Cathedral tours can be offered by our dedicated and experienced tour guide team. Tours can be tailored to include greater levels of depth on relevant topics, so as to complement specific subjects being studied by the group.

Normally each educational visit would begin with a guided tour. Upon completion of the tour, groups may return to the Discovery Space for self-led activities or additional workshops as booked.

Time: 45 mins | Ages: 8+ | Participants: Max 30

After a guided tour of the Cathedral explains who the Anglo-Normans were and what the building was like in the medieval period, the group divides into smaller groups for a host of activities including:

• Gothic Calligraphy
• Brass rubbing
• Model building

Time: 45 mins | Ages: 8+ | Participants: Max 30

After a guided tour of the Cathedral, concentrating on some of the beautiful stained glass windows, students will be shown how to go about producing their own versions.

Students will choose a concept, story or theme for their window and then spend some time creating their own masterpiece!

n.b. Students create their design with paper and card, not real glass.

Time: 45 mins | Ages: 8+ | Participants: Max 30

The story of Saint Patrick is that of slavery, escape, triumph, and storytelling.

Students can learn all about who Saint Patrick was and what he did with this creative puppet making and storytelling workshop. After a tour of the Cathedral, students will delve into Patrick's life. They will create their own unique puppets of Patrick and other key figures, which they will use to act out different scenes from his life.

Time: 50 mins | Ages: 8+ | Participants: Max 20

Music is an integral part of what the Cathedral does. For centuries, the Cathedral Choir and organists have adorned our services with music, with some of the best musicians working at the Cathedral.

From the medieval music of the past, to Handel's well-known oratorio Messiah, to the contemporary choral music of today, Saint Patrick's Cathedral has many stories to tell.

After a tour of the Cathedral, focusing on the Cathedral Choir, their stalls, and their daily pattern of worship, students are introduced to our WOOFYT: a wooden one-octave organ for young technologists. A skilled facilitator will then talk about how organs work and allow students the opportunity to work together to make their own music.

Although music can seem like a world apart from science, technology and engineering, there are lots of connections to be explored. The WOOFYT makes these connections visible and audible, linking music in a simple and direct way with the physics of fluids and the technology of pumps and valves.

Time: 60 mins | Ages: 9+ | Participants: Max 20

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the perfect location for art students looking for some inspiration. Dramatic Gothic architecture, beautiful stained glass windows, and fascinating memorials at every turn provide ample opportunity to carry out observation and sketching.

A guided tour can be provided which will point out some of the interesting elements of the Cathedral and a small seating area can be booked if students need a private space to work.

Time: N/A | Ages: All | Participants: Max 30

Gulliver's Travels was the best-known publication by former Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Jonathan Swift. The book has ignited the imagination of generations of children with its fantastical tales of far-off and strange lands.

In this workshop, children will read a one-page zine version of the famous adventure and learn about the printing processes used to distribute the book in the 18th century.

They will then create their own booklets to tell tales of wild lands and peoples, that they may distribute far and wide by the modern use of a photocopier.

Time: 45 mins | Ages: 13+ | Participants: Max 30

The Cathedral’s amazing patchwork of floor tiles have vibrant designs that date back to the medieval ages! Learn all about how these tiles were made and take inspiration from the colorful creatures and patterns shown on them.

Throughout the workshop, students will learn the intricate process of tile making, from molding the clay to painting and decorating their very own unique pieces. This tactile activity will ignite their curiosity, allowing them create their very own medieval-inspired tiles to take home.

Time: 50 mins | Ages: 8+ | Participants: Max 30

There are few other places in Dublin which have a religious history, which extends back to the time of Saint Patrick and is still an active place of worship.

After a tour of the Cathedral, concentrating on the building from a worship perspective, students have a session discovering our religious and liturgical background, before attempting to devise their own services and writing their own prayers. The focus of this session will be tailored to the present time within the Church liturgical year, making it most accessible at times such as Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, etc..

This workshop would pair well with the Clergy Q&A workshop.

Time: 45 mins | Ages: 13+ | Participants: Max 30

Depending on the availability of the Cathedral Clergy, it may be possible to arrange a question and answer session for your group. This is an excellent opportunity to ask a priest any questions that the students have about religion and the Cathedral, especially within the context of the Church of Ireland.

We are lucky that our residentiary clergy are incredibly knowledgeable and experienced, and would offer a rare and unique insight for students of any age.

Alternatively, it may be possible to arrange speakers of different denominations and faiths to come together and address questions in an informal, relaxed setting.

n.b. Though there is an element of live interaction, it is helpful to have prepared the questions in advance, so that both the group and attending participants know what to expect.

Time: 45 mins | Ages: 13+ | Participants: Max 30