St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, the main church of the Protestant Church of Ireland dates its earliest construction from the 12th century. By the begining of the 19th, however, much of it was nearing collapse. Between 1860 and 1865, thanks to funding from Benjamin Guinness of the prosperous brewing family, it was closed and extensively restored. It reopened with great ceremony on this day with more than three thousand people in attendance. A statue of Guinness sits in the cathedral grounds today. (By John Osborne)