Early Christian and Medieval Sites

These pictures form the nucleus of a body of work commissioned by Down County Museum. The resulting exhibition Power of Place, currently on display in the Museum, captures the hidden beauty of the ecclesiastical heritage of County Down.
The pictures also form the background to a large format travelling exhibition In the Footsteps of St Patrick first displayed in the St Patrick Centre in Downpatrick. The aim of this exhibition is to explore some of the local sites, monuments and archaeological discoveries which are linked to the early missionary work of St Patrick and his followers, and to his Early Christian legacy in County Down.

Yew Tree

Image 24 of 25

St Patrick is said to have planted a yew on a sandy stretch of the Clanrye River, from which Newry gets its name. The Annals of the Four Masters record the destruction of the yew tree and an associated monastery in the 12th century.