Church

St Patrick's Cathedral

#4of 10 places to visit in DublinDublin, Leinster, Ireland

Also known as Saint Patrick's Cathedral Dublin · National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland

Quick answer

Opening hours: 09:30–17:00, Saturday 09:00–18:00; Sunday 09:00–13:00 and 16:30–18:00. Entry: €11.50. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 09:30-10:30.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Diliff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Opening hours: 09:30–17:00; Monday-Friday 09:30-17:00; Saturday 09:00-18:00; Sunday 09:00-13:00 and 16:30-18:00. The cathedral's visit page labels these as opening and last-admission times, so verify. Free guided tours Monday-Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30. Sightseeing pauses during services and special events.
Entry fee: €11.50; Ticket from
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: 09:30-10:30
Best months: May – Sep
Address: St Patrick's Close, Patrick Street, Dublin 8, Ireland

About St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral charges EUR 11.50 for adults as of 2026 and is the largest church in Ireland, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. St Patrick's Cathedral stands on Patrick Street in Dublin 8, on a site that tradition links to Saint Patrick's baptisms, a claim historians treat as legend, with a church dedicated in 1191 and the main building completed largely in the 13th century. Cut limestone, a cruciform Gothic plan and a long nave lined with monuments define the interior, and the cathedral is also the burial place of the writer Jonathan Swift.

Best time of day: 09:30-10:30. On a weekday, before groups arrive and when the nave is quiet.

St Patrick's Cathedral timings

St Patrick's Cathedral opens at 09:30 and closes at 17:00. On Saturday it is open 09:00–18:00, and on Sunday 09:00–13:00 and 16:30–18:00.

Opening hours: 09:30–17:00; Mon–Fri 09:30–17:00
Saturday 09:00–18:00
Sunday 09:00–13:00 and 16:30–18:00; Monday-Friday 09:30-17:00; Saturday 09:00-18:00; Sunday 09:00-13:00 and 16:30-18:00. The cathedral's visit page labels these as opening and last-admission times, so verify. Free guided tours Monday-Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30. Sightseeing pauses during services and special events.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Fri	09:30–17:00
Saturday	09:00–18:00
Sunday	09:00–13:00 and 16:30–18:00

Good to know: Sightseeing pauses during services and special events; check the cathedral's calendar for choral services and closures.

Opening hours compiled from stpatrickscathedral.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

St Patrick's Cathedral ticket price

Entry fees for St Patrick's Cathedral
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	€11.50
Concession (student / senior)	€10
Children	€5.50

Adult admission is EUR 11.50 as of 2026, with students and seniors (60+) at EUR 10.00, children aged 6-12 at EUR 5.50, infants under 5 free, and a family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) at EUR 31.00. A joint ticket with Marsh's Library costs EUR 17.00. Worshippers attending a service do not pay. Verify current prices and service closures at stpatrickscathedral.ie.

Prices compiled from stpatrickscathedral.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit St Patrick's Cathedral

Quiet
Busy
Very busy

09:30 - 10:30
OpeningBest time to go
Weekday openings are quiet, and the nave is nearly empty before the first tour at 10:30.
Quiet
10:30 - 13:00
Tour and coach window
Coach parties arrive alongside the free tour, and the areas around the Swift memorials fill.
Very busy
13:00 - 16:00
Afternoon
Visitor numbers stay high, particularly around the 14:30 tour.
Busy
16:00 - 17:00
Late afternoon
Crowds thin ahead of last admission, and the nave is calm in late light.
Quiet

History of St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral was raised to collegiate status by Archbishop John Comyn around 1191, and the main structure was built in the 13th century, with a Lady Chapel added about 1270. Unusually, it is not the seat of a bishop: the Archbishop of Dublin has his seat in nearby Christ Church Cathedral, and Dublin has had two medieval cathedrals for most of its history.

Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, served as dean from 1713 to 1745 and is buried in the cathedral beside Esther Johnson, known as Stella. His Latin epitaph, which he wrote himself, records that fierce indignation could no longer lacerate his heart, and the tablet hangs on the wall beside his grave.

St Patrick's Cathedral had fallen into disrepair by the 19th century, and Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness paid for a major restoration in the 1860s. A statue of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness stands in the nave, and most of the restored fabric visitors see dates from that campaign.

St Patrick's Cathedral's choir and the choir of Christ Church Cathedral both took part in the first performance of Handel's Messiah in Dublin in 1742.

Rules & etiquette at St Patrick's Cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral is a working church, and sightseeing stops during services, so the last-admission times vary by day. Sunday sightseeing is limited to 09:00-13:00 and 16:30-18:00, with no guided tours on Sundays.

St Patrick's Cathedral does not publish a formal dress code, but modest dress and removing hats indoors are customary in a working church. Photography rules are posted at the entrance, so follow the signs and staff instructions, especially in the choir and during services. Keep voices low near memorials.

St Patrick's Cathedral has wheelchair access, toilets and a gift shop, and limited coach parking. There is no cloakroom listed on the visit page, so large bags are best left at the hotel.

Tips for visiting St Patrick's Cathedral

1
St Patrick's Cathedral runs free guided tours Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30, and joining one turns a 30-minute look into a proper introduction to the Swift, Guinness and choir stories.
2
Marsh's Library, Ireland's oldest public library, is a two-minute walk away, and the joint ticket at EUR 17.00 as of 2026 undercuts buying both separately. Christ Church Cathedral is roughly ten minutes on foot down the Liberties streets, so visitors often pair both on one morning; the two cathedrals are separate visits with separate tickets.
3
Check the cathedral's calendar for choral services, which attract worshippers as well as sightseers. The Liberties around the cathedral is one of Dublin's older working districts, and the walk from Grafton Street takes about 15 minutes through Georgian and Victorian streets.

How to reach St Patrick's Cathedral

The red star is St Patrick's Cathedral; the numbered pins are the 9 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

St Patrick's Close, Patrick Street, Dublin 8, IrelandDirections in Google Maps

From Dublin city centre (St Stephen's Green)
1 km · 12-15 min
Free (walking distance)
From Dublin Airport (DUB)
12 km · 45-60 min
About EUR 8-9 by Airlink or Aircoach, plus EUR 2.00 for a city bus (as of 2026, verify)
From Christ Church Cathedral
0.6 km · 8-10 min
Free (walking distance)

Nearest airport

From Dublin Airport (DUB)

about 12 km, 35-50 minutes by bus or taxi.

Nearest station

From Luas Green Line St Stephen's Green stop

about 12 minutes on foot; Dublin Bus stops on Patrick Street outside the cathedral.

St Patrick's Cathedral FAQs

How much does St Patrick's Cathedral cost?

Adult tickets are EUR 11.50 as of 2026, with students and seniors at EUR 10.00 and children aged 6-12 at EUR 5.50. A family ticket costs EUR 31.00, and a joint ticket with Marsh's Library is EUR 17.00.

Is St Patrick's Cathedral the biggest church in Ireland?

Yes. St Patrick's Cathedral is the largest church in Ireland and the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, though the Archbishop of Dublin has his seat at nearby Christ Church Cathedral.

Is Jonathan Swift buried in St Patrick's Cathedral?

Yes. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of the cathedral from 1713 to 1745, is buried in the nave beside Esther Johnson, known as Stella.

Are there guided tours at St Patrick's Cathedral?

Yes. Free guided tours run Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30, and there are no tours on Sundays. Private group tours cost EUR 18 per person for groups of 10 or more.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places