St. Anne's Cathedral

St Anne's Cathedral, also known as Belfast Cathedral, is the principal Church of Ireland cathedral in Northern Ireland and a defining presence in the Cathedral Quarter of central Belfast. Built in a robust Hiberno-Romanesque style, the cathedral was begun in 1899 around an earlier parish church which continued to be used during construction and was only demolished once the new walls were complete.

Inside, visitors find richly decorated chapels, intricate mosaics depicting Saint Patrick and other figures from Irish Christian history, and a vast nave roofed in oak. The black and white marble floor of the baptistery and the carved Celtic capitals reward a slow look. The tomb of Sir Edward Carson, the unionist leader, lies in the south aisle, the only person buried within the cathedral.

In 2007 the cathedral gained a striking modern addition: the Spire of Hope, a 40-metre stainless steel needle rising from the crossing roof and visible across much of the city. The cathedral sits a short walk from Belfast's main shopping streets and the bars and galleries of the Cathedral Quarter, easily reached from Lanyon Place station or by bus.