St Patrick's Cathedral

Lonely Planet review

Situated on the very spot St Paddy himself rolled up his sleeves and dunked the heathen Irish into a well, this is one of Dublin's earliest Christian sites and hallowed ground. Although a church stood on the site from the 5th century, the present building dates from 1191, and several major alterations have been made since then.

It's likely that St Patrick's was intended to replace Christ Church as the city's cathedral but the older church's stubborn refusal to be usurped resulted in the two cathedrals being virtually a stone's throw from one another. Separated only by the city walls (with St Patrick's outside), each possessed the rights of cathedral of the diocese. While St Pat's isn't as photogenic as its neighbour (it doesn't get the clicks, if you like), it probably one-ups its sexier-looking rival in historical terms.

It was built on unstable ground, with the subterranean River Poddle flowing beneath its foundations, and, because of the high water table, it does not have a crypt. The cathedral had been built twice by 1254 but succumbed to a series of natural disasters over the following century. Its spire was taken out in a 1316 storm, while the original tower and part of the nave were destroyed by fire in 1362 and rebuilt immediately after.

Its troubles were to be more than structural, however. Following Henry VIII's 16th-century hissy fit and the dissolution of the monasteries, St Patrick's was ordered to hand over all of its estates, revenues and possessions. The chapter (bureaucratic head of the church) was imprisoned until they 'agreed' to the handover, the cathedral's privileges were revoked and it was demoted to the rank of parish church. It was not restored to its previous position until 1560.

Further indignity arrived with Cromwell in 1649, when the nave was used as a stable for his horses. In 1666 the Lady Chapel was given to the newly arrived Huguenots and became known as the French Church of St Patrick. It remained in Huguenot hands until 1816. The northern transept was known as the parish church of St Nicholas Without (meaning outside the city), essentially dividing the cathedral into two distinct churches.

Such confusion led to the building falling into disrepair as the influence of the deanery and chapter - previously charged with the church's maintenance - waned. Although the church's most famous dean, Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver's Travels, who served here from 1713 to 1745), did his utmost to preserve the integrity of the building, by the end of the 18th century it was close to collapse. It was just standing when the benevolent Guinness family stepped in to begin massive restoration in 1864.

Fittingly, the first Guinness to show an interest in preserving the church, Benjamin, is commemorated with a statue at the main entrance to the cathedral. Immediately inside to your left is the oldest part of the building, the baptistery, which was probably the entrance to the original building. It contains the original 12th-century floor tiles and medieval stone font, which is still in use. Inside the cathedral proper, you come almost immediately to the graves of Jonathan Swift and his long-term companion Esther Johnson, better known as Stella. The Latin epitaphs are both written by Swift, and assorted Swift memorabilia lies all over the cathedral, including a pulpit and a death mask.

Beginning clockwise around the cathedral, you can't miss the huge Boyle Monument, erected in 1632 by Richard Boyle, earl of Cork. It stood briefly beside the altar until, in 1633, Dublin's viceroy, Thomas Wentworth, earl of Strafford, had it shifted from its prominent position because he felt he shouldn't have to kneel to a Corkman. Boyle took his revenge in later years by orchestrating Wentworth's impeachment and execution. A figure in a niche at the bottom left of the monument is the earl's son Robert who went on to become a noted scientist and discovered Boyle's Law, which sets out the relationship between the pressure and the volume of a gas.

In the opposite corner, there is a cross on a stone slab that once marked the position of St Patrick's original well, where the patron saint of Ireland rolled up his sleeves and got to baptising the natives.

Towards the north transept is displayed a door that has become a symbol of peace and reconciliation since it helped resolve a scrap between the earls of Kildare and Ormond in 1492. After a feud, supporters of the squabbling nobles ended up in a pitched battle inside the cathedral, during which Ormond's nephew - one Black James - barricaded himself into the chapterhouse. Kildare, having taken a deep breath and calmed down, cut a hole in the door between them and stuck his arm through it to either shake his opponent's hand, or lose a limb in his attempt to smooth things over. Luckily for him, James chose mediation over amputation and took his hand. The term 'to chance your arm' entered the English lexicon, the door, complete with hole, was preserved for posterity and everyone lived happily ever after - except Black James, who was murdered by Kildare's son-in-law four years later.

The north transept contains various military memorials to Royal Irish Regiments, while the northern choir aisle has a tablet marking the grave of the Duke of Schomberg, a prominent casualty of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Swift provided the duke's epitaph, caustically noting on it that the duke's own relatives couldn't be bothered to provide a suitable memorial. On the opposite side of the choir is a chair that was used by William of Orange when he came to the cathedral to give thanks to God for his victory over the Catholic James II during the same battle.

Passing through the south transept, which was once the chapterhouse where the Earl of Kildare chanced his arm, you'll see magnificent stained-glass windows above the funerary monuments. The south aisle is lined with memorials to prominent 20th-century Irish Protestants, including Erskine Childers, president of Ireland from 1973 to 1974, whose father was executed by the Free State during the Civil War. The son never spoke of the struggle for Irish independence because, on the eve of his death, his father made him promise never to do anything that might promote bitterness among Irish people.

On your way around the church, you will also take in the four sections of the relatively new permanent exhibition, Living Stones, which explores the cathedral's history and its contribution to the culture of Dublin. The cathedral managers are also hoping to provide tours of Minot's tower (approximately around €7 , limited to groups of eight) some time in the future, so it will be worth phoning ahead if you're interested.