Book excerpt: Dublin is an unusual city in having two Anglican cathedrals within a few hundred yards of each other, St Patricks cathedral and the diocesan cathedral of Christ Church. This volume chronicles the history of St Patricks cathedral over the millennium of its existence, the first work to do so for almost two hundred years. It charts the impact of events such as the Reformation in the sixteenth century and disestablishment in the nineteenth century as well as chronicling the evolution of a local community through the architecture of the cathedrals buildings and the music of its worship. As such the book casts into relief not only the life of the church but also the workings of the city and the country as a whole through their turbulent histories.--from publisher description.