Saint Patrick's Cathedral has contributed much to Irish life throughout its long history (it was founded in 1191). The writer and satirist Jonathan Swift was Dean of Saint Patrick's from 1713-1747. Handel's Messiah received its first performance in 1742 sung by the combined choir of Saint Patrick's and Christchurch. Music has played an integral part in the life of Saint Patrick's since its foundation and it is the only cathedral in these islands to sing two services everyday. Living Stones, the cathedral's permanent exhibition, celebrates Saint Patrick's place in the life of the city, its history and its role at the dawn of the third millennium. It emphasises that the cathedral is not a museum but a building embracing the past to herald the future.
