St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin
What is it? St Patrick’s Cathedral stands on the oldest Christian site in Dublin. St Patrick is said to have baptised converts to the Christian faith in a well beside the building. The first church was built on the site in 450. This wooden church was replaced by the present building between 1200 and 1270. The cathedral fell into disrepair over the centuries; the Guinness family undertook a full-scale restoration between 1860 and 1900.
Why visit? St Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland, and the West Tower, which houses the cathedral bells, has the largest ringing peal in Ireland. The tower was built by Archbishop Minot in 1370; the first public clock in Dublin was placed on it in 1560.
The writer and satirist Jonathan Swift, who was dean of St Patrick’s from 1713 to 1745, is buried in the cathedral. Memorials to famous Irishmen – Carolan, the last of the Irish bards, and Douglas Hyde, Ireland’s first president – are found throughout the building.
There are fine examples of old Celtic gravestones, medieval brasses and tiles in the adjacent graveyard. The medieval chapter-house door, which has a hole in it, gave rise to the phrase “chancing your arm” when, in 1492, the earl of Kildare cut the hole and stretched out his arm to grasp the hand of his enemy, the earl of Ormonde, who had taken refuge in the chapter house.
Why now? Churches and cathedrals in particular are the Christian touchstones for the story of Christmas. Even in a more secularised Ireland, churches will be full to the brim tomorrow. St Patrick’s Cathedral is the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It hosts many national religious commemorations and is also used as a venue for musical events.
Although the cathedral is closed for tours today, tomorrow and on St Stephen’s Day, the festival of nine lessons and carols at 4pm today is broadcast live on RTÉ radio. (It’s a ticketed event.) The Christmas Day choral eucharist, tomorrow at 11.15am, and the Epiphany carol service, on January 8th at 3.15pm, are open to all.
The choristers (who are educated at St Patrick’s Cathedral Grammar School) lead two sung services on weekdays during term time (at 9am and 5.30pm). See stpatrickscathedral.ie for full details of daily services and guided tours.
How do I get there? St Patrick’s Cathedral, on St Patrick’s Close in Dublin 8, is in the heart of old Dublin, five minutes’ walk south of Dublin Castle and Christ Church. The cathedral is normally open daily for guided tours. (It is closed for tours today, tomorrow and on St Stephen’s Day.) Admission costs €5.50 for adults, €4.50 for OAPs and students, and €15 for a family of two adults and two under-16s; 01-4539472, stpatrickscathedral.ie.
Sylvia Thompson
