Down Cathedral

Down Cathedral Review

Down Cathedral is one of the disputed burial places of St. Patrick. In the churchyard, a somber slab inscribed "Patric" is supposedly the saint's tomb, but no one knows where he's actually buried. It might be here, at Saul, or, some scholars argue, more likely at Armagh. The church, which lay ruined from 1538 to 1790 (it reopened in 1818), preserves parts of some of the earlier churches and monasteries that have stood on this site, the oldest of which dates to the 6th century. Even by then, the cathedral site had long been an important fortified settlement: Down takes its name from the Celtic word dun, or fort. Information panels erected in 2012 tell the the history of the building through a timeline, outline the connection with St. Patrick, and give details on the war memorials. There's also a small shop selling booklets, postcards, CDs, and jam.