St. Comgall’s

Bellringers Bangor

Past Ringing Events from 1899

Since 1899 the bells have rung in thanksgiving:

 

· In 1900 for the Relief of Ladysmith and the Relief of Mafeking and on June 1st 1902 a Joy Peal greeted the end of the Boer War.

· 11th November 1918 a special Peace Peal for the end of the First World War.

· A special muffled peal is still rung every Remembrance Sunday and again, in recent years, at 11 am on the 11th of November to mark the two-minutes

      silence in memory of those who have perished in war.

· 8th May, 1945 a Victory Peal to celebrate victory in Europe.

· 15th August in Celebration of VJ Day and the end of the Second World War.

· In 1995 and again in 2005 the bells rang out to commemorate the 50^th and 60^th Anniversaries of both these occasions.

 

They have rung in Sorrow:

 

· Since 1899 our bells have marked the deaths of Ringers and Bangorians, Mayors and Members of Parliament, King and Queens and even American Presidents

· 22 January 1901, the death of Queen Victoria.

· 21 April 1912, a special peal for the loss of the Titanic and 41 years later on the 8 February 1953, a special Memorial Peal for the drowned in the loss of another ship close to home, the Princess Victoria.

· 22^nd of August 1995, the Tenor bell was tolled as a mark of respect for those killed in the Omagh bomb explosion on Saturday the 15^th of August.

· 6 September 1997, the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

· 14^th of September 2001, the Tenor bell was tolled as a mark of respect for all those killed or injured in the 9/11 explosions in the World Trade Centre in New York and Washington D.C.

 

And the Bells have rung in Celebration:

 

· 2 February 1938 to celebrate the Moderatorship of Mr Currie of First Bangor Presbyterian Church.

· For the births of Princes, among others on the 15 November 1948 for Prince Charles and a generation later for his son Prince William on June 21 1982.

· 7 March 1999 to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

· 3^rd of September 1999, a Centenary Peal was rung by Bangor ringers to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Parish bells.

· 1^st of January 2000, after ringing in the New Millennium at midnight the Bangor bells were broadcast at noon worldwide live on B.B.C. Radio 5.

· 2^nd of June 2002, in honour of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee the bells were rung as part of the nationwide tribute.

· 10^th of September 2005, Bangor’s bells were rung as part of the National Celebration of the ending of the Second World War.

· 21^st of October 2005, the bells were rung as part of the National Celebration of the 200^th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

· For weddings, not just royalty, but in celebration of the most important day in every couple’s life.

· In common with almost all the other towers in Ireland we are the first to usher in each New Year as midnight strikes.