Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Saint Patrick's Cathedral is a Dublin-based registered charity and the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, founded in 1191. It serves 600,000+ annual visitors, school groups, and worshippers through worship services, heritage tours, education programs, concerts, venue hire, and community grants, funded by visitor fees, donations, and events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Saint Patrick’s Cathedral does
Saint Patrick's Cathedral, founded in 1191 in Dublin, Ireland, is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland and a registered charity (CHY 23039). Operating as both a religious institution and one of Ireland's premier heritage tourist attractions, the cathedral serves multiple customer segments: tourists and visitors (600,000+ annually), school groups (~5,000 students/year), community organizations, and music enthusiasts. Core offerings include worship services, guided and self-guided visitor tours with tower access, the professional Cathedral Choir and Choir School (dating to 1432), free education programs for schools, family craft workshops, venue hire for concerts and events, and an annual community grants scheme. The Cathedral also operates a retail gift shop via Shopify and provides live streaming of worship services for remote participation.
Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of streams: visitor entry fees, voluntary donations and offertory collections, venue hire for concerts and private functions, ticketed events (e.g., Remembrance Concerts at €17-20, Pipeworks Festival at €18-25), retail sales, and charitable grants distributed from collections. Distribution is primarily direct via walk-up visitors, supplemented by online ticketing through the Digitickets platform and group bookings coordinated with Fáilte Ireland's Dublin Champions Programme. The organization employs approximately 51-100 staff across education, music, marketing, community, and administration functions, supported by significant volunteer engagement.
The Cathedral's strategic priorities center on heritage preservation, including a €9 million roof restoration project launched in 2019 (the most significant conservation effort since the Guinness restoration of the 1860s), and expansion of community and educational programming. Marketing operates through a multi-channel approach combining the official website, monthly email newsletter, social media, earned media, event marketing, and partnerships with Fáilte Ireland, Dublin City Council, and cultural institutions including RTÉ and the GAA.
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
- Legal name
- Saint Patrick's Cathedral
- Website
- https://stpatrickscathedral.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Saint Patrick's Cathedral is a Dublin-based registered charity and the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, founded in 1191. It serves 600,000+ annual visitors, school groups, and worshippers through worship services, heritage tours, education programs, concerts, venue hire, and community grants, funded by visitor fees, donations, and events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Visitor Entry Fees: Revenue from tourists and visitors purchasing entry tickets to the cathedral
- Donations and Offerings: Voluntary contributions from visitors, worshippers, and supporters; includes candle offerings and offertory collections
- Venue Hire: Rental of cathedral spaces for concerts, events, recordings, and private functions
- Event Tickets: Sale of tickets for concerts, workshops, and special events including Remembrance concerts and family workshops
- Retail Sales: Sale of cathedral merchandise, CDs, and religious items through the on-site shop
- Charitable Grants: Distribution of community grants funded by visitor donations and offertory collections to local charities and community organizations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Remembrance Concert with RTÉ Concert Orchestra |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Pipeworks Festival Concert |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Choir CD Sponsorship - Basic |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | School Education Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saint Patrick's Cathedral operates as a National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, offering daily worship services, paid visitor tours with tower access, and choral music performances by its renowned Cathedral Choir. It also provides free educational programs and workshops for primary and secondary schools, rents its spaces for concerts and private events, sells merchandise through its on-site gift shop, and runs a community grants scheme funded by donations to support local charities.
Product overview
Saint Patrick's Cathedral offers a diverse portfolio of visitor, educational, cultural, and community services. The core offerings center on worship services and the renowned Cathedral Choir, complemented by visitor tours including tower access, educational programs for schools, and family craft workshops. Cultural offerings include the annual Jonathan Swift Festival, Heritage Week events, concerts, and venue hire services. Community engagement programs encompass school grants, charitable funding, and music partnerships. The Cathedral operates a gift shop and provides live streaming of services for remote participation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visitor Tours Guided and self-guided tours of the cathedral for visitors, including access to the tower with panoramic city views, available to individual tourists and pre-booked groups.
- Cathedral Choir Performances Professional choral music performances including Choral Evensong, concerts, and special musical events by the renowned Cathedral Choir for worshippers, concert-goers, and visitors.
- Cathedral Choir School Educational program for chorister training, established to support the cathedral's musical heritage and train young singers for the Cathedral Choir.
- Education Programs for Schools Free educational visits and workshops for primary and secondary schools covering history, music, and religious education, including guided tours and travel grant support.
- Family Workshops Hands-on craft activities including tile making, manuscript illumination, felt tapestries, and storytelling for families and children visiting the cathedral.
- Venue Hire Rental of cathedral spaces including the Nave, Lady Chapel, and Chapter House for events, concerts, recordings, and private functions.
- Jonathan Swift Festival Annual cultural festival celebrating the life and works of Jonathan Swift with events including concerts, lectures, and audio walks for the general public.
- Heritage Week Events Annual program of heritage activities including organ recitals, bell ringing tours, guided tours, and music workshops for visitors during Ireland's national Heritage Week.
- Cathedral Gift Shop Retail store selling souvenirs, books, CDs, and religious items to visitors of the cathedral.
Quantifiable outcome
- 23,000+ school children hosted free of charge since 2011
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Dublin City CouncilmajorLocal government partnership for community events including LoveD8 community fair celebrating Dublin 8. Also collaborated on environmental initiatives like the Plastic Snake project addressing single-use plastic.
- The WheelminorIreland's national association of charities, community and voluntary organizations. The cathedral attended the Spark Change Awards organized by The Wheel, winning the Storyteller Award for collaborative community work.
- RADEminorRecovery through art, drama, education - community employment training scheme partnered with cathedral for various creative projects and events including the 'Spare Change' film launch about Ireland's housing crisis.
- 61st Merchants Quay ScoutsminorLocal scout group partnered with cathedral on community initiatives as part of collaborative community work recognized at the Spark Change Awards.
- The Iveagh TrustminorHousing trust partnered with cathedral on community choir initiative and Spark Change Awards attendance. Run in partnership between the cathedral and The Iveagh Trust.
- YMCA DublinminorYouth organization partnered with cathedral on Plastic Snake project and other community initiatives.
- Francis Street CBSminorLocal school partnered with cathedral on community initiatives including Plastic Snake project.
- GAAmajorGaelic Athletic Association partnered with the cathedral for a special ecumenical service celebrating inclusivity, with historic connections to Sam Maguire (parishioner of St. Mary's Church of Ireland, Dunmanway). GAA provided grant support for bell restoration.
- Dublin City CouncilminorEnvironmental partnership addressing single-use plastic through the Plastic Snake project. Engaged young people from Francis Street C.B.S., YMCA, Aungier Street and C.M.S. Learning Centre to collect plastic and create an art installation.
- CMS Learning CentreminorEducational center partnered with cathedral on Plastic Snake environmental project engaging young people in Dublin 8.
- Artist Annie HollandminorArtist and lead facilitator for the Plastic Snake project, engaging young people across Dublin 8 schools in environmental awareness through art.
- Composer Eoghan DesmondminorComposer created original music piece for the Plastic Snake project to articulate messages from participating young people.
- Friends of Saint Patrick's CathedralminorSupport organization that helps display and preserve the cathedral's registered coat of arms and other historical assets.
- Forget-Me-Nots ChoirminorCommunity choir performed special Christmas concert at the cathedral in partnership, with support from Dublin City Council and Dublin Bus.
- An Garda SiochanaminorPolice force partnered with cathedral on community music events and the RSA Awareness and Education Day focusing on road safety in the local area.
- Historian Turtle BunburyminorAuthor and historian provided short talk at launch of 'Fallen' WW1 commemorative installation featuring 36,000 leaf-shaped messages.
- National Symphony Orchestra (RTÉ)majorFlagship orchestra partnered with the cathedral Willis organ for Pipeworks Festival 'Clash of the Titans' event, featuring Thierry Escaich's Organ Concerto No. 1 and Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 'Organ'.
- RADE (Recovery through Art, Drama, Education)minorCommunity employment training scheme hosted film launch for 'Spare Change' documentary about Ireland's housing crisis at the cathedral.
- UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)minorHosted special 'Irish Welcome' dinner for 280 refugees as part of Refugee Food Festival on World Refugee Day, with two UNHCR Michelin Star chefs producing the dinner.
- SPCK/APCKminorUK and Ireland's oldest Anglican mission agency and Christian publisher that launched the Prayers on the Move campaign in Dublin, with funding support from the cathedral and other churches.
- Dublin Fire BrigademinorEmergency services partnered with cathedral for RSA Awareness and Education Day, joining An Garda Siochana, Ambulance Personnel, Dublin City Council, and Road Safety Authority.
- The Friday Digital AgencycoreDigital agency commissioned in early 2016 to create the cathedral's new website, working with cathedral staff including Andrew Smith (Education Officer), Clarissa Delap (Marketing and Events Officer), and Ciara Ni Cheallachain (Education Assistant). The website won the Netvisionary Website of the Year award in 2016.
- Failte IrelandmajorIreland's national tourism development authority that supported an audit of the cathedral's online presence in 2015 and provided a Digital Mentor to advise on website development. Also supports Dublin Champions Programme for frontline staff training.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Customer concentration
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral social profiles
Digital presenceSaint Patrick’s Cathedral financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saint Patrick’s Cathedral
What does Saint Patrick’s Cathedral do?
Saint Patrick's Cathedral operates as a National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland, offering daily worship services, paid visitor tours with tower access, and choral music performances by its renowned Cathedral Choir. It also provides free educational programs and workshops for primary and secondary schools, rents its spaces for concerts and private events, sells merchandise through its on-site gift shop, and runs a community grants scheme funded by donations to support local charities.
Is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral a public or private company?
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Saint Patrick’s Cathedral founded?
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral based?
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does Saint Patrick’s Cathedral make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Visitor Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Offerings, venue Hire, event Tickets, retail Sales and charitable Grants.
Does Saint Patrick’s Cathedral have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.