Join us for a free tour of one of Edinburgh's oldest Catholic churches and the surrounding streets of the Old Town.

Come along for a free Friday evening tour of St Patrick's Cowgate during August to hear about the rich history of this beautiful historic church and the surrounding street.

Originally built in the 1770s as an Episcopal chapel, the building contains important eighteenth-century murals by Edinburgh artist Alexander Runciman. It was extended and redecorated in the nineteenth century as the centre of the Irish community living in the Cowgate and remains an active centre of Catholic worship in Edinburgh's city centre.

Visitors will learn about the history of the church and its artwork and the stories of notable people associated with the parish including Canon Edward Joseph Hannan (founder of Hibernian Football Club), James Connolly, and the Venerable Margaret Sinclair.

A tour will run each Friday of August meeting in the main vestibule of the church to begin at 7pm (an additional tour in Italian will be available on Friday 14th August). Tours are free but donations towards the upkeep of the church will be gratefully received.

Description supplied by the event organiser.