Is St Patrick’s Cathedral worth visiting?
St Patrick’s Cathedral is first and foremost a place of worship, it is open to the public as an architectural and historical site and definitely worth visiting.
The breathtakingly beautiful cathedral is immense and one of Dublin’s most popular attractions. The Cathedral is one of the few buildings that originated in medieval Dublin. Part of Dublin’s history for more than 800 years the Cathedral has more than 700 burials among them Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick’s.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was constructed between 1220 and 1260 and offers visitors a rich historical and cultural experience. The site of the Cathedral was used by St Patrick to baptize Christian converts 1500 years ago.
Today it is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and the largest cathedral in the country. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, was dean of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in the 1700s and as we noted above, he is one of many burials on site.
The cathedral choir is world famous, established in 1432, which still performs daily during school term. The Lady Chapel, dating from 1270, has been restored to its original glory in the last few years.
The times of services are Monday to Friday, 09:00 Sung Matins (school term only), 11:05 Holy Eucharist (Wednesday and Thursday only) 17:30: Choral evensong. On Saturday 11:05 Holy Eucharist and Sunday 09:15 Holy Eucharist, 11:15 Choral Eucharist, 15:15 Choral Evensong.
The Cathedral accommodates self guided experience through which the visitor can explore the beloved Cathedral. home of Saint Patrick’s Story andIreland’s finest example of Gothic architecture. Multilingual audio guides are available in English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Mandarin, providing endless highlights including the magnificent stained-glass windows, the organ boasting more than 4,000 pipes and the expansive Bell Tower.
Ready for that trip to Ireland? Start planning here.
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