1910-1911.] ~g- 



The different types of woods, oak, beech, birch, and pine 

 were described with their special associations of humbler plants. 



BANGOR. 



At a meeting of the Archaeological Section, held in the 

 Museum, on 23rd November (Mr. A. Milligan in the chair), Mr. 

 W. J. Fennell, F.R.I. B. A., read an interesting paper on Bangor, 

 Co. Down. In the course of his address Mr. Fennell said 

 Bangor's earliest name was Inver-Beg (the little river mouth), 

 which later on changed to " The Vale of the Angels," derived 

 from its name Bean Choir, modernised into Bangor, signifying 

 the " White Church," or " Fair Church " It was also frequently 

 alluded to as " Bangor the Great " to distinguish it from Bangor 

 in Britain. The first authentic record states that about 555 a.d. 

 St. Comgall founded an abbey of regular canons at Bangor. Like 

 many other parts of Ireland, it had to fight fearful battles for its 

 existence against sea robbers as well as land robbers. The wealth 

 and possessions that gathered round these mediaeval institutions 

 made them most attractive places well worth plundering, and 

 Bangor was no exception. Her possessions even extended to 

 the Isle of Man, over which her Abbot ruled, subject to 

 homage to its king. Bangor ceased to be a seat of learning 

 when the Norman invasion began. The final blow to any 

 little Irish character that may have remained came in 1367, 

 when it was enacted that no mere Irishman should be 

 allowed " to make his profession in a religious house situated 

 amongst the English." This enactment extended to the Abbey 

 of Bangor, and after that the race to which Columbanus and Gall 

 belonged " were excluded from the cloisters they had sanctified." 

 In 1225 we find that Malachy, another noted Irishman, and Bishop 

 of Down and Connor, resided here. He was afterwards called to 

 the Primate's chair in Armagh. James I. granted the Abbey to 

 Sir James Hamilton, from whom may be traced the families of 



