Support the Dean’s Gift Day
This year’s Gift Day Appeal will be held in the Cathedral on Saturday 20th June 2026.
Each year the Dean’s Gift Day Appeal focuses on an aspect of the Cathedral’s fabric which will enhance the worship of God. Last year, as a result of your extremely generous support of this Appeal, sixty new chairs for the Lady Chapel were purchased for which please accept my sincere gratitude.
The subject of this year’s Gift Day Appeal is something that many people in the city use every day, even take for granted as it is such a familiar part of the city’s streetscape. Through times of joy and sorrow, peace and conflict, prosperity, and also hardship, the Minot Tower clock has marked the passing hours for generations of Dubliners. Few, however, see the clock’s remarkable inner workings. Deep within the tower, a complex arrangement of gears, wheels, weights and levers continues the task for which it was designed over a century ago.
Among its secrets is an old penny (perhaps more than one!), carefully positioned within the mechanism. Small and unassuming, it has helped maintain the clock’s accuracy for many years—a fitting reminder that great things are often sustained by small acts of care.
Like all things entrusted to our care, the clock now requires attention. The mechanism needs specialist conservation and repair, as do the two clock faces on the north and west sides.
The estimated cost of the necessary works is approximately €80,000. By supporting the Dean’s Gift Day Appeal 2026, you will help preserve one of Dublin’s oldest public timekeepers and an important part of the Cathedral’s living heritage.
Just as a single penny can help keep a clock accurate, so every gift—large or small—can help preserve this remarkable piece of Dublin’s heritage. Together, we can ensure that it continues to mark the hours for generations to come.
This year’s Gift Day takes place on
Saturday 20th June 2026
11.00 – 13.00
If you are unable to attend in person donations can also be made by:
Online
Donate online here.
Cheque
Please forward your cheque made payable to
‘Saint Patrick’s Cathedral’ and reference ‘Gift Day’ on the reverse to the
Cathedral Office, c/o Saint Patrick’s Cathedral,
Saint Patrick’s Close, Dublin D08 H6X3
EFT
Donations can also be made directly to the Cathedral’s bank account. Please contact info@stpatrickscathedral.ie for details.
Please reference ‘Gift Day’ on your payment.
