Christ Church Cathedral

This cathedral has been described by architectural historian Mark Girouard as the finest 18th Century Ecclesiastical building in Ireland. It was built in the Neo-Classical Georgian style which was de rigueur. Roberts was fond of this style, reminiscent of Ancient Greece and its elegance was in contrast to the ornate Gothic interiors of most of the churches in this time. The spectacular stucco plasterwork ceiling is very similar to what could be seen in many 18th Century palaces and stately homes across Europe.

What you see today varies slightly from this original construction, as a disastrous Organ Gallery fire in 1815 devastated the magnificent Elliot organ and much of the surrounding woodwork. The cathedral was closed for three years for repair and reconstruction.  Some further improvements were deemed necessary in 1891 by Sir Thomas Drew, a leading architect of the time. The square pews and galleries were removed and the ground floor windows blocked up. A new case was built for the organ and it was taken down from its gallery and squeezed into the left-hand corner of the Cathedral.  In 2003 the organ was restored and a new gallery was built to house it in its original position.