Gulliver drawings to light up Saint Patrick's Cathedral on book's 300th birthday
Free concert and projection on 28 October mark three centuries since Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels was first published
Schoolchildren across Ireland invited to submit artwork for Giant Gulliver projection
Series of events announced as part of Jonathan Swift Festival, including musical production, family events and Gulliver-inspired gala dinner
One of Ireland's most iconic landmarks, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, is set to come to life on the evening of Wednesday 28 October 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 members of the public.
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, will launch this year's Jonathan Swift Festival, which runs from 18 to 28 November. Speaking ahead of the event, the Very Rev Dr William Morton, Dean of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, encouraged members of the public to come and be inspired:
"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 2026 Jonathan Swift Festival
The anniversary celebrations on Wednesday 28 October will raise the curtain on this year's Jonathan Swift Festival, which runs from 18 to 28 November. The festival marks the 300th anniversary of Gulliver's Travels with talks, theatre, music and storytelling.
Highlights include And Then There Was Gulliver, a new stage musical by Gerry Mullins based on real events in Jonathan Swift's life as he wrote his masterpiece. The hilarious new show will take place on Thursday 26 November and will include the story behind the publication of Gulliver’s Travels, which was so controversial that it was never published under Swift’s name at the time.
On Wednesday 25 November, Focus Ireland will host a special charity Christmas concert, bringing together choirs and musicians for an uplifting evening of music and song while raising vital funds to help end child homelessness, a cause reflecting the compassion for society’s most vulnerable that was central to Swift’s life and legacy.
Rascals Brewery will host Craicademia on Wednesday 18 November, featuring Dr Brendan Twomey, Harry Burton and James Anderson for an evening of short, entertaining talks inspired by the wonderfully strange world of Gulliver’s Travels.
On Thursday 19 November, the Cathedral will host Gulliver's Gala Dinner, an immersive four-course dinner with each course inspired by one of Gulliver's four worlds, accompanied by live music, storytelling and theatrical surprises.
London Concertante will perform A Baroque Christmas on Friday 27 November featuring music from Swift’s era. The festival concludes on Saturday 28 November with Jonathan and the Jest, a guided walk through Saint Patrick's Cathedral and Marsh's Library in which a theatrical encounter will see Jonathan Swift step into the present.
This year’s programme features numerous family and children's events including a Gulliver's Travels Drawing Workshop on Monday 23 November and Gulliver's Travels Storytelling events on Saturday 21 November.
Submitting Artwork
Gulliver 300, the concert and illumination of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, will take place on Wednesday 28 October at 6.30pm. 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 23 October. Applicants will be notified if their entry has been selected for inclusion.
The Jonathan Swift Festival runs from 18 to 28 November. For more information visit: jonathanswiftfestival.ie
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