St Patrick's Church is a very important early Christian site, Patricius (Saint Patrick) on his return to Ireland established a monastic settlement here in the 5th century. Excavated recently as part of planning requirements for a graveyard extension uncovered artefacts which date the location to the 6th century. The land on which St Patrick founded the monastic settlement was given to him by Fergus Mor MacEarca, son of Erc of Armoy after Patrick had intervened in a dispute on inheritance between Fergus and his brothers. St. Patrick is said to have prophesied that Fergus would one day have his own kingdom, which came true when he succeeded his father as King of Dalriada.

In 490 AD, Fergus moved the throne of Dalriada from Ireland to Scotland and in doing so became the first Scots King to reign over Dalriada from Scotland, through his friendship with Patrick he converted to Christianity and became the first Christian king in Ireland. Fergus  drowned while returning from Scotland, the location of his death is today known as Carrickfergus (Rock of Fergus) It is known that Armoy was an important location in the kingdom of Dalriada and the monastic settlement a focal point for scholastic learning with links to Northumbria and Clonmacnoise. 

St.Olcan who became Bishop of Armoy was baptized at Dunseverick by St. Patrick who then sent him to study in France (Gaul). Some accounts refer to St.Olcan being the nephew of Fergus, others to him being found as an orphan. Next to the current church is the remains of the only round tower in North Antrim which dates to the 9th century. The present church was built in 1740 on the site of an older medieval church, the landscape surrounding the area is made up of drumlins left behind by the meltwater of retreating glaciers some 10,000 years ago. The church has ancestral link to Oscar Wilde, his uncle the Reverend Ralph Wilde served as a rector here.