St Patrick’s Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland and the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It was founded in 1191 by John Comyn, the first Anglo-Norman archbishop of Dublin, and dedicated to Saint Patrick. By the nineteenth century the building was close to collapse, and Benjamin Guinness of the brewing family paid for a major rebuild between 1860 and 1865, so much of the structure and decoration you see today is Victorian work on a medieval plan.

The cathedral's most famous dean was Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, who held the post from 1713 to 1745 and wrote many of his sermons and Irish pamphlets during those years. He is buried in the cathedral. Another popular story is the origin of the phrase chancing your arm, said to date from 1492, when the Earl of Kildare reached through a hole cut in a door to offer a handshake to his rival and end a feud.

Music has been central to the cathedral for centuries. The choir school was founded in 1432, a girls' choir was added in 2000, and the organ has more than 4,000 pipes. If you can, attend a sung service or evensong rather than only visiting as a sightseer; everyone is welcome at worship, and services are free.

Tickets are required for visiting outside services, and a joint ticket with Marsh's Library next door is available. Free guided tours run Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30, though times can change, so ask at the welcome desk. The cathedral is wheelchair accessible and has toilets. Visiting hours on Sunday are split around services, so check the timetable before planning a Sunday visit. Allow about an hour. Groups of ten or more must book online, private group tours can be arranged by emailing [email protected], and limited coach parking is available on St Patrick's Close.

The cathedral stands at the junction of Patrick Street and Upper Kevin Street. St Patrick's Park beside it was laid out in 1901 by Edward Guinness on the site of crowded housing, and is a pleasant spot to sit. Christ Church Cathedral is about ten minutes' walk north, and the Guinness Storehouse and Teeling Distillery are both close by in the Liberties.