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In 1984,
the museum opened its first public gallery with an exhibition
about St Patrick. This explained, in a very simple way, the
story of the real St Patrick. The exhibitions may have changed
since then but the museum now holds an important
collection of Early Christian objects, including carved
stone cross slabs on loan from the Select Vestry of Saul
Church.
In addition to the artifacts of that
period, the museum is interested in other material relating
to St Patrick, such as works of art, commemorative material
and publications.
Downpatrick now hosts major celebrations
on St Patrick's Day each year, with one of the largest parades
in Ireland. It is one of the busiest dates in our events calendar,
when we generally welcome between 2000-3500 visitors. There
are always lots of
activities for families - come and join us!
If you
are looking for information on St Patrick, the museum has
compiled a bibliography. Click here
for details.
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This bronze sculpture incorporates the words in Irish of the
second verse of the hymn known as 'St Patrick's Breastplate'.
In the centre is a 'chi rho' (XP), an early Christian symbol
formed of the first two letters, in Greek, of the name of
Christ.
Oisin Kelly was born in Dublin in 1915 and became one
of the foremost Irish sculptors of his generation.
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The Gaol