About Us
- St Annes Church is one of the oldest churches in Cork city which is still in use and offers weekly church services
- The Church and Tower offer an interesting and memorable experience with the beauty and history of the building, along with stained glass windows and ancient books.
- We have some of the best views across the city from the top of our Bell Tower. Climbing up through the Bell Tower is a unique experience in itself with 132 steps allowing you to get hands on with history, and results in some of the best views of the city.
- The Bells – The opportunity to learn about and ring the Shandon bells.
Our Church and Tower offers a variety of interesting and unique experiences:
Ground Floor: Church Interior
- Baptismal Font
- Stained Glass windows
- Ancient Books
- Church Organ
Tower Climb: Ring the Bells
- Ring the Shandon Bells on the First Floor
- View the Statues of Bob and Joan
- The old water-powered bellow
- Clock weights
Tower Climb: The View
- See an amazing view of Cork City from the viewing balcony
- Uncover the intricate mechanism of the clock, one of the largest caged clocks in Europe
- Witness the rhythmic heartbeat of the building through the clock’s pendulum
- Information about the intriguing urns
Explore St Anne’s Church, Shandon Tower and Bells
St Anne’s Church is a historic church with a worshiping congregation for over 300 years in the heart of Cork City. When you come to visit the church some of the things you can do include playing the famous Shandon Bells, seeing the inner workings of the four faced liar clock, and climbing the tower to see the 360 degree views of Cork.
Testimonials
See What People Are Saying About Us
Fun attraction in a church
Very fun and out of the ordinary church visit. Climbing up the small stairs, getting to ring the bells myself (and actually being able to play a tune, thanks to the instructions which are hung up) and having a beautiful view over Cork once you get to the top. In the church below there is a LGBT flag…
A Cork Icon!
One of the must-see places in Cork with its famous bell tower that stands out on the Cork skyline. The distinctive golden fish weather vane helps you to navigate towards the church on foot. The bell tower contains the famous Shandon Bells of Cork and the entrance fee allows you to climb the bell tower, passing right by the bells to an outer viewing platform. Because you have to pass the bells at the top of the tower you are provided with ear defenders at the entrance. The climb is a bit tricky and awkward in places but at seventy two I managed without mishap, although climbing and descending requires a deal of give and take between those in the tower! But once you have made the climb the view from the top brings a great reward and provides a 360 degree vista of the City.
Unexpected gem and truly interesting experience worth seeking out.
This Church and tower is an interesting experience from several perspectives. You climb stairs to the level of the bell pulls where you can pull the ropes to play different tunes that ring out over the city. After you ring the bells, a unique opportunity, you get to climb the stairs of the tower. The climb includes passing through the level of the bell mechanism and is topped by an expansive view of the City of Cork. The view of the city enables you to appreciate the historic and economic significance of the city as you look over the old and new neighborhoods. You also get to spend time in the wonderful historic church itself. The experience brings new meaning and life to the wonderful Irish song and poem The Bells of Shandon by Francis Sylvester Mahony
Defo worth visiting!
For a small fee, ring familiar tune on the bells, check out old clock mechanism and view Cork the way birds do. Don’t miss ancient books on display inside some as old as 16th century, Bibles and geometry and medicine books, worth seeing. Make sure to schedule the visit before 3pm though. They also have lovely souvenirs of St Anne’s, you won’t find in souvenir shops.