat and rat found in an organ pipe. The crypt runs the length of the cathedral and is described as one of the largest in Britain and Ireland.

Who founded Christ Church Cathedral?

Sitric Silkenbeard, the Hiberno-Norse king of Dublin, and Bishop Dúnán are traditionally credited with founding the first timber church around 1030. Strongbow began rebuilding in stone from about 1172.

Can you ring the bells at Christ Church Cathedral?

Yes, on a guided tour. English-language guided tours can be booked at the welcome desk and include access to the belfry, where visitors can ring the bells.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places