Religious & Military Dates in Down: 1

555 St Congall founded the Canons Regular Monastery at Bangor

613 Bangor burned

674 Bangor Abbey burnt

699 Death of St Coleman (patron Saint of our Cathedral in Newry and founder of Magheralin Monastery whose walls remains survived into the nineteenth century)

818 Massacre of Abbot and monks of Bangor by Danes

11^th-12^th centuries Continued assaults by Danes around the coast

1125 Bangor Abbey rebuilt by Abbot |Malachy O’Morgair

1157 Newry Cistercian Monastery, on site of an earlier one recorded in the Four Masters, founded in Charter (extant).

1177 John de Courcy invades and conquers Ulster

1184 As Earl of Ulster de Courcy granted the ferry of Carlingford to the Abbey of Downpatrick

1205 De Courcy’s rival Hugh de Lacy became Earl of Ulster

1210 de Courcy founded the ‘Black Abbey’

1212 De Lacy built Narrow Water Castle: it survived until 1641 rebellion

1237 Newry Abbey’s Cistercian Charter renewed by Hugh de Lacy

…….. more later …….