Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin was founded in 1191.

The author and poet, Jonathan Swift, served as Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral from 1713 until his death in 1745. A cast of his girlfriend, Esther (“Stella”) Johnson’s skull is kept at Marsh’s Library next door, and it is not unheard of for Swift’s ghost to visit it on occasion – even though her actual body is interred within the cathedral where his own body also rests.

The ghost of Captain John McNeill Boyd’s faithful dog has also been spotted near the statue that was erected in memory of his master. Interestingly, the beloved hound has also been spotted at the Captain’s grave in Glasnevin Cemetery.

Another ghost is said to haunt the nearby Deanery where a benevolent presence has been encountered on a few occasions. Reverend Victor Griffin served as Dean between 1969 and 1991 and he once described an encounter that he himself had had with the ghost.

Although always sceptical about ghosts and preferring natural explanations to supernatural, I had nevertheless what might be described as ghostly experience in the Deanery when late one evening, in the dim light of the hall, I saw what appeared to be the figure of a man going up the stairs and disappearing into the large bedroom on the landing. I assumed it was my brother-in- law who was staying with us at the time, and had spent the evening out on the town with friends from his Trinity days. I called to say ‘Goodnight’, but there was no reply.

The encounter prompted the Dean to check on their house guest and to ensure that all was well, but when he entered the room, he found it to be empty. He had the same experience six months later and embarked on a full search of the house, even though his wife assured him that he wouldn’t find anything.

Some believe that the ghost the Dean encountered was that of Jonathan Swift, but the Dean himself believed that it may have been a member of house staff who gave care to Swift in his later years and who was still carrying out that duty of care all those years later.