Shandon Bells

Saturday morning after breakfast Adam and I decided on a little sightseeing.  So we walked up the hill to the Church of St. Anne Shandon.  This is one of the more popular landmarks here in Cork.  There has been a church dedicated to St. Mary on this site since 1199.  It was destroyed and rebuilt in 1693 and then rebuilt once again in 1722.  That is the structure that still stands today.

Today the church and the belfry are open to the public.  You can climb the steps to the top and even ring the 8 bells yourself.  We really got a kick out of the song sheets available.  Adam was particularly excited to play the one hit wonder song from the 80's "The Final Countdown" by Europe.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Check out this sweet YouTube video!

The walk to the top was, as you may expect, up a very narrow stone stairway.  If you're claustrophobic at all you may want to pass on this trip up the tower.  However if you can make it up the stairs, past the bells (make sure to wear your protective ear gear!) and the  pigeon poop, then you will be rewarded with a lovely view of Cork City.  It was a typical gray day here so my pictures are not the best, but you get the idea.

A fun little fact about the clock is that it is known as "The Four Faced Liar"  because the clocks on each of the four sides of the tower are slightly off.  It may be best not to set your watch to it!