Dublin is home to Saint Patrick's Cathedral, the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral stands beside the site traditionally associated with a well where Saint Patrick is said to have baptized converts. A church existed there by the 12th century, and the present cathedral developed from that medieval foundation. It was designated a cathedral in 1191.
The building is one of Dublin's most important historic landmarks and is part of the Anglican Church of Ireland, rather than the Roman Catholic Church. Dublin also has a separate Roman Catholic cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral is another historic Church of Ireland cathedral, and these distinctions often cause confusion.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral is closely connected with Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, who served as its dean from 1713 to 1745. The cathedral's association with Saint Patrick is historical and traditional, while its present institutional identity belongs to the Church of Ireland.