Dublin has two medieval cathedrals, both Church of Ireland, a few hundred metres apart. This confuses visitors, who quite reasonably ask why a city needs two cathedrals, and why neither of them is Catholic.
The short answer is: history. The long answer is a tour. Here’s what’s worth seeing, and what it costs.
St Patrick’s Cathedral
The larger of the two, built beside a well where St Patrick is said to have baptised converts. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, was Dean here and is buried in the nave. Look for the “Door of Reconciliation” with a hole in it, the origin, so the story goes, of the phrase “chancing your arm”.
Prices (checked November 2026)
- Adult €11.50, Student/Senior (60+) €10, Child (6–12) €5.50, under-5s free
- Family (2 adults and up to 3 children): €31
- Joint ticket with Marsh’s Library: €17
Free guided tours run Monday to Saturday at 10:30 and 14:30. There are no tours on Sundays. Entry is free for anyone attending a service, and the choir is superb.
Opening times vary through the day on Sundays because of services, so check the cathedral website before a Sunday visit.
St Patrick’s Cathedral visitor information
Marsh’s Library
Right behind St Patrick’s is Ireland’s first public library, opened in 1707 and barely changed since. Dark oak bookcases, and the wire “cages” where readers were locked in with rare books so they couldn’t walk off with them. There are still bullet holes in some of the books from 1916.
€8 adult, €6 students and seniors, free for under-18s. Open Tuesday to Friday 9:30am–5pm and Saturday 10am–5pm. Closed Sundays and bank holidays.
Christ Church Cathedral
The older of the two, founded by Dublin’s Viking king nearly a thousand years ago. Inside you’ll find Strongbow’s tomb, the heart of St Laurence O’Toole, a rare copy of the Magna Carta, a medieval tiled floor, and the crypt, the oldest building in the city still in use.
And in the crypt: the famous mummified cat and rat, found stuck in an organ pipe, frozen mid-chase. They have been there for centuries. They are known locally as Tom and Jerry. You couldn’t make it up.
Prices
Self-guided tickets with an audio guide are around €11.50–€12 for adults, cheaper online, with family tickets and free entry for disabled visitors and carers. A joint ticket with Dublinia, which is joined to the cathedral by a stone bridge, saves money if you’re doing both. Pre-booking is encouraged but not required.
Christ Church Cathedral tickets
The smaller churches worth finding
Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church
On Aungier Street, and home to relics of St Valentine, given to the church in the 19th century. Every February 14th, couples come to have their rings blessed. It’s free and quiet the rest of the year.
St Audoen’s
Dublin’s oldest parish church still in use, on High Street near Christ Church, with a stretch of the old city walls and the only surviving city gate behind it. It’s an OPW site, so check opening times on Heritage Ireland.
St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street
A handsome city-centre church known for its lunchtime concerts, and for the bread shelf where loaves were left for the poor for nearly 300 years.
John’s Lane Church (St Augustine and St John), Thomas Street
The tallest spire in Dublin, and one of the finest Victorian Gothic churches in Ireland. You’ll pass it on the walk from Christ Church to the Guinness Storehouse.
Findlater’s Church (Abbey Presbyterian), Parnell Square
The striking Gothic spire at the corner of Parnell Square, paid for by a Dublin merchant family. Look at it on your way to the Garden of Remembrance.
St Begnet’s, Dalkey
Not one but two ruined churches of St Begnet: one in Dalkey village and one on Dalkey Island. Best seen as part of a day out to Dalkey.
A cathedral morning
- St Patrick’s Cathedral at opening, with the 10:30 free tour.
- Marsh’s Library next door (joint ticket).
- Walk five minutes up to Christ Church and the crypt.
- Cross the bridge into Dublinia.
- Lunch on Thomas Street, then on to the Guinness Storehouse.
FAQs
Why does Dublin have two cathedrals?
Christ Church was the cathedral of the walled city; St Patrick’s was built just outside the walls. For centuries they argued about which was senior. Both are now Church of Ireland: Christ Church is the cathedral of the diocese, St Patrick’s the national cathedral.
Can I visit for free?
Both cathedrals are free if you attend a service. Visiting as a tourist is ticketed.
Which is better?
St Patrick’s for size, Swift and the free tours. Christ Church for the crypt, the cat and the rat. If you can, see both.
Prices checked on the official cathedral and library websites, November 2026.
More in our guide to things to do in Dublin.