Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
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 be-
came 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 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 a massive restoration
in 1864.
Baptistry & Swift's Grave
Fittingly, the first Guinness to show an interest in preserving the church, Benjamin, is
commemorated with a
statue
at the main entrance. Inside to your left is the oldest part of
the building, the
baptistry
, which was probably the entrance to the original building. It con-
tains 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 writ-
ten by Swift, and assorted Swift memorabilia lies all over the cathedral, including a pulpit
and a death mask.
Boyle Monument
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
