Saint Patrick's monument, Downpatrick
County Down has long been associated with Ireland’s patron Saint, Saint Patrick, whose presence is especially felt in the town of Downpatrick, which takes part of its name from the Saint. In Downpatrick, and County Down as a whole, you’ll find many instances of St. Patrick’s continued influence.
Saul
It is said that when St. Patrick first came to Ireland, he was swept off course and ended up at Saul in County Down. He managed to convert the local chieftain, Dichu, to Christianity and in return St. Patrick was given a barn where he could hold services. He is said to have either passed away in Saul or was brought here between his passing and his burial. Today, Saint Patrick’s Memorial Church stands where it is believed that the barn that became St. Patrick’s first church once stood. On the nearby Slieve Patrick hill, you’ll find a large granite statue depicting St. Patrick with scenes from his life displayed in bronze panels at the statue’s base.
Downpatrick
Not only is part of the town’s name derived from him but his influence can be seen throughout. Down Cathedral, in the town, is the fabled final resting place of the Saint and a place of pilgrimage for many on St. Patricks Day each year. The spot on which St. Patrick was buried is said to be marked by a large inscribed granite stone. The town is also home to The Saint Patrick Centre; the centre provides an in-depth look into the life and times of the Saint and how he came to be known the world over. The centre will give you the most detailed, as well as visual, look at Saint Patrick’s life found in any public exhibition throughout Ireland.
Newry
In recent year, Newry has become better known for its shopping than anything else. Nevertheless, Newry is home to Saint Patrick’s Church, which is believed to be the first ever protestant church to be built in Ireland. Newry’s cathedral is also officially named after the Saints Patrick and Colman.
Anyone planning a trip to Ireland to trace the roots of Saint Patrick will find most of what they're looking for here in County Down.
Words by John Temke
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Saint Patrick's monument, Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland.
St Patrick's Country (1935)
Titles read: 'ST PATRICK'S COUNTRY'.
Ulster, Northern Ireland.
Various scenic countryside shots of the village of Raholp in County Down where St Patrick grew up. A man thatches a roof of a cottage. A woman walks along with a dog and a pail over her arm and draws some water from a well. Children feed cows through a gate. A man herds cows along.
A small boy with a goat walks along by a road at Saul (?) where St Patrick first preached Christianity in Ireland. We see a small church in the background with a typical Celtic tower that is said to mark the spot where St Patrick died.
Shot of Downpatrick Cathedral where St Patrick is buried, according to legend. People look at the plain slab of granite from the Mourne Mountains that marks the grave.
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St. Patrick's Day Parade in Belfast, Northern Ireland
There are specific celebrations all around the world which are famously known for being held for a long period of time and at the same time for the different meaning it might be carrying or the different purposes it might be standing for; St. Patrick's Day and the celebrations held for it in Ireland is one of those different festivals that are widely known all around the world (
St. Patrick's Day - which is also known as the feast of Saint Patrick or which might be called St. Paddy's - is a cultural and religious celebration that is held on the 17th of March every year and which marks the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. This day actually commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in general and it also celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.
Those Irish people, those who have attended any of these celebrations before, or those who are just interested about the Irish culture, will know that celebrating this day usually happens in the form of public parades and festivals, Ceilidhs, and wearing green attire or shamrocks; if you are visiting Ireland during this time of the year, you will definitely get the chance to see these celebrations and experience that different kind of atmosphere.
Even though the celebrations are changing every single year with different additions that make them more modernized, it is important that people know that Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Christian feast back in the 17th century and since then, people started making all these different celebrations - it is even observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Lutheran Church.
St. Patrick's Day is known to be an Irish celebration but it is important to say that it is also celebrated in other countries as well and which include the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. This day is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora around the world, especially those in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand - so you might stumble upon any of these different celebrations anywhere in the world.
The interesting - and funny - fact about these celebrations is that they are more commonly held by the Irish diaspora more than they are held in Ireland and it actually entered Ireland in the 20th century, which is after it was celebrated in other countries. The parades, the wearing of green clothes and shamrocks, and those music festivals which are also held usually combine different participants such as the marching bands, the military, fire brigades, cultural organisations, charitable organisations, voluntary associations, youth groups, fraternities, and more of these different examples.
There are actually lots of different things attached to this day, such as wearing green and even lighting the streets in green, wearing shamrocks, speaking Irish during that week, and banning alcohol and eating during that day. The wearing of green comes from the 11th century pseudo-historical book Labor Gabala Erenn when Goidel Glas, the son of Scota and Niul, was bitten by a snack and was saved by Moses placing his staff on the snakebite and as a reminder, he would retain a green mark to stay with him and take his people to the land that would be free of snakes. On the other hand, using the shamrock goes back to the belief that Saint Patrick used the shamrock, which is a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and that is why it is considered good luck for people during that day - or even generally in Ireland.
This year, we attended one of these different parades that is held in Northern Ireland in order to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and bring these celebrations back to you. This carnival or festival was at Custom House Square where there were different characters to be seen and different things and shows that people would enjoy watching while celebrating that day. (
Being Irish, we have actually seen such celebrations before but for those who are visiting the place for the first time and managed to do that during St. Patrick's Day time then they should attend such festival and at the same time visit some of the most famous attractions that would happen to be placed in the same area. In this year's case, people could visit the Cathedral Quarter which is not far ( check Albert Clock ( and get to see the big fish sculpture that is known to be found in Belfast, Northern Ireland (
Happy Saint Patrick's Day from us =))!
The best locations around Ireland / Northern Ireland and further afield. A travel blog/vlog of the hidden treasures that are on our doorstep.
St. Patrick Monument World's Largest
Scale model for 100ft St. Patrick Monument on top of Croagh Patrick Mountain in Ireland. Click here to go to the website:
St Patrick's legacy
There is a reason St Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated festivals across the world!
Discover more at
Every year on March 17 the world goes green to celebrate the legacy of St Patrick. And here on the island of Ireland, you’ll find a unique heritage and warm welcome in which to honour our famous patron saint.
Fast facts:
– The first St Patrick’s Day parade was not held in Ireland, but in Boston in the United States in 1737. Ireland was a little further behind – our first parade was held in Waterford in 1903, while Dublin joined the club back in 1931. Today, the parade in Dublin is a huge, colourful, theatrical event that snakes through the historic city centre, with vivid displays and international bands.
–St Patrick died in 461 in Saul, County Down and is buried in the grounds of Down Cathedral in Downpatrick where a memorial stone, made from local Mourne Mountain granite, marks his grave.
– An Irish Franciscan friar named Luke Wadding from Waterford turned March 17 into a feast day. Born in 1558, Wadding died in Rome on 1657 and his remains are interred there in the college of St Isidore’s, which he founded.
– Thought to be either Welsh or Scottish, the exact birthplace of the famous saint is unknown and the subject of some controversy! Once here, he was sent to Slemish Mountain in County Antrim to herd sheep. But on his escape, he had a vision and returned to Ireland to spread the word of Christianity.
–You’ll find every manner of St Patrick’s Day parade all over Ireland, from the biggest in Dublin to the earliest in Dingle, County Kerry, where it kicks off at 6am. There’s a week-long festival in St Patrick’s Country around Newry, Mourne and Down, and a carnival parade and concert in Belfast. The shortest parade in the world used to be in Dripsey, County Cork, from one pub to another.
– Not content with just donning green hats, everything from buildings to rivers goes green for St Patrick's Day. In previous years, the London Eye, Niagra Falls, the Colosseum in Rome, the Empire State building and Christ the Redeemer in Rio, to name but a few, have all turned a shade of green on March 17.
– There are sites all over Ireland associated with St Patrick, which goes to show how far this 5th century saint travelled. Follow St Patrick’s Trail in Northern Ireland and you can visit Armagh's two impressive cathedrals dedicated to the saint, as well as Saul Church and the St Patrick Centre in County Down.
– Before green became the colour of choice, blue was associated with St Patrick. The significance of blue dates back to early Irish mythology and the earliest depictions of the patron saint show him wearing 'St Patrick's blue', as it became known.
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