St Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, built in the 13th century, is the seat of the Anglican Church of Ireland. The building stands on a former place of worship dating back to the 5th century. The west tower was rebuilt by Archbishop Minot in 1370 after a fire and the spire dates from 1749. In 1666, the Cathedral Chapter donated the Chapel of the Virgin to the community of French Huguenot Protestants who had taken refuge in Ireland. Until 1816, a service was held every Sunday in French by a Huguenot pastor. In the 1860s, a major renovation was necessary, financed by Sir Benjamin Guinness (of the brewery of the same name). As a result of this renovation, many of the walls and decorations date from the Victorian era.