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The Church of Ireland Christ Church Cathedral , a short stroll up Bailey's New Street from the French Church, forms the prime architectural landmark of Georgian Waterford. Built in the 1770s by John Roberts, who did much work in Waterford for both Catholics and Protestants, it's a nicely proportioned building with a fine steeple, a spacious interior and an elaborate stucco ceiling; it stands on the site of a Viking church which was enlarged during the medieval period and survived up until 1770. The monuments inside the cathedral are worth a look, in particular that of James Rice (one-time Lord Mayor of Waterford), dating from 1482, a gruesome effigy of a corpse in an advanced state of decay, with various creatures crawling in and out of the carcass. The story of Waterford city from the time of the Norman invasion to the present day is relayed in a 45-minute sound and light presentation (April, May, Sept & Oct Mon-Fri at 11.30am, 2.30pm & 4pm; June-Aug Mon-Sat at 9.30am, 11.30am, 2.30pm & 4pm, Sun 2.30pm & 4pm; GBP2/?2.54). If you want to see more of Roberts' work, visit Holy Trinity Cathedral in Barronstrand Street off Parade Quay, and St Patrick's Church off George's Street. Originally built in 1793, Holy Trinity Cathedral was greatly altered during the nineteenth century to become the swirling, ornate extravaganza it is today. That the same architect could work on the Protestant and then the Catholic cathedral is evidence of the measure of religious tolerance enjoyed by Waterford's citizens at the time. This is further borne out in the little church of St Patrick's , tucked away up a lane off George's Street. Built in the mid-eighteenth century, it remained a Catholic church throughout penal times and as such is unique. It seems that mercantile strength gave Waterford considerable cultural independence, and Catholics were allowed to hold services here - in stark contrast to the suppression that went on in the rest of the country. Funding came from the sons of Waterford merchants who settled in Spain during the eighteenth century, and dark and dolorous paintings hang either side of the altar, revealing a strong Spanish influence.
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