St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick's is the largest church in Ireland, built in stone from around 1191 on a site associated with an earlier church, and heavily restored in the nineteenth century with Guinness family money. Inside it is long, high and crowded with memorial: tombs, wall plaques and floor tiles copied from medieval patterns. Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels, was dean here for more than thirty years and is buried in the nave, his own Latin epitaph fixed to the wall above. A choir school has been attached to the cathedral since the fifteenth century, and the choir still sings the daily services in the stalls behind the screen.

History

St Patrick's is unusual in not being the seat of a bishop: the Archbishop of Dublin has his seat in Christ Church Cathedral, about 400 metres away, and some believe St Patrick's, a secular cathedral, was meant to replace Christ Church, which was run by a religious order. Since 1870 the Church of Ireland has designated it the national cathedral (Wikipedia, St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin).

What's there

• Swift's grave - the dean's memorial and epitaph set in the floor and wall of the nave.
• The nave - the long Gothic interior, the largest of any church in the country.
• The Boyle monument - the tall painted family tomb of the seventeenth century.
• The Lady Chapel - the eastern chapel behind the choir, quieter than the main body.

When to go

Open most days, but the cathedral closes to sightseers during services and hours shorten in winter, so check before making a special trip. Attending choral evensong is free and shows the building doing what it was built for. Mid-morning brings tour groups; late afternoon is calmer. The park outside is pleasant in dry weather.

Things to know

Entry is charged and not cheap for a working church you may be moved out of when a service begins. Visitors regularly confuse it with Christ Church Cathedral a few streets away and end up paying twice. The interior is dim, the audio guide costs extra, and the stone holds the cold in winter.

Nearby

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin Castle and the Liberties are all within a ten minute walk.

Key facts