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Bangor Abbey holds funeral service for human remains found after 800 years Bangor Abbey holds funeral service for human remains found after 800 years
(about 11 hours later)
A funeral service will take place for 20 people at Bangor Abbey in County Down, almost 800 years after they died. A funeral service has taken place for 20 people at Bangor Abbey in County Down, almost 800 years after they died.
The remains of the 10 men, seven women and three children were discovered in 2011, during renovation work in the abbey grounds.The remains of the 10 men, seven women and three children were discovered in 2011, during renovation work in the abbey grounds.
They were found near St Malachy's Wall, the last standing part of the former medieval monastery.They were found near St Malachy's Wall, the last standing part of the former medieval monastery.
Speaking to the County Down Spectator newspaper, Canon Ronnie Nesbitt said there was a bit of mystery surrounding the remains.Speaking to the County Down Spectator newspaper, Canon Ronnie Nesbitt said there was a bit of mystery surrounding the remains.
"They were found inside the monastery and certainly the women and children couldn't have been monks."They were found inside the monastery and certainly the women and children couldn't have been monks.
"So there's a bit of a puzzle over why they would have been buried within what was an operational ecclesiastical building.""So there's a bit of a puzzle over why they would have been buried within what was an operational ecclesiastical building."
Archaeologists have said the group may have come from a rural farming community and there was evidence of wear, tear and injury caused by physical work.Archaeologists have said the group may have come from a rural farming community and there was evidence of wear, tear and injury caused by physical work.
The twenty people died from natural causes and had Christian burials. The 20 people died from natural causes and had Christian burials.
On Saturday, they will be reburied in a modern funeral service and their resting place will be marked with a newly-commissioned headstone. On Saturday, they were reburied in a modern funeral service and their resting place is to be marked with a newly-commissioned headstone.
The service will feature a reading and the choir may sing some medieval music to set the tone. The service was open to the public, with the organisers hoping to attract people with an interest in local history.
"There is an open invitation to any members of the public to attend," said Canon Nesbitt. "I've been trying to imagine the lives of these people," said Canon Nesbitt.
"We're hoping there might be some people with an interest in local history, or who want to pay tribute to some of our predecessors.
"I've been trying to imagine the lives of these people.
"What comes across is a sense of peril, of hardness, of how much they truly were at the mercy of the elements and I suspect their understanding of God would have been much more central to their lives.""What comes across is a sense of peril, of hardness, of how much they truly were at the mercy of the elements and I suspect their understanding of God would have been much more central to their lives."
The service will take place at 3pm on Saturday. An exhibition with more information on the remains is running at the North Down Museum.