The original organ in the Pro-Cathedral was built by the Dublin organ-builder, John White, over 100 years ago. The present instrument still contains some of White's original pipe-work while the facade of the organ dates from the William Hill rebuild of 1900. Henry Willis & Co. carried out subsequent work in the 1930s, before J.W. Walker's major 1971 rebuild under Monsignor John Moloney. The most recent refurbishment, by the same firm, was completed in 1995 and was inaugurated in a gala concert given by Notre Dame’s Titular Organist, the great Olivier Latry, on 20 March 1996.

Interestingly, the Swell is built into the back wall of the church with the shutters in line with the rest of the wall. The organ console itself was moved, in a general redevelopment of the church in 1995, to help facilitate the directing of the choir and is at a 90° angle to the pipe-work on the left of the gallery.

This organ is now regarded as one of the finest examples in Ireland of a late nineteenth-century Romantic instrument. Since its installation it has featured prominently in the many great liturgical occasions that have graced the Pro-Cathedral. Leading international organ recitalists have performed at it console including Daniel Chorzempa, Dame Gillian Weir, Daniel Roth, Dr. Arthur Wills and Olivier Latry.

John White Late-19^th Century • William Hill c1900

Henry Willis & Co. 1930s • J. W. Walker 1971 & 1995

Stops added or changed in 1995 are indicated with [*]

Source: The Irish Pipe Organ Page

Prof. Gerard Gillen - Titular Organist

Dr. Gerard Gillen has been Titular Organist of Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral since 1976 and is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s leading church and concert organists. A First Class Honours graduate from University College, Dublin, Oxford University, and the Royal Flemish Conservatoire of Music, Antwerp (where he gained the Prix d’Excellence, the highest award for instrumental performance, in the class of Flor Peeters) he has gone on to give almost 1000 recitals internationally and has also been a member of international competition juries in London, Dublin, Ann Arbor and Oxford. He is Professor Emeritus at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, having retired from the position of Professor and Head of the Music Department of that university in September 2007. He went to NUI, Maynooth in 1985, having previously been a lecturer in music for sixteen years at the University College, Dublin. Professor Gillen oversaw the expansion of the Music Department in undergraduate and post-graduate programs including new diplomas in Music Technology and Church Music. He also directed the University Choral Society from late-1985 until April 2007. Professor Gillen's interest lie in the areas of Catholic church music, organ building and performance practice. He was honoured, as the 1992 John Betts Fellow, at Oxford University and, since 1993 has been chair of the Irish Episcopal Commission and Advisory Committee on Church Music. He is also the general editor (with Harry White of UCD) of the bi-annual Irish Musical Studies. Dr. Gillen was Founder-Chairman of the Dublin International Organ & Choral Festival and was the festival's artistic director from 1990-2000. He was also consultant to the National Concert Hall in Dublin on the1991 installation of the Kenneth Jones concert organ and remains one of the Hall's honorary organ curators. He has enjoyed a long and prestigious international career as an organ recitalist appearing at such prestigious international venues as the Royal Festival Hall, London and in numerous US and European cathedrals and churches including King’s College, Cambridge, Notre Dame, Paris and St Stephen's, Vienna, Grace Cathedral, San Francisco and in Bach’s church, St Thomas’, Leipzig. With a new CD of French organ music released late in 2009, Dr Gillen has confirmed himself as one of Ireland’s busiest and eminent organists. He has recently returned to Dublin following a recital series of performances in Australia.