Thursday, June 4, 2015

St. Patrick's Cathedral -- Dublin

St. Patrick's Cathedral and Park
 St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland and believed to be the earliest Christian site in Ireland where St. Patrick baptized converts.  Interestingly, Dublin has two cathedrals that belong to the Church of Ireland and they act as co-cathedrals for the city.  The Archbishop of Dublin has his official seat in the other one, Christ Church Cathedral Dublin.

Christ Church is the official Cathedral of the Dublin Diocese, while St. Patrick’s is considered the National Cathedral.

St. Patrick’s has had a church on this site since the fifth century.  A wooden building stood here until 1191 when the church was granted collegiate status.  It reached official cathedral status in 1224.  The present building was built between 1191 and 1270.

During the 1860s, the building was believed to be in danger of collapsing and a major rebuilding project by Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness resulted in the Gothic Revival building we see today.  Unfortunately, failure to preserve records during this time means that it is difficult to discern which parts of the building are actually medieval and which is part of the Victorian remodeling.

Nave of St. Patrick's Cathedral

Currently, it is also the location for the celebration of Remembrance Day in November hosted by the Royal British Legion and attended by the President of Ireland.

The building has served as both a Roman Catholic and an Anglican church (its current status).  Worship services are still held daily.

Download the free app St. Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin before touring the site.  Visit here for a beautiful 360-degree tour of the nave.

Interesting Historical Notes

Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, served as Dean (head) of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745. His grave can be seen on floor of the cathedral located almost immediately to your right as you enter the cathedral from the southwest porch.  

Jonathan Swift's grave
Here you find not only Swift’s grave but that of his long-time companion, Esther Johnson, aka Stella.  On the wall nearby, you will find Swift’s Latin epitaph to the two of them and a bust of Swift.

The first ever performance of Handel’s Messiah was performed here in 1742.  The composition is on display in a glass case in the cathedral.

As a show of disrespect, Oliver Cromwell stabled his army’s horses in the nave of the cathedral during his stay in Dublin in 1649.

Before the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland in 1871, the installation ceremony for the Knights of St. Patrick had been held in the cathedral since 1783.  Although the ceremony was moved to St. Patrick’s Hall in Dublin Castle, the heraldic banners of the knights at the time of the move still hang above the choir stalls.

St. Patrick's Cathedral and Park
St. Patrick’s Park, the expanse of green beside the cathedral, was a crowded slum until it was cleared and its residents ejected in the early 20th century.  A stone in the park marks the spot of the “holy well” where tradition says St. Patrick baptized his converts.  A Celtic cross on display in the cathedral and uncovered in the garden next door is believed to have covered this well.


The elaborate Boyle Monument was erected in 1632 by Richard Boyle, Earl of Cork, as a tribute to his family.  The kneeling five-year-old boy is his son Robert Boyle, who grew up to become the famous scientist for whom Boyle’s Law is named relating to the pressure and volume of gases.

The St. Patrick’s Choir School was established in 1432 and is an all-male choir that still recruits young men.  The choir itself actually dates to 1220.

The Organ of St. Patrick’s Cathedral has over 4,000 pipes and parts of it date to 1695. 

Visit here for an in-depth view of the cathedral’s history via a timeline, a video gallery, and cathedral tales.

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