Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

DOWNPATRICK

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 460 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

DOWNPATRICK , a See also:

market See also:town and the See also:county town of Co. Down, See also:Ireland, in the See also:east See also:parliamentary See also:division, 28 m. S.S.E. of See also:Belfast by the Belfast & County Down railway. Pop. (19o1) 2993. It stands picturesquely on a sloping site near the See also:south-See also:west extremity of See also:Strangford Lough. It is the seat of the See also:Protestant and See also:Roman See also:Catholic dioceses of Down. St See also:Patrick founded the see about 440, but the See also:present Protestant See also:cathedral See also:dates from 1790, the old structure, after suffering many vicissitudes, having been in ruins for 250 years. The cathedral is said to contain the remains of its founder, together with those of St See also:Columba and St See also:Bridget. A See also:round See also:tower adjoining it was destroyed in 1790. A small See also:trade is carried on at Strangford Lough by means of vessels up to See also:loo tons, which See also:discharge at Quoile See also:quay, about r m. from the town; but vessels of larger See also:tonnage can discharge at a steamboat quay See also:lower down the Quoile. The imports are principally See also:iron, See also:coal, See also:salt and See also:timber; the exports See also:barley, oats, See also:cattle, pigs and potatoes.

See also:

Linen manufacture is also carried on, and See also:brewing, tanning and See also:soap-making give considerable employment. The Down See also:corporation See also:race-See also:meeting is important and attracts visitors from far outside the county. The See also:rath or dun from which the town is named remains as one of the finest in Ireland. It was called Rath-Keltair, or the rath of the See also:hero Keltar, and covers an See also:area of to acres. In the vicinity of the town are remnants of the monastery of See also:Saul, a See also:foundation ascribed to St Patrick, and of See also:Inch See also:Abbey (118o), founded by See also:Sir See also:John de Courcy. Three See also:miles south is a See also:fine See also:stone circle, and to the south-east are the See also:wells of Struell, famous as miraculous healers among the peasantry until See also:modern times. The town is of extreme antiquity. It was called Dun-leth-See also:glas, the fort of the broken fetters, from the miraculous deliverance from bondage of two sons of Dichu, See also:prince of Lecale, and the first convert of St Patrick. It is the Dunum of See also:Ptolemy, and was a See also:residence of the See also:kings of See also:Ulster. It was already incorporated See also:early in the 15th See also:century. It returned two members to the Irish See also:parliament until the See also:Union in 1800, and thereafter one to the Imperial parliament until 1832.

End of Article: DOWNPATRICK

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
DOWNMAN, JOHN (1750–1824) 		[next]
DOWNS

Site © 2006 - Net Industries