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See of Dal Riata, St. Saviour's is a complex ecclesiastical site in Ballymena comprising a monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard and cross, representing an early Christian settlement in Northern Ireland. The site occupies ground underlain by Palaeogene extrusive rocks—mafic lavas and tuffs—which form the bedrock of this part of County Antrim. These volcanic formations, dating from around 60 million years ago, created the dark, rugged landscape characteristic of the region during the period when the early medieval monastery was established.
The site was significant within the See of Dal Riata, the medieval ecclesiastical territory that encompassed parts of what is now Scotland and northern Ireland. St. Saviour's represents the permanent religious structures that developed from early Christian settlement patterns, with its multiple elements—monastic buildings, worship spaces, burial ground and stone cross—reflecting the spiritual and administrative importance of the foundation.
The monument is protected by the Historic Environment Division under reference 2646, ensuring preservation of this important record of early Christian settlement and religious organisation in Ulster.
See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 2646. View the official record →
See of Dal Riata, St. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 2646.
See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross dates from the e.christ. period, and is classified as a ecclesiastical site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 2646.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rath (6.1 km), Mound - motte? (6.2 km), Crosskennan fort. motte (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
See of dal riata, st. saviour's. monastery, church, cathedral, graveyard & cross stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Palaeogene, bedrock that formed in the Paleogene. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.