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St Patrick's Cathedral
This is the largest church in Ireland, founded in 1191, and its biggest pull beyond the Gothic architecture is Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels, who was dean here and is buried inside. It is a calm, atmospheric visit, and if you can time it for choral evensong, the boys' choir in that space is the real reason to come. Buy your ticket online to skip the queue, and check Sunday hours since service times limit visiting.
Photos: Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0), Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0), Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
A worthwhile, low-cost stop, and a quietly moving one if you care about Swift or catch the choir. The architecture is impressive without being overwhelming, and evensong is the thing that turns a decent visit into a memorable one. If you are choosing between Dublin's two cathedrals, this one has the better story.
Worth it for
- Swift readers and literary travelers
- Anyone who can attend choral evensong
- Visitors who want a calm, affordable cathedral with good small stories
You can skip if
- You have limited time and have already done Christ Church next door
- You can only come Sunday morning, when sightseeing access is tightly restricted
Tickets & tours for St Patrick's Cathedral
Which ticket should you buy?
What it is
St Patrick's stands on a spot linked to Saint Patrick himself, where tradition says he baptized converts. The current cathedral is mostly medieval Gothic, the longest church nave in Ireland, and it has weathered centuries of restoration, much of it funded in the 1800s by the Guinness family. It is a working Church of Ireland cathedral, so services take priority over tourism.
The Swift connection runs deep. Jonathan Swift was dean here from 1713 until his death in 1745, and he is buried in the floor at the west end beside his close companion Stella, with his own famous epitaph nearby. There are Swift artifacts and memorials throughout.
What to see
Walk the long nave and look for the Door of Reconciliation, the medieval door with a hole hacked through it. That hole is the origin of the phrase to chance your arm, after a 15th-century feud was settled by one lord reaching his arm through to shake hands. It is a great small story and the door is the real thing.
Beyond Swift's grave and the door, there are war memorials, old banners, a large pipe organ, and an interactive discovery area covering the building's history. The interior is quieter and less ornate than some European cathedrals, which is part of its appeal: it feels lived-in rather than staged.
Visiting and tickets
Tickets are inexpensive by Dublin standards and buying online lets you skip the entry line. Visiting hours run through most of the day on weekdays and Saturdays, but Sundays are heavily restricted to service times, so a Sunday visitor often gets only short windows. Always check the day's hours before you go.
The standout free-with-a-service experience is choral evensong, sung by the cathedral's boy choristers most weekday evenings and on Sunday afternoons. Sitting in the nave while they sing is genuinely beautiful and costs nothing beyond turning up for the service. Treat it as worship, not a show, and you will be welcome.
St Patrick's Cathedral: FAQs
Yes. Swift was dean of St Patrick's for over 30 years and is buried in the floor at the west end of the cathedral, next to Stella, with his Latin epitaph on display.
For sightseeing, yes, and it is one of the cheaper attractions in town. Buying online lets you skip the queue. Attending a service like evensong is free.
Yes. Choral evensong is sung most weekday evenings (typically early evening) and on Sunday afternoons. It is free to attend as a service, and the boys' choir in that space is the highlight for many visitors.
Limited. Sundays revolve around services, so tourist access is usually squeezed into short windows in the morning and early afternoon. If you want a relaxed visit, come on a weekday or Saturday.
A medieval door with a hole cut through it, the origin of the phrase to chance your arm. It comes from a 15th-century dispute settled when one lord put his arm through the door to shake hands and make peace.
It is in Dublin 8, southwest of the center. Walk about 10 minutes from the Luas Green Line at St Stephen's Green, or take one of several city buses that stop nearby. It is an easy walk from Christ Church Cathedral and the castle.
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