St. Audoen's is the only medieval parish church, with any original features, still in use in Dublin. Situated on the north side of High Street, in medieval Dublin, the church was built by the Normans in the 12th century and dedicated to St Audoen of Rouen. It was one of the leading churches in Dublin in its time. The west door probably dates to around 1200 AD, but much of the church is from the 17th century. Only of the nave of the original church dating to the first half of the 13th century remains; new windows were fitted into it in the 15th century.
St. Andrews Church was once the centre of a Church of Ireland parish. St. Andrews Parish is one of the oldest parishes in the city, dating back to the 11th century. The present building was built in 1866 but there has been a church on the site since 1665. The present building is the third St. Andrew's Church and there is a rich and complicated history attached to the church and the site. Saint Andrews was sold by the Church of Ireland in 1994, and it is now Dublin's main Tourist Information Centre. It is located in Suffolk Street near Trinity College.
Not far from Christ Church Cathedral stands the church of St. Werburgh. This church dates from the 12th century but it was destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 14th century and a new church was built on the same site. It was rebuilt again in 1754 following another fire and became the church of the British administration in the city thereafter.
Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church of Saint Valentine was built on the site of a Medieval Carmelite Priory but nothing remains of the original building. The present church was started in 1825 and there were further extensions in 1856 and 1868. The church contains the remains of St Valentine given by Pope Gregory XVI to Fr Spratt in 1835. St Valentine's feast fell on February 14th but the romantic associations with St. Valentine's Day probably have their origins in older pagan rituals which were held on that date.
The Black Church can be found on the north side of the city. Its correct title is St Mary's Chapel of Ease and it dates from 1830. It was a Protestant Church and there is a local story which alleges that if you walk around the church three tines in an anti-clockwise direction while saying the Hail Mary backwards you will encounter the devil. It is not known if anybody has attempted this. It is called The Black Church because of the darkness of the inside, not because of the dark colour of the stone outside.
One of the most interesting churches in the city is St. Michan's Church in Church Street. Its history traces back to the Vikings in the 11th century but the present building which was restored in 1998 dates back to the 1680s. It is most famous for its preserved corpses in the burial chambers under the church, including The Crusader who is believed to have been a soldier returned from The Crusades. People touch his upraised hand believing that it will bring them luck and long life. The church contains an organ dating from 1724 and George Frederick Handel is said to have played his 'Messiah' on it.
One of the most famous churches in the city is Christ Church Cathedral which has associations with the Vikings and more especially the Normans. Building began in 1172, just after the Norman conquest of Ireland, on the site of an earlier church. There was a substantial rebuild in the 17th century after the original partially collapsed. Strongbow, who was one of the leading Normans of the time has a tomb in Christ Church Cathedral although there is some doubt as to whether his body is entombed there.
St. Patricks Cathedral is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland for all of Ireland. The head of the cathedral is called the Dean and the most famous Dean was Jonathan Swift, author of Gullivers Travels, who was dean from 1713 to 1745. There is some evidence of a church on this site going way back to the time of St. Patrick in the 5th century but the present church is largely the result of a major reconstruction of earlier medieval buildings. This reconstruction took place from 1860 to 1865. The Organ in the Cathedral is one of the biggest in Ireland with over 4,000 pipes. Parts of it date from 1695.
Visitors to Dublin's Old Churches can stay at Dublin Hotels or Dublin Bed and Breakfast
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