Down Cathedral facts for kids
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Down Cathedral, officially called the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a historic church in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. It belongs to the Church of Ireland. You can find it on Cathedral Hill, looking over the town. It is one of two main cathedrals in the Diocese of Down and Dromore. Downpatrick itself is a newer name for the area, only used since the 1600s.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of Down Cathedral
Records show that St Fergus was the first bishop of Down. He was connected to the area of mid-Down around the late 500s. Even though it's not as old as nearby Bangor Abbey, there's no doubt that a group of monks lived on or near this hill. This was during the time of Celtic Christianity, when monasteries were very important.
These early buildings were likely made of wood. Stone buildings only started to appear around the 900s as building methods improved. Old records tell us about different attacks on the community at Down in the early 1000s.
The cathedral is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. This dedication was first written down in the 1100s. In 1124, St Malachy became the Bishop of Down. He worked hard to fix and make the cathedral bigger. Later, in 1177, Sir John de Courcy, a Norman conqueror, brought in Benedictine monks. He sent away the older group of monks.
A special royal document, called a royal charter, was given to Down Cathedral on July 20, 1609. This document gave the cathedral important rights.
John Wesley, a famous preacher, visited Downpatrick four times between 1778 and 1789. Each time, he preached in the Grove on the hill of Down Cathedral. You can still see a special stone there today that remembers his visits.
Bringing the Cathedral Back to Life
The cathedral includes parts of a 1200s church. This church was once part of the Benedictine Abbey of Down. It was left in ruins after the monastery was closed down in 1541.
Work to restore the ruined 1300s cathedral began after 1790. An Act of Parliament gave a large sum of money for this project. The cathedral reopened for church services on August 23, 1818. Work on a tower started later and was finished in 1829.
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Inside the cathedral, you can see crosses from the 800s, 900s, and 1100s. The building you see today is mostly the original main part from the 1400s. A front entrance area and a tower were added later. The cathedral had another big restoration from 1985 to 1987. During this time, the cathedral was closed for repairs.
What You Can See at Down Cathedral Today
Today, Down Cathedral holds an 1000s-era granite font. This font was found being used as a watering trough in 1927! It was then placed in the cathedral in 1931.
In the cathedral grounds, you'll find what is believed to be the burial place of St Patrick. He is thought to have died in 461. However, the stone marking the grave was actually put there in 1900.
Outside the east end of the cathedral, there is a copy of an old high cross made of granite. The original cross, from the 900s or 1000s, used to stand in the center of Downpatrick. It was moved to the cathedral in 1897. Since 2015, the original cross has been on display in the Down County Museum.
Two smaller stone crosses are now built into a wall inside Down Cathedral. These crosses seem to be from the 1100s. They are carved with pictures of monks holding books.
Images for kids
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Down Cathedral, August 2009
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The reputed burial place of Saint Patrick.
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Down cathedral, August 2009
