Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin

St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin draws over 300,000 visitors each year. It is a fully functioning church with services every day of the year and it is also used for public national ceremonies.

St. Patrick's is named for the original St. Patrick, who passed through Dublin and baptized converts to Christianity. A small wooden church was built in his honor after his visit.

St. Patrick's is the largest church in Ireland today. It was built between 1200 and 1270. Over the centuries, the weather, the religious reformation and persecution led to the disrepair of the building. A full restoration based on the original design was carried out by the Guinness family between 1860 and 1900.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin has been a part of Irish life throughout history. The writer Jonathan Swift was dean of the church from 1713 to 1745. His grave is near the entrance to the cathedral.

According to the church brochure, the west tower dates from 1370 and contains one of the largest collections of bells in Ireland. The choir school was founded in 1432 and the cathedral choir performed Handel's Messiah in 1742. The Huguenots worshipped at St. Patrick's from 1666 to 1816.

If you get a chance, visit St. Patrick's to see the largest church in Ireland. You may want to experience a church service while you are there; a choir sings every day except Saturday. A gift shop has publications and other items for sale.

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