The Mourne Gullion Strangford is the homeland of St. Patrick. The landscape where Ireland’s most famous son began his Christian ministry is dotted with churches and other religious sites from across the centuries.
St. Patrick’s Grave at Down Cathedral
Down Cathedral has stood on a hill overlooking Downpatrick since the 12th century, surviving earthquakes, fires and pillages. To this day, it still houses crosses from the 9th, 10th and 12th centuries.
Pilgrims and tourists from around the globe flock to Down Cathedral to visit the grave of St. Patrick. While Patrick is reputed to have died in the year 461, the present burial stone was placed in the grounds of the Cathedral in 1900.
The Beginnings of the Celtic Church in Saul
Born in Wales, St. Patrick is said to have first landed in Ireland near the village of Saul. From here, he began his ministry across Ireland. This led to the Christian faith being preserved throughout the Dark Ages, and later reintroduced to Europe by Patrick’s successors.
The present Saul Church opened its doors in 1933, to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of Patrick’s mission in Ireland, on the site where he died on March the 17th 461.
A Victorian Church in the Gothic Style
For over 150 years, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church has been a focal point of the local community in Downpatrick. The foundation stone was laid by the local Bishop in 1866, while the distinctive Gothic spire was later added in 1895.
More recently, a sympathetic transept was added in 1993, to meet the needs of a growing congregation. As part of this expansion, an intricate mosaic shrine to St. Patrick was also added.
6th Century Monastery at Maghera
Journey through early Christian Ireland at Maghera Old Church and Round Tower. Founded in the 500s by St. Dorian, the site is one of the earliest known monasteries in Ireland. The crumbling round tower was built in the 10th century, and marks the site of the original monastic community.
Ruins of St. Tassach’s Church in Raholp
St. Tassach was one of Patrick’s closest followers, having delivered the last rights to his mentor in 461. The 6th century Raholp Church was built and dedicated to St. Tassach in honour of his role in the early Christian Church.
Clay was used to cement the masonry, rather than mortar, indicating that Raholp was one of the very earliest Christian churches to be erected in Ireland.
Historic Graveyards
Graveyards are some of the best places to gain an understanding of the history of any region. Some of the Mourne Gullion Strangford’s most famous residents are laid to rest in the graveyard at Creggan Church.
Three 18th century Irish Language poets Art Mac Cooey, Pádraig Mac Aliondain and Séamus Mór Mac Murphy are interred in the graveyard, which dates all the way back to the 15th century, having been founded by the O’Neill clan.
Convents Spanning Over 1000 Years at Killeavy
Experience the entire span of Christian history at the Killeavy Old Churches. Originally founded as a convent by St. Monnina in the 5th century, Killeavy was home to orders of nuns up until its dissolution in 1542.
Art from 1609 shows a round tower at Killeavy, which was destroyed by strong winds in around 1768. At the heart of the narrow church’s ruins stands an impeccably preserved Celtic cross, hewn from local stone.
