Bangor Abbey

from Foundation to Norman Invasion

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Bangor Abbey was founded in 555 AD by St Comgall in a place known as the 'Valley of the Angels'. It was founded at a time when the Roman Empire had collapsed across Europe and where, in the following confusion and anarchy, heathenism had returned. As Ulster had not been conquered by the Romans, it did not suffer the same upheaval during these turbulent years and managed to maintain some semblance of order and civilisation.

Known as 'Bangor Mor' [Bangor the Great], even in those far off times there were up to 3000 students studying at Bangor at any one time. Indeed St Comgall became known as "One of the greatest teachers of missionaries the world has ever known"

Many missionaries left Bangor and travelled through Britain and Europe, founding monasteries and thus brought back learning and civilisation to a world racked by barbarism. One of these was St Columbanus whose influence was so great that his importance has been likened to that of Charlemagne.

The repeated attacks by the Vikings and by the Gaels lessened Bangor's importance and even though it regained some of its former glory under St Malachy in the twelfth century, it was shortlived. Gutted by the Gaels, the site was used as a quarry by the Plantation stock to build their houses, and now only a wall exists of St Malachy's stone church and nothing at all remains of what was one of the most important links in European civilisation.

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