Pat Coogan: A Tricky Man

Pat Coogan: A Tricky Man is an exhibition of work by the Belfast-born artist Pat Coogan (1935-2025) at Down County Museum in Downpatrick, running from Thursday 24 September to Wednesday 23 December 2026. Admission is free for the whole three-month run.

What to expect

Down County Museum runs its temporary exhibitions in a gallery space alongside its permanent local history collection, so visitors can combine a look at Pat Coogan’s work with the rest of the museum’s displays in the same visit. Housed in the buildings of the old county gaol on The Mall, the museum has cell blocks and exhibition rooms built around the courtyard of the original 18th century prison, giving any visiting exhibition an unusual, atmospheric setting compared with a conventional gallery. Running the exhibition across three full months gives visitors a wide window to fit it around a trip to Downpatrick, rather than a one-off opening night. The museum’s collection otherwise focuses on the archaeology and social history of the wider Lecale area, so a visiting art exhibition like this one sits alongside displays that cover the county’s history from prehistory through to the twentieth century.

Getting there

Down County Museum is on The Mall, just off English Street in Downpatrick town centre, within walking distance of the town’s bus links and other heritage sites. On-street parking and nearby car parks serve the town centre.

While you’re in Downpatrick

Down Cathedral and the Saint Patrick Centre are both a short walk from the museum, making it easy to take in more of Downpatrick’s heritage quarter on the same trip. There is more to see in Downpatrick and across Co. Down.

Good to know

• 24 September to 23 December 2026
• Venue: Down County Museum, The Mall, English Street, Downpatrick
• Free admission
• Check with Down County Museum for opening hours
• Listed on the museum’s own temporary exhibitions page, checked 14 September 2026