St Patrick was an ordinary man who did extraordinary things in Ireland 

After six years, Patrick heard God’s voice telling him it was time to leave Ireland, so he escaped from his captors and made his way back home. Here, he had another vision from an angel who told him he should go back to preach Christianity to the Irish. After 14 years’ studying to be a priest, Patrick returned to Ireland where he built churches and spread the Christian faith for the next 30 years until his death on March 17, 460AD.

Down Cathedral was built on the ancient hill of Down in the 12th Century, and has become a place of pilgrimage for over 1500 years. People from across the globe travel to Down Cathedral to leave wreaths on the massive granite stone that marks St Patrick’s Grave. Traditionally, emigrants leaving Ireland took a handful of the ‘old sod’ with them from the grave to remind them of Ireland.