Church

Holywood Co Down is a beautiful little spot with a long Christian tradition.
The site in the snap hosted a monastery founded by St. Laiseran in the early 7th Century. The present ruins are 12th century Anglo-Norman Augustinian Abbey with the tower dating from 1800. After the Black death (1348-1350) Niall O’Neill refurbished the church for the Franciscan Order. The Priory was dissolved on New Years Day, 1541, by Henry VIII with its lands passing into the hands of the O’Neill family. The Priory was still in use as a Church of Ireland parish church until 1844 when a new building was constructed in Holywood.
I paused to give thanks for the long and faithful witness in this place.