Viking gravestones & Bellarmine pottery

Kilgobbin Church was built in 1707 on an ancient pre-Norman site where a wooden church would have stood. This is reputedly the first church to be built after the Reformation (the first Cathedral was built in Derry). On the grounds, a rare Viking gravestone called a ‘Rathdown Slab’ was discovered on the lintel of the doorway which now can be seen inside the church. Beside the church stands a 10th-century High Cross which was unearthed in 1800 when the graveyard wall was being built. In more recent times, large quantities of broken continental pottery were discovered on a nearby field. The pottery was traced to the Netherlands and was a type of 16th-century Bellarmine Jug for holding beer and wine. This was probably imported by the Walsh Family who owned Kilgobbin Castle. The new housing estate beside the church is now named after this pottery.

Thanks to Stevenage Museum for informative video

Stepaside Village has been the long-term home and recording studio of Joe Elliot of Def Leppard. Def Leppard formed in Sheffield in 1976 and is one of the few UK rock bands to crack the American market. They are one of the biggest-selling rock bands in history with 110 million record sales and continue to sell out arenas.