Dublin Ireland stands on a hill-ringed plain and straddles the River Liffey, which flows eastward into Dublin Bay. The city extends little more than 4 miles (6.5 km) in any direction from central Dublin Castle. The three primary elements that comprise the architectural legacy and heritage of Dublin -- Norse, Norman and Georgian influences-- all converge and meet in Dublin Castle. Just outside the city walls is St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Erected during the 11th century, St. Patrick's Cathedral was originally a Viking church that is believed to have been built on an earlier Celtic foundation. The first Anglo-Norman bishop, John Comyn, rebuilt and dedicated the cathedral to Saint Patrick in 1191. The structure has been enlarged and partially rebuilt over the centuries. St. Patrick's Cathedral was in a state of collapse when Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, the brewing magnate and a lord mayor of Dublin, financed its restoration in the mid-19th century.

St. Patrick's neighbor, Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral for the Protestant diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, whereas St.Patrick's Cathedral, also Protestant, is the National cathedral. Both have been Church of Ireland (Anglican) churches since the reformation. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, is buried in the cathedral.