St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland.  It is also the final resting place of Jonathan Swift.  I’m not sure why my sister and I decided to go there, but we did.  

Maybe it’s because we went on a really nice day and it looked really big and imposing. 

Maybe it’s because I have an odd interest/fascination with stained glass.

Maybe it’s because I like architecture and churches are interesting to look at.

Maybe it’s because there are cemeteries nearby and I like old cemetery stones/carved stones in general.

Or maybe it’s because I like interesting things and this church is the where the term “chancing your arm“* (to take a risk) was born.

*If you don’t want to go to the link and read all that, here’s the gist: in Medieval Ireland there was a dispute between the Butlers and FitzGeralds (kind-of like the Hatfields and McCoy’s I guess). Black James (a Butler) and his men were taking refuge in the chapter house of the Cathedral during a fight.  FitzGerald had the upper hand, but wished for a peaceful resolution.  He asked James to meet with him face to face, but James refused to leave the chapter house.  So FitzGerald had his soldiers cut a hole in the door, through which he stuck his arm as a show of good faith.  Instead of cutting the arm off, James shook it and the feud was ended.