Bangor Antiphonary

The monastery at Bangor, in present-day Northern Ireland, was founded by St Comhghall in 555. A codex of 36 leaves was written there between the years 680 and 691, containing three sections: canticles and hymns; collects; and hymns for various liturgical occasions. This manuscript has been known as the Bangor Antiphonary since the 17th century; properly speaking, this is a misnomer, since the manuscript contains no antiphons and was not entitled 'antiphonary' by its scribes. It is a remarkable document of the early Irish church, giving an insight into the worship and practice of the monastic orders. Until relatively recently it was thought to have been influenced primarily by Gallican...