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The Great Britain Guide

Abbeys & priories · Northern Ireland

Bangor Abbey

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Bangor Abbey — abbey in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Bangor Abbey, abbeys & priories in Northern Ireland

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Plan your visit

Typical visit
45 min–1.5 h
Nearest railway station
Bangor · 0.4 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Bangor Abbey is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to AD 501. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Affiliated with Catholicism. Wikidata describes it as: "abbey in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland". Coordinates: 54.6560°, -5.6750°.

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From the Wikipedia article

Bangor Abbey was established by Saint Comgall in 558 in Bangor, County Down, Ireland and was famous for its learning and austere rule. It is not to be confused with the slightly older abbey in Wales on the site of Bangor Cathedral.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Comgall founded the monastery at Bangor about 558 A.D. in County Down, on the southern shore of Belfast Lough. The ancient Annals differ about the exact year, giving various dates between 552 and 559. The earliest, the Annals of Tighernach, and the Annals of Innisfallen, give 558 A.D. as the date of the foundation. The name was sometimes written "Beannchor." The place was also called the "Vale of Angels," because, according to a popular legend, St Patrick once rested there and saw the valley filled with angels. Comgall was born in Antrim in 517, and educated at Clooneenagh and Clonmacnoise. The spirit of monasticism was then strong in Ireland. Many sought solitude to better serve God, and…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
54.6560, -5.6750
Postcode
BT20 4BW
Parliamentary constituency
North Down
Established
552
Nearest railway station
Bangor0.4 km
Official site
www.bangorabbey.org

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Bangor Abbey?
Bangor Abbey is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (postcode BT20 4BW).
When was Bangor Abbey built?
Built or established in 552.
Is Bangor Abbey a listed building?
Bangor Abbey is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
How do I get to Bangor Abbey?
The nearest railway station is Bangor, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BT20 4BW.