If you're researching a trip to Dublin, St. Patrick's Cathedral will surely come up as one of the must-do attractions. St. Patrick's is Ireland's largest cathedral and one of Dublin's most famous spots, popular among both tourists and locals.
When was St. Patrick's Cathedral built?
The cathedral is over 800 years old! It was built in 1191 on the site of an ancient well, and it continues to play an important role in the Church of Ireland.
I enjoyed walking around and seeing the cathedral. It's a gorgeous building with classic Gothic architecture. You can walk around the cathedral and through St. Patrick's Park for free, no ticket required. There's a fountain, some nice plants, and great views to admire the cathedral.
What's inside St. Patrick's Cathedral?
If you want to go inside St. Patrick's, you will need to buy a ticket. Visiting St. Patrick's Cathedral is fairly easy: a ticket to walk through the cathedral is only €10, and you can buy tickets online in advance so you don't have to wait in line.
Inside St. Patrick's, you'll find more excellent architecture and some very old artifacts. I really liked the vaulted ceilings and impressive stained glass. I also loved the spiral staircase and the very fancy pulpit. The floor was very cool, and I loved the stonework all around. There were old flags and some knight's helmets, and loads of signs to read about all the history.
Who is buried in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin?
There are a number of important Archbishops who have been buried at the cathedral, that's no surprise. But you may be interested to learn that the cathedral is also the final resting place of Johnathan Swift, Dublin native and writer of Gulliver's Travels. His and his wife's tombs are just inside the entrance to the cathedral.
How long does it take to visit St. Patrick's?
We spent maybe half an hour inside, but you could easily spend a couple of hours walking through St. Patrick's if you wanted to read everything. You also have to note that it is a little out of the way of downtown. St. Patrick's Park is about a fifteen minute walk from either Trinity College or Ha'penny Bridge. But it is only five minutes from Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral, so if those are on your list, too, you can surely see all three in one afternoon.
Is St. Patrick's worth a visit?
To be honest, I found St. Patrick's Cathedral a little disappointing. It is a beautiful cathedral for sure, but it was smaller than I expected it to be. More importantly, I found the experience lacking. There were signs and lines and posters everywhere. It felt a lot more like a museum than a cathedral that would ever be in use today. Not only was it quite crowded, but they also have an audio tour you can purchase, so there were tons of people standing around listening to the recording. It didn't feel as authentic as I was expecting, and I came away from the experience wanting.
That said, I think if you go into the experience knowing what to expect, you may not find yourself disappointed as I was. If you are interested in the history and have the time to spare on a trip to Dublin, by all means, check it out. But if you are just looking to see the cathedral because it's the thing "to do," you can probably get away with just visiting St. Patrick's Park and appreciating it from the outside.