Overview
People come to Down Cathedral for one thing: the grave of St Patrick, in the churchyard on the south side. Be clear on what it is before you make the trip. The marker is a rough slab of Mourne granite laid in 1900, not an ancient monument, and the burial itself is tradition rather than proven fact; the same tradition puts St Brigid and St Colmcille here too. That said, it’s the focal point of Downpatrick, a wreath is laid every St Patrick’s Day, and the cathedral around it is worth the walk up Cathedral Hill for its own sake.
This is the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, an active Church of Ireland cathedral for the Diocese of Down and Dromore, above the town of Downpatrick in County Down. Most visitors pair it with the adjacent Saint Patrick Centre and the nearby Down County Museum.
Early history
The hill was once Rath Celtair, a fortified site named in the Ulster Cycle. By the sixth century it had become a monastic settlement, and St Fergus is recorded as its first bishop around that time. In 1124 Bishop St Malachy began a programme of repair and enlargement, and in 1177 the Norman conqueror John de Courcy brought in Benedictine monks.
What followed was centuries of damage. The cathedral was attacked in the early eleventh century, burned by Edward Bruce in 1315, and its monastery was suppressed in 1538 and destroyed the following year. A royal charter of 20 July 1609 re-established a chapter and cathedral on the site.
Architecture and restoration
After long decline, a parliamentary act of 1790 allocated £1,000 towards rebuilding. The Gothic Revival cathedral reopened on 23 August 1818, and a stone tower was added and consecrated in 1829. The rebuild kept the original 15th-century chancel, which is essentially the cathedral you walk through today. A further restoration in 1985–87 refreshed the fabric.
What to see inside and out
- St Patrick’s grave – The 1900 Mourne-granite slab in the churchyard, marking the reputed resting place of Patrick and, by tradition, Brigid and Colmcille.
- The two stone crosses – Set into a nave wall, two small 12th-century crosses carved with monks holding books. Easy to miss; worth seeking out.
- The high cross – A replica of a weathered 10th- or 11th-century high cross stands outside the east end; the worn original has been on display in the Down County Museum since 2015.
- The granite font – An 11th-century font found being used as a watering trough in 1927 and installed here in 1931.
- The stained glass – Mayer of Munich windows light the nave, including a cycle depicting the life of St Patrick.
- The organ – Built as part of the 1818 restoration and housed in an oak case, it has a long-standing reputation as one of the finest pipe organs in these islands.
The 2018 burials
In 2018, excavation for a new high-cross in the car park uncovered 14 medieval burials, among them two adults, a child of five to seven, and six infants, several showing signs of tuberculosis. Nine sets of remains were lifted to protect them from the works and, in April 2026, reburied in a new grave close to the reputed graves of the three patron saints. Archaeologists have taken the burials as a sign the hill may once have served as a medieval hospital, caring for and praying over the sick.
John Wesley
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, came to Downpatrick four times between 1778 and 1789 and preached not in the cathedral but in a grove on the cathedral hill. A memorial stone near the grounds marks his visits.
Planning your visit
- Opening hours – Monday to Friday 10.00–15.30; Saturdays by appointment only; Sunday 13.00–16.00. The tighter weekday hours catch people out, so plan around them. The grounds and the grave are reachable year-round.
- Admission – Free. Guided tours can be arranged in advance for a charge.
- Services – Sunday worship at 11.30am and Holy Communion at 10.00am on Thursdays.
- Accessibility – Designated accessible parking sits within 50 metres of the main entrance, with a step-free alternative entrance.
- Nearby – The Saint Patrick Centre is a short walk down Saint Patrick’s Square, with exhibits and a film on the saint. The cathedral is also a stop on the St Patrick’s Trail linking Armagh and Downpatrick sites.
Give it an hour: the nave, the crosses, the font, and the grave out in the churchyard.