Holywood Priory is situated on the North Down Coast on the main road between Bangor and Belfast. The ruins that stand at the junction of Old Bangor Road and the high street are of a late 12^th/early 13^th century Abbey incorporating a church tower dating from the early 1800s. A monastery was first founded by St Laserian in the 7^th century at this site or nearby Brooke Street. Laserian was the son of Nasca, a local princess and had studied at Bangor Abbey under Saint Comgall, the founder of the abbey. After his studies he made his way to Cork before returning to found the first church and monastery at Holywood. The majority of the present ruins were built by Thomas Whyte for an Anglo-Norman Augustinian Abbey built in the late 12^th, early 13^th century. After the destruction of the Black Death (1348-1350) Niall O’Neill refurbished the church for the Franciscan Order. After Henry the VII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries it ended up in the ownership first of the O’Neill family before passing to Sir James Hamilton, First Viscount Clandeboye. Hamilton was responsible for the layout of much of the surrounding town including the maypole at the centre of the town. In the early 1800s the tower was built and the priory was once again used as a parish church.

GPS: 54.64314, -5.83118