300 Years of Gulliver: Dublin Honours Its Greatest Satirist at the Jonathan Swift Festival

Jonathan Swift Play Performance at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Co. Dublin

This November, Dublin will celebrate one of its most famous literary figures as the Jonathan Swift Festival returns with a special focus on the 300th anniversary of the publication of Gulliver's Travels, first published in 1726. Running from 18-28 November, the festival explores the life, legacy and enduring impact of the writer, satirist and former Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral. 

This year's programme includes performances, guided walks, lectures and special events exploring Swift's influence on literature and satire. A particular highlight is And Then There Was Gulliver, a new musical created to mark the 300th anniversary of Gulliver's Travels. Performed beneath the soaring Gothic architecture of St Patrick's Cathedral, where Swift served as Dean for more than three decades, the production follows Swift's life as he wrote his most famous work, tracing his journey from political adviser in London to Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, culminating in the publication of the literary classic that secured his place among Ireland's greatest writers. The show also explores Swift's relationships with Stella and Vanessa, the two women at the heart of his personal life. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Co. Dublin

Three centuries after readers first followed Lemuel Gulliver's adventures to the lands of Lilliput and Brobdingnag, Swift's masterpiece remains one of the most influential works in world literature. While often remembered as a fantastical tale of tiny people and giant kingdoms, Gulliver's Travels is also a sharp satire on politics, society and human nature, themes that continue to resonate today. 

For visitors, the festival offers an opportunity to experience a different side of Dublin through the eyes of one of its most celebrated residents. Born in the city in 1667, Swift's connection to Dublin runs deep. He studied at Trinity College before becoming Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in 1713, a position he held until his death in 1745. The cathedral remains at the heart of many festival events and provides a fitting setting for celebrations marking 300 years of Gulliver's Travels.

Armagh Robinson Library, Co. Armagh

The anniversary is also being marked in Northern Ireland as part of the Armagh Georgian Festival (26-29 November), which celebrates the city's rich eighteenth-century heritage through immersive living history experiences, guided tours, costumed characters, artisan markets and a spectacular Georgian Light Show. As part of the programme, Armagh Robinson Library will host the annual Rokeby Lecture on 26 November, exploring the enduring relevance of Gulliver's Travels 300 years after its publication. The library is home to a rare early edition of the novel believed to have been annotated by Swift himself, offering a tangible link to one of Ireland's most influential writers.