Aelish's sister

Today's destination was Downpatrick, where I was to meet Frances, the sister of my former co-worker, Aelish. On my way, I passed this amazing castle in Killyleagh. I stopped to take photos but mine were so poor that I'm stealing one from the internet.

stealing

I knew Frances the minute I walked in the cafe--she and Aelish have the same beautiful hair and ready smile. We had a great chat and then she turned into a tour guide. We first visited the cathedral where St. Patrick was buried. Once a Catholic church, it was taken over by the Church of Ireland (the Irish version of the Church of England) during the Reformation. Here's another internet-grab:

And here's a shot I took with Slieve Donard way in the background:

Next we went to Streull Wells. The wells are supposed to offer cures for various ailments and were the site of large pagan pilgrimages. Then yer man St. Patrick came along and christianized the wells and bathhouses, so they became part of a Christian penitential ritual, drawing pilgrims from England, Scotland, Wales and all over Ireland.
Here's one of the bathhouses:

Apparently the belief at the time was that being on a sacred site protected the faithful from assuming any guilt for sins committed while on said ground. Needless to say there was much naughtiness as scantily clad pilgrims went from well to bath and bath to well and into nearby woods. So the church shut down the pilgrimages and insisted that all penitential rituals be done in church, under the watchful eye of the priests, rather than among thousands of people flocking to the baths. Here's my artsy shot of the bath house and the eye well, where one went to cure eyesight issues.

Anyone interested in St. Patrick could spend days in Downpatrick learning about his life and works in the area. There is actually a 92-mile St. Patrick's Trail tracing the history of his life and works in Northern Ireland.
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