Marley G.
Yelp
What a breathtaking experience and a walk into the medieval history of Dublin! We had a group of nine and enjoyed wandering about the property on our own before taking the guided tour. Our guide was fabulous, quite knowledgeable, affable, and very entertaining. I hate myself for not remembering his name...so sorry.
The place is well over 1,000 years old. Yes....incredible. We were not rushed at all as we made our way through the church belonging to the Church of Ireland. No, this is not a Catholic church even though the setup is similar with a large congregational setting in the back, the choir and rector in the middle, and the altar all the way up front. It's not overly ornate, but beautiful and classic in its simplicity.
The most fascinating part is in the amazing history and stories attached to it. Strongbow's sarcophagus is in the church. To me, the most interesting part was the crypt that houses incredibly old relics, the mummification of a cat chasing a rat, a collection of costumes from The Tudors television show, and much, much more.
Toward the end of the tour, we were taken on a climb up a very old, twisting stone staircase that took us out onto the roof of the church for a breathtaking view. This is not for the faint of heart, the claustrophobic, or for those not in good shape. It's a workout to get up there, but it's sooooooo worth it! Have your camera ready to snap lots of pictures.
Then, you proceed over to the other side, up a few more stairs and into a small door (you feel like you're entering one of Willie Wonka's tricks) and into the room of the bell tower where you're allowed to ring the bell. This was totally cool! The guide fully explained everything and showed us how to do it. You think it's a piece of cake, but there is some skill to it.
Back out across and we were done. What a beautiful experience with all the gothic architecture, the sculptures, statues, tapestries, the old-old pipe organ...everything. Be sure to pick up a souvenir at their gift shop, there are nice, clean bathrooms in the basement to use, and take lots of pictures. The outside is beautiful, too...be sure to visit nearby at night and get some really gothic photos of it lit up.