Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin 8 is set to come to life on the evening of Wednesday October 28th as giant Gulliver-inspired animations are projected across the Cathedral’s Gothic exterior.
The event will mark 300 years to the day since the publication of Jonathan Swift‘s Gulliver’s Travels and schoolchildren from across Ireland are invited to submit their artwork for inclusion. The giant projections will be accompanied by a free concert inside the Cathedral that is open to everyone.
Published in 1726, Gulliver’s Travels is one of the most important and best-loved books ever written, read around the world both as a children’s fantasy and as sharp political satire. Its author, Jonathan Swift, served as Dean of Saint Patrick’s from 1713 until his death in 1745, and he is buried within the Cathedral.
The event, which is free to attend, is the launchpad for this year’s Jonathan Swift Festival, which runs from November 18th to 28th.
Encouraging Dubliners to come and be inspired, the Very Rev Dr William Morton, Dean of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, said, “We’re incredibly excited to be presenting a very special edition of this year’s Jonathan Swift Festival to coincide with the milestone anniversary of Gulliver’s Travels. What moves me most is seeing a story written three centuries ago still firing the imaginations of both adults and children across the world today.”
Swift scholar Dr Brendan Twomey said the evening would be a fitting tribute to one of the most celebrated books ever to come out of Ireland. “Gulliver’s Travels was published in 1726 and has never been out of print since. Three hundred years on, it still delights children and unsettles adults, and it is wonderful to see it honoured in the cathedral where Swift served as Dean.”
The celebration begins inside the Cathedral at 6.30pm, when readings from Gulliver’s Travels will be accompanied by a special organ recital inspired by the four worlds Gulliver visits – Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa and the land of the Houyhnhnms.
The evening will also see the premiere of The Man Mountain, a new work for young voices commissioned for the anniversary from composer Seán Doherty, inspired by a poem Alexander Pope wrote in response to Swift‘s book.
The anniversary celebrations on Wednesday October 28th will raise the curtain on the 2026 Jonathan Swift Festival, which this year marks the 300th anniversary of Gulliver’s Travels with talks, theatre, music and storytelling.
Submitting Artwork
Gulliver 300, the concert and illumination of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, will take place on Wednesday 28 October at 6.30pm and schoolchildren across Ireland are invited to submit drawings for inclusion in the event.
A template is available to download on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website and the deadline for entries is Friday October 23rd. Applicants will be notified if their entry has been selected for inclusion.
The Jonathan Swift Festival runs from November 18th to 28th. This year’s programme features numerous family and children’s events including a Gulliver’s Travels Storytelling events on Saturday November 21st and Gulliver’s Travels Drawing Workshop on Monday November 23rd.
For more information visit: jonathanswiftfestival.
Feature Image: Youth members of the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Choir School ,Rebecca and Cillian helping performers Philip Brett and Mirjam Schiller pull their model ship into position at the launch of the Jonathan Swift Festival 2026. Image Leon Farrell
