Discover the History of St Patrick at Down Cathedral - NI

Down Cathedral is located in the town of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland and it carries a history behind which we got to know about from Lee Howard, one of the tour guides at Down Cathedral.
What a lot of visitors don't know about Down Cathedral is the fact that Saint Patrick is actually buried in graveyard there. When Saint Patrick came to the end of his life back then, he had a dream that when he died his body was to be put in a coffin on a back of an oxcart and that oxcart would be put on the way and the places it stops at, that would be where the coffin would be buried and that's exactly what happened when he died; they placed the coffin on an oxcart, climbed the hill, stopped and there is where it has been buried and this has been a place of pilgrimage for 16 hundred years and since then it has been considered a significant church in Ireland.
The first chapter of Down Cathedral was a little wooden church with a defensive tower and what one will see now when looking down at Downpatrick town, it would not be the same, but there was a river going around and thus it was always considered a place of faith and a place of safety.
The development of Down Cathedral went through several stages. There are some references to early Celtic monasteries on this site from 6th/7th century onwards. In the early 12th century there was an Augustinian House that was established on the site. In 1183, John De Courcy invited Benedictine monks from St. Wenburgh's in Chester to come and establish a monastery, actually parts of the present building today were part of the original monastery. Later on and with the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century, the monks left the place in 1538 and the building gradually fell into ruins.
Later on and after being kept in ruins for a period of time, in 1609 James I granted a Charter to establish a Dean and Chapter for the cathedral, and although it was still regarded as a ruined site, bishops were consecrated within the wall. Coming closer to the end of the 18th century, Dean Annesley along with Willis Hill and other notable people form that time in County Down raised funds in order to restore this old cathedral and bring it back to life once again.
This was not just a cathedral for worship, but it was also a place of monks to work, sleep and it was even a farmland, and that could explain why Down Cathedral was not just a place of worship. Before 1538 when the church was burnt and ruined, it has always been considered a safe and secure place.
What one will see in the cathedral now is actually the same as it has been after the restorations done for it by the families of County Down from the fundraising they have been doing, but that of course is apart from the modern new interpretation of the oldest space. Down Cathedral is still a church in all the possible ways and meanings; there is a congregation in it every Sunday and of course St. Patrick's Day is a big celebration that brings a lot of people to the church in order to celebrate that special day ( • St. Patrick's Day in B... ).
Saint Patrick is believed to be the one who brought faith to the country in the early part of the fifth century and that is the main reason why he tended to leave his print behind and not only be the main reason behind the appearance of Down Cathedral in the town of Downpatrick, but he was also behind the reason why St. Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh was given that name ( • Armagh Cathedral - Sai... ).
Northern Ireland and Ireland in general is filled with lots of historical cathedrals that are not just attracting people for a tour, but they are also calling out for them for worship. Lisburn Cathedral is on the long list we have here on our channel ( • Lisburn Cathedral Nort... ) which is located in Lisburn, Sain't Eunan's Cathedral in Letterkenny is one we have been to before ( • Saint Eunan's Cathedra... ), St. Anne's Cathedral in Belfast is actually one of the most famous and the top visited in Northern Ireland ( • St. Anne's Cathedral -... ) and Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin is another option ( • Christ Church Cathedra... ).
Entering a cathedral to know the history it carries behind whether it is related to religion or to the building and development of it, makes you travel with your mind to that time and start wondering why and wondering how - this was exactly what we felt when we were discovering the history of Saint Patrick and Down Cathedral.
Have you ever been to Down Cathedral in Downpatrick before? Have you ever been to any of these famous cathedrals in Ireland and Northern Ireland? Let us hear about your stories and share with us your memories about the one cathedral you have loved the most and the one you still remember until this very day!
The best locations around Ireland/Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.

[@ConnollyCove]

Down Cathedral and the history of St. Patrick at it!

[@ohnobo14]

Was there yesterday, very cool!

[@ConnollyCove]

That's great to hear and glad you enjoyed your visit :)