A priest in the Diocese of Down and Connor has published a book on the history of the relic and shrine of the jaw-bone of St Patrick following its rediscovery in a Belfast strong-room. Fr Feargal McGrady, Parish Priest in Derriaghy, undertook the project having successfully petitioned Bishop Noel Treanor for the return of the relic to the parish where it was once located.
The discovery was, for Fr McGrady, an unexpected but pleasant surprise: ''I had no idea the shrine and relic had survived the vicissitudes of history. It was agreed that the Down County Museum would continue to have the shrine on loan so it can be available to the people of the town and to the numerous visitors from beyond.
''However, the shrine will return on occasions to join the relic it enclosed here in Derriaghy and annually around the Feast of St Patrick.''
On the experience of writing his book, Fr McGrady says: ''This record is an attempt to trace a part of the extraordinary journey of this shrine and relic down through the centuries. It is my hope that this precious relic may grace our newly restored Church of Saint Patrick, and serve as a powerful reminder of Patrick's own love for Christ and those whom he was called to serve ''at the ends of the earth''.
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