This cathedral was part of the original Borough of Newtown built outside the Trim castle walls. It stands on the left side of the River Boyne, about 20 minutes walk from Trim Castle.
The cathedral was built in 1202 by Simon de Rochefort, bishop of Meath, for the community of the Augustinian priests, and was dedicated to the Saints Peter and Paul. It was one of the largest and most sophisticated churches of Ireland in the medieval times. Tha nave was very long, with transepts on each side and a choir with rib-vaulting. South of the church was the cloister, the domestic buildings and the refectory. Only the remains of the latter survive today.
In the 16th century the church was downsized with the removal of the transepts and the aisles and a new west wall was built.
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