V. – THE WELL OF SLAN.

So much for the first church of Glenavy and the saints whose sacred dust commingles with the soil of the parish where their lives were spent. Ancient records tell us of a holy well that sprang forth at the word of St. Patrick near the site of the church that he had founded. According to the Tripartite Life : ” In the same place he brought forth out of the earth a fountain which, from the numerous cures received by those who drank of its waters, was called Sian (healthful).” Father Colgan writes that there was no trace of this well in his day.

He mentions three miraculous wells in the Diocese of Connor frequented by pilgrims and by the people. One of these was in the parish of Schire (Skerry) Patrick, another in the parish of Creamchoill (Cranfield), and a third in the town of Connor.

V I – SARON AND CONNLA.

We are not certain who was King of Ulaidh at the time that Patrick was a swineherd on Sliav Mish. However, when he returned from the Continent, where he was preparing for the priesthood and for his apostolate to the Irish, the kingdom of Ulaidh had passed to the two sons of Caelbadh, Saron and Connla.

We have already seen how Saron tried to thwart Patrick, and prevent him from founding a church in Glenavy. Connla, on the other hand, did not show the same hostility to the Apostle’s teaching. He was ashamed of his brother’s conduct, and offered Patrick lands for a church in his own territory. Accordingly, Patrick founded the Church of Cumar  on the lands given him by Connla. This, according to some, was the origin of the famous Monastery of Muckamore (= the Plain of the Confluence). According to others, the reference is to Comber, in which place also there was an ancient monastery. Patrick blessed Connla, and promised that from him kings and chiefs of that province would be descended. The Catalogue of Kings of Uladh states that no less than eight of them were descended from this Connla. The race of Connla is represented by the Magennises of Iveaghin whose family the lordship of Iveagh was hereditary.

VII.–THE CREW HILL.

Its Historical Importance.
The subsequent history of Glenavy is closely connected with that of the Kingdom of Ulaidh or Ulidia. The Kings of Ulaidh were proclaimed on the Crew Hill, on the eastern side of the parish. The coronation-stone is still to be seen on the summit of the hill, but the “spreading tree,” under which the ceremony took place, and from which the place itself is named, vas cut down in 1099 by the Kinel-Owen, the hereditary enemies of the Ulidians. There is a large rath, which may have been the royal residence, on the south side, as you approach the top of the hill. On the summit there have been discovered some stone-lined graves belonging to the Pagan period. Nothing more remains to mark the scene where many a time the clansmen of Ulaidh gathered round their king from far and wide, to be drilled and marshalled for many a fierce encounter.

Then and Now.
The hill itself rises to a height of 629 feet, and commands a view of the entire parish. From the top of the Crew the scene that lies before the visitor on a summer’s day is one not easily to be forgotten. On the west, Lough Neagh stretches away in the distance to where Sliav Gallion and the grey-blue hills of Derry and Tyrone are dimly visible. Ram’s Island, with its clump of trees reflected in the water, seems to float upon the placid surface of the lake ; while here and there a flying sail betrays the Lough Neagh fishermen. In the centre of a picturesque landscape, that lies between us and the shore of the lough, we notice Chapel Hill – an eminence crowned by the Parish Church and Parochial House. The sheltered homesteads of the farmers seem to be within easy reach of one another ; while at some little distance towards the north we see the village of Glenavy half-hidden amongst the trees. We turn towards the south, and the rich plains of Down are stretching out before us. Here and there are towns and villages nestling amongst the woods and by the streams. In the distance far south our view is bounded by the Mourne Mountains, that keep eternal sentinel along the Irish Sea. On the north, the fertile tract of country lying around Crumlin, Antrim, and Templepatrick meets our view, and on a clear day the hills of Mid-Antrim are outlined upon the horizon. The eastern side of the hill presents a contrast to the other three. Here one sees the bleak mountainous district of the Rock ;and Stoneyford, threaded by the lonely roads that lead from Glenavy to the busy city of Belfast. Truly, it was a site well-chosen – this ancient stronghold of the Kings of Uladh. The traveller to-day, as he gazes on the quiet country-side, with its fields of golden corn and verdant pasture-lands forgets that these fair plains were many a time and oft the scene of furious battles.

VIII.- THE KINGDOM OF ULAIDH.

The Fall of Emania.
The Crew Hill came into prominence in Irish history after the destruction of Emania, in 335 A.D. Up to that time Emania was the centre of royal power for the whole Province of Ulster. Its King, according to the Book of Rights, had the privilege of sitting by the side of the King of Erin, and held first place in his confidence. The Palace of Emania yielded in fame and magnificence only to the Palace of the High-King at Tara. At the dawn of history it had a storied past. It had been founded by Queen Macha of the Golden Hair three centuries before the Christian era. It reached its highest glory in the time of Conor Mac Nessa and his Red Branch Knights.

For six centuries, therefore, the King of Emania was Sovereign of all Ulster and sometimes also High-King of Ireland. But in the century before St. Patrick evil days came upon it. The three Collas made war upon the Ulster King, plundered his territory, and burned the palace, around which centred the romantic tales of the Red Branch Knights. The Ulidians were driven eastwards over Glenree, or the Newry River. They took their name with them into their circumscribed territory. From this time onward the term Ulidia, or Ulaidh, is applied to the tract of country lying to the east of Lough Neagh and the Newry River. Sometimes the Plain of Muirtheimhne, or North Louth, was included ; but indeed the boundaries of territories in those days were continually fluctuating, according to the power of each new sovereign to annex the territory of his neighbours.

The King of Uladh, then, who was crowned and proclaimed on the Crew Hill, had subject to him the Kings of Dalaradia, of Dalriada, of Dalmunia, of Dufferin, of the Ards, of Lecale, of Iveagh, and of several minor provinces.

Circumscribed Ulaidh.
It would take too long to follow the fortunes of the Kingdom of Uladh through all its chequered history. The law of succession was a fruitful source of strife at home. According to the Irish custom, the heir to the throne was not the eldest son, but the member of the royal family, or royal blood, who was adjudged most worthy. This gave a constant pretext to rival claimants. And the enemy abroad was ever on the watch. The Kinel-Owen were ready at all times to take advantage of Uladh’s difficulty or temporary weakness. Hence, as years went on, the King of Uladh, who had at first aspired to regain his lost sovereignty over Ulster, found himself at length unable to hold his power over his tributary kings and princes.

Battle of the Crew Hill.
One or two events cannot be passed over. The first is the Battle of the Crew Hill, in 1003 A.D., in which the Ulidians were defeated by their old enemies, the Kinel-Owen. From the account of the Four Masters, we see what enormous forces were engaged : ” In this battle were slain Eochy, son of Ardghair, King of Uladh, and Duftinne, his brother; the two sons of Eochy, Cuduiligh and Donal ; Garvey, lord of Iveagh ; Gillapadruig, son of Tumelty ; Kumiskey, son of Flahrey Dowling, son of Aedh ; Calhal, son of Etroch ; Conene, son of Murtagh ; and the most part of the Ulidians in like manner ; and the battle extended as far as Duneight and Druimbo. Donogh O’Linchey, lord of Dal-Araidhe and royal heir of Uladh, was slain on the following day by the Kinel-Owen. Aedh, son of Donal O’Neill, lord of Aileach and heir-apparent to the sovereignty of Ireland, fell in the heat of the conflict, in the fifteenth year of his reign and the twentieth year of his age.”

Brian Boru at the Crew Hill.
Two years later another important event occurred–the visit of Brian Boru to the Crew Hill. It was nine years before the Battle of Clontarf. Malachy, of the Southern Hy-Niall, had been deposed from the High-Kingship, and Brian acknowledged in his place by almost the whole of Ireland. The Kinel-Owen and the Kinel-Conall still sympathised with Malachy and his adherents. The King of the Kinel-Owen had fallen in the Battle of Crew Hill, and Brian thought the time opportune to march northward and secure the submission of the Ulster chieftains. The expedition arrived at the Crew Hill in 1005 A.D., and the Ulidians tendered their allegiance. The Wars of the Gael with the Gall describes the provisions supplied to the army of Brian while he was encamped there : “They supplied him there with twelve hundred beeves, twelve hundred hogs, and twelve hundred wethers ; and Brian bestowed twelve hundred horses upon them, besides gold and silver and clothing. For no purveyor of any of their towns departed from Brian without receiving a horse or some other gift.” But although Brian was well received by the Ulidians, he had to depart from Ulster again without receiving the submission of the Kinel-Owen or Kinel-Conall.

To be continued 

Ullans Academy Hosts “St Patrick Breakfast” Event

Promoting Common Identity 

 

The St Patrick event promoted ‘Common Identity’ which is the total expression of all the inter-relationships within the island of Ireland, which defines who we are. It creates a sense of belonging. Understanding ‘Common Identity’ will empower all communities to achieve cultural expression and allow freedom of thought, it is plural and inclusive. St Patrick is also the patron saint of Nigeria and we were delighted to welcome representatives of the Nigerian community to share the event with us.

Ahead of the event President Dr Ian Adamson OBE of the Ullans Academy said “St Patrick is only one example of someone who represented Common Christianity which lies at the basis of much of our tradition, based as it is on the old Common Christian Church present in the British Isles centuries before even Patrick arrived in Ireland”

“The ‘St Patrick’s Breakfast’ event aims to improve understanding of one aspect of our rich cultural heritage by presenting a broader perspective of Irish history. The St Patrick event is a ‘breakfast’, as this is how it was celebrated in New York before the American Revolution. It brought people together to share and exchange ideas, something which is still very important for people on the island of Ireland in the 21st century. The event will ensure further development of the Cultural Corridor between the North and South of Ireland” 

“As the Common Sense document says, “It is our firm conviction that the vast majority of both religious communities long for peace, reconciliation and the chance to create a better future for their children. But longing is not enough; there must be a mechanism created to harness the love, generosity, courage and integrity of both religious communities and direct its great power towards the light of a new beginning”. 

That mechanism is Common Identity… 

“The Ullans Academy would like to thank the Belfast City Council and Resources Committee, Good Relations sub-committee and the Reconciliation Fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their support for this event” 

History of the Academy 

The Ullans Academy is a company limited by guarantee and Directors work in a voluntary capacity. The board is drawn from the local community and have a wide range of skills and experience in community development, business and academia.

The Ullans name was chosen as it was felt the name was inclusive and plural. It is a neologism combining Ulaidh, the  Gaelic name for Ulster and Lallans, the name used by Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson for the Scotch language. It can also be used as an acronym for Ulster Language, Literature And Native Speech, thus encompassing all languages and traditions in Ulster and the island of Ireland. In essence the Ullans name promotes the common identity of all our people.

The Academy was established in 1992 with the idea that bringing people together through their shared cultural heritage would raise awareness of those things that bind us together rather than divide us and thus foster a sense of mutual tolerance and respect. The Academy recognises that much still needs to be done and that it is essential to continue to develop stronger inter-community relationships.

The Academy hosts two annual events to mark St Patrick and St Columbanus. The Academy has recently successfully completed a short series of lectures on key historical topics in Belmont Tower and  an Culturlann.

III.-THE LAND OF THE OAKWOODS.

In ancient times Glenavy was extensively wooded. The names of so many places in and around the parish suggest this at once : Kilultagh (Cil Ultach) means the wood of the Ulstermen or men of Ulaidh ; Ballinderry  is the townland of the oakwood; Feymore the great wood; Derrymore the great oakwood; Derryola the oakwood of Fola ; Derryclone  the oak meadow ; Derryhirk the oakwood of the boar; Derrynaseer  the oakwood of the tradesmen; Magheramesk  the plain of acorns. That these woods still covered the country at the time of the Plantations is clear from various documents written at that time. In 1586 Sir Henry Bagenal, in his description of Ulster, says :-” Kilultoe is a very fast countrey full of wood and bogg; it bordereth upon Loghe Eaghe and Clanbrasell.” A note on the corner of an old map published about 1592 informs us that ” along this river (Lagan) be the space of 26 miles groweth much woodes as well as hokes (oaks) for tymber and hother woodde.”

IV. – THE CHURCH OF THE DWARF.

The First Church and the First Parish Priest.
The ancient name of the Parish of Glenavy was  Lann Abhaigh the Church of the Dwarf. The G  was prefixed to the word at a comparatively recent date.  In all English documents up to the seventeenth century the name is found in some such form as Lenavy, Lynavy, or Lennewy. The tradition is that when St. Patrick was preaching in the district, he made many converts, and left a church there under the care of his disciple, Donal the. Dwarf ,called also Patrick’s Angel, on account of his angelic purity. The site of the church founded by St. Patrick is said to be a little outside the village, at the angle where the Pigeontown Road meets the main road between Glenavy and Ballycessy. The Protestant church occupies a site that was used in Catholic times, but the ancient church was most probably on the opposite side of the Glenavy Road. St. Patrick, it would seem, had a lingering affection for the scenes where he spent six or seven years of his boyhood. The descendants of the Red Branch Knights could not have failed to retain at least some of their chivalry and natural virtues, and the boy-slave, in moving amongst them, must have noticed and admired many a noble trait and generous characteristic.

Certain it is, at all events, that Patrick spent a long time preaching amongst the people of  North Antrim, and founded many churches in the neighbourhood of Slemish. He was proceeding south-wards on his mission of love along the eastern shore of Lough Neagh, and at his word the fierce inhabitants of Dalaradia  were yielding to the gentle influence of the Gospel, when he encountered unexpected opposition. The pagan King of Uladh, Saron son of Caelbadh, treated Patrick with insult and contumely, and tried to prevent him from building a church in his territories. He seized the hand of the Saint to expel him from the place. ” but Patrick,” says the Tripartite Life, ” took Heaven and land from him ;” that is, he predicted that he would be excluded from Heaven when he died, and would even lose his land during his lifetime. The church was founded, and the place was called Lahair Padruic  = Patrick’s Site), and sometimes Leitir Padruic = Patrick’s Slope). Afterwards the church and parish came to be known as  Lann Abhaigh in memory of the saint who was left by St. Patrick as the first parish priest of the place, and who laboured and died there, and was buried amongst his people. Thus does the name Glenavy bring us back to the days when our National Apostle was planting the Faith amongst the Pagan inhabitants of Dalaradia.

Other saints of Glenavy.
                                                                                                                                               We find other saints on the Irish Calendar in connection  with the Parish of Glenavy. The Martyrology of Donegal commemorates, on November 6, ” Aedhan son of Colgan, of Lann Abhaigh, in Ulaidh.” The Fetére of Angus commemorates, on the 22nd January, the daughters of Comhghall ( Comgall), and adds : ” At Leitir, in Dalaradia, they are buried, and from Dalaradia they are sprung.” The Martyrology of Donegal has at the same date : ” Colman, Bogha, and Laisrc, three sisters and three virgins, of the sept of Comhghall, and they were disciples of Comhghall of Bangor, and they are interred at Leitir, in Dalaradia, according to the poem beginning : ` The Hagiology of the Saints of Inis-Fail.’ ” We may take it for certain that the reference is to Leitir Padruic, or Glenavy. It is to be feared that we could not write in our day what Father John Colgan, the historian, wrote in the middle of the seventeenth century : ” At Leitir these saints are worshipped.” There is no escape from the truth that these saints are no longer remembered amongst the hills and valleys where they once prayed and laboured for the salvation of souls ! With the loss of our native language, we have lost also the traditions it enshrined. We have almost forgotten that it was St. Patrick himself who first preached the Gospel in these parts, and that his labours in the district were fruitful in saintly lives.

The Native Tongue is shrinking from the race that gave it birth,
Like the tide receding from the shore, or the spring-time front the earth ;
From the island dimly fading, like a circle o’er the wave –
Receding as its people lisp the language of the slave ;
And with it, too, seem fading – as sunset into night –
All the scattered rays of glory that lingered in its light !

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th OCTOBER, 1914. OPENING CEREMONY – BY SIR ALEXANDER DEMPSEY, M.D., J.P., TUESDAY, 6th Inst., at ONE o’clock.

Foreword
The Grand Bazaar and Fancy Fair in the New Schools, Crumlin may seem an unlikely title to arouse the enthusiasm of the local historian, but one has only to peruse this book for a few moments in order to realise its importance. First published in 1914, this book has been virtually unobtainable in recent years and one will search in vain among the book shelves of the Linenhall Library for a copy. The Killultagh Historical Society have always maintained that it is vital to make accessible to the general public all out-of-print publications relevant to our area. In fact, it has taken the Society two years to obtain a copy in good enough condition to facilitate a reprint.

Within this book you will find an Historical Sketch of the Parish of Glenavy along with articles on Sir Neal O’Neill and Mrs. M. T. Pender, plus poems and songs relating to Aldergrove, Glenavy and Ballinderry. One of the contributors was Francis Joseph Bigger, that noted antiquarian of Ardrigh, Belfast, who describes Bonnie Portmore in his own inimitable way. The supplement to the book also makes fascinating reading, containing 45 pages of the names of all those who donated money and gifts in aid of the Bazaar.

The Killultagh Historical Society would like to take this opportunity to thank Davidson Books of Spa, Ballynahinch for their advice and expertise in the reprinting of this book and also the Lisburn Arts Advisory Council for the financial assistance which they have given the Society in the past year.

Thomas Lamb, (Honorary Secretary)

This is a facsimile reprint of the original 1914 edition

Davidson Books, 34 Broomhill Road, Spa, Ballynahinch, Co. Down BT24 8QD.
Telephone (0238) 562502
1983

Unfortunately I do not have a suitable Gaelic font available but when I have been able to obtain one I will reprint these pages where necessary.  JGC

HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF
THE PARISH OF GLENAVY.

I. – EXTENT OF THE PARISH.

THE PARISH OF GLENAVY lies along the eastern shore of Lough Neagh. On the north it is separated from the Parish of Antrim by the Donore River, and extends southward into the Civil Parish of Ballinderry beyond Portmore Lough. On the north-east it is separated from Templepatrick by the Clad)’ Water. It is bounded on the east by Tullyrusk, Stoneyford, and Magheragall. On the south-east it extends to within five miles of the town of Lisburn. Measuring, as the crow flies, from the Donore River on the north to Galwey’s Gate on the south, or from Langford Lodge Point on the shore of Lough Neagh to the confines of Ligoniel Parish, we have in either case a distance of eleven miles. But perhaps the fact that there are houses at different ends of the parish separated by a journey of sixteen miles will give a better idea of its size. The Ecclesiastical Parish of Glenavy includes the Civil Parishes of Glenavy, Camlin, and Killead, and the greater part of the Civil Parish of Ballinderry. This extensive parish contains two Catholic churches – one at Glenavy and the other at Aldergrove – and has at present a Catholic population of 1,850.

II. – IN THE LEGENDARY PAST.

The Territory of the Cruithni.
The Parish of Glenavy is rich in legendary and historical associations. The ancient name of the territory lying along Lough Neagh and stretching from Larne to Magheralin was The Country of the Cruithni (Cnoc na Cruitne), or of the Irish Picts.* The earliest inhabitants of this territory of whom we have any record are described in the Book of Lecan as the race of Conall Cearnach. They claimed descent, therefore, from one of the noblest of the Red Branch Knights, Conall the Victorious (Conaill Cearnach). The old Irish genealogies trace their descent back to another of the Red Branch Knights, Keltar, who lived near Downpatrick, at a place still called Rath Keltair ; they tell us that Neim, the daughter of Keltar, was the wife of Ailinn, son of Conall Cearnach. These Red Branch Knights, according to the ancient legends, were the great warriors of the North about the time of Christ. Their King, who ruled the Province of Ulster, was Conor Mac Nessa, and his residence was the famous Palace of Emania. Navan Fort, about two miles outside the city of Armagh, still marks the place where the palace stood. In all the wars that Conor Mac Nessa waged against Queen Maeve of Connacht and the other provinces, Conall Cearnach, Leary, Keltar, and the mighty hero Cuchullain were ever foremost in the fray. And when the enemies of the Ulster King were beaten off and peace restored, the victorious chieftains would return home each to his own stronghold, and there they led a gay and enterprising life. Now they would feast and revel with their retainers, and the banquet-hall would ring with merry song and boisterous laughter. Again they would ride forth with wavy crest and glittering spear to hunt the wild boar over mountain, wood, and glen. Such was the life of chieftain and warrior in those far-off days in Heroic Ireland, when Patrick had not yet set foot on Irish soil, nor had the light of Christianity come to dispel the gloomy clouds of Paganism : for Paganism, with all its careless., joy and revel, left the minds of thoughtful men a prey to-dread anxiety as to the unseen world to come.

* The word Cruit is supposed to mean “colour,” and hence ” Picti ” or “Pictores,” would be the Latin equivalent of Cruitne

The Territory of Dalmunia

The Civil Parish of Glenavy lay within the boundaries of the ancient Dalmunia. (Dal mBuinne= the race of Buinne, son of Fergus Mac Roy). This gives it another link with the legendary past. The territory of Dalmunia, or, as it is sometimes called, Dalboyn, included also Kilultagh, Kilwarlin, Hillsborough, and Lisburn, and was peopled by the race of Fergus Mac Roy. Fergus was King of Ulster about the beginning of the first century, .A. D. He wished to marry the beautiful widow Ness. She would not give her consent unless on the understanding that her son Conor, then a mere boy, should be allowed to be king for a year. To this Fergus, with the consent of the nobles, agreed. When the year was up, the queen-mother had guided her son so wisely in the use of his power that the nobles now refused to supersede Conor. This is what the mother had anticipated. And so Conor Mac Nessa remained King of Ulster Fergus Mac Roy acquiesced in the situation, and became chief-counsellor of Conor and tutor of the infant-hero Cuchullain. Some years later, when war broke out between Conor and Maeve of Connacht, we find Fergus as chief-counsellor of Queen Maeve. He had abandoned the service of Conor, and not without good reason. Naoise, one of the nobles, had eloped with Deirdre, the most beautiful of the women of Erin, who was destined to be the wife of King Conor himself. “Therefore, accompanied by Deirdre and his own two brothers, Ainle and ,Ardan, the sons of Ushna, he fled from the anger of Conor into Scotland. They remained in exile many years, and Conor and Fergus pledged their word of honour that, if they returned home again, they would be unharmed. Deirdre had a foreboding of evil, but the sons of Ushna calmed her fears, and they all returned home. In spite of the royal guarantee, however, they were foully put to death. Fergus Mac Roy could not brook to be a party to such treachery, and it was for this reason he abandoned the Ulster King and took service with Maeve of Connacht.

These are but specimens of the numerous legends that group themselves around the ancient inhabitants of Antrim, Down, and Armagh. No one to-day would venture to put them down as serious history. But the folk-lore of a people cannot be utterly discarded. The stories of the ancient heroes reveal the ideals of a remote antiquity, and the events described must have been founded on real deeds of heroism that were exaggerated and glorified as they were told and retold round the hearth to each succeeding generation.
 To be continued

 

An old friend, Jimmy Ellis, best known for his roles in Z-Cars and alongside a young Kenneth Branagh in BBC Northern Ireland’s series of “Billy” plays, has died.Jimmy died from a stroke in Lincoln Hospital early today. He was 82.

He began his acting career in 1952 at Belfast’s Group Theatre before moving to England in the early 1960s.

His first big break came when he was cast as Bert Lynch in police drama Z-Cars, which ran from 1962 to 1978.

His son, Toto, said it was extraordinarily hard to watch him die.

“It was sad to watch him slip away. The last words he heard were that he was a hero, a legend and we all loved him,” he said.

Speaking about the funeral arrangements, he said: “We are taking him home to Belfast – Belfast meant the world to him.

“He blazed a trail for Northern Ireland actors, in that he was the first character not to change his accent. Dad was so proud of his roots and his beliefs.”

Paying tribute to him, Sir Kenneth Branagh said Ellis had been “a great inspiration” to him and many other actors from Northern Ireland.

“I was blessed to begin my career working with him, and I will never forget his generosity to me. He was a highly intelligent, funny, and kind man, and a tremendous actor,” he said.

Jimmy Ellis with fellow Northern Ireland actor James Nesbitt at the unveiling of a key stone on the site of the Lyric Theatre in Belfast in 2009

Actor Adrian Dunbar, who is also from Northern Ireland, said he had known Jimmy Ellis as a friend and a companion for many years.

“It is a big loss. He was a wonderful actor and a warm and generous man. He blazed a trail for many actors in Northern Ireland.”

Actor Maggie Cronin said: “A good actor treats everybody with great respect. He was fun. He played complex characters and made them look very easy.”

Peter Johnston, director of BBC Northern Ireland, said: “We are saddened to hear about the death of Jimmy Ellis. He was a major talent from Northern Ireland, famous for his roles in Z-Cars and the Billy plays.

“He will be deeply missed by all his colleagues on screen and on stage.”

In a statement, Queen’s University offers its deepest sympathies to his family circle.

The statement said Jimmy Ellis was “one of the most gifted actors of his generation”. He received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s in July 2008 for services to the performing arts.

James Ellis was born in Belfast on 15 March 1931.

He studied at the city’s Methodist College and Queen’s University, and then the Bristol Old Vic.

He soon graduated to leading man after joining the Group Theatre.

After starring in such plays as The Playboy of the Western World, he was appointed director of productions at the theatre in 1959.

However, he resigned in 1960 to direct and stage Sam Thompson’s play Over The Bridge, which the Group Theatre’s board had deemed too controversial.

Northern Ireland playwright Martin Lynch paid tribute to Mr Ellis, and said his support for Over The Bridge, which dealt with issues of sectarianism, was a courageous move.

Jimmy Ellis (right) starred in Z-Cars from 1962 to 1978

He said: “He broke the back of conservatism in the establishment at that time and very, very courageously stuck to his guns. Him and Sam Thompson were a great team together to create and produce Over The Bridge when the establishment didn’t want it to happen.”

Aside from Z-Cars, a police drama set on Merseyside, he starred in some of the UK’s best-known and much-loved programmes, including Doctor Who, In Sickness And In Health, Ballykissangel and Only Fools And Horses.

He returned home in 1982 to star as the bullying father Norman Martin in Too Late To Talk To Billy, the first of a trio of Graham Reid plays that exposed a national audience to the authentic voice of working-class Ulster Protestants for the first time.

Sir Kenneth Branagh, who was just out of drama school, played his son Billy, and the pair later reprised their partnership in A Matter Of Choice For Billy and A Coming To Terms For Billy.

He suffered personal tragedy in 1988 when his son Adam, then aged 28, was murdered in west London.

In a March 2012 interview with the Express, the actor recalled: “I went berserk. I wasn’t in possession of my senses. I kicked open the doors of every pub in the street shouting ‘Who knows who murdered my son?”‘

Jimmy was awarded an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University in 2008 for services to the performing arts.

Away from the acting profession, he was also a writer of poems and prose.

Although he had lived in England for decades, his family has said that, in line with his wishes, he will be buried in his home city.

The Bangor Antiphonary itself may be dated from Cronan, the last Abbot listed in the commemoration poem, who, according to the Annals, died on 6 November, 691 AD. Cronan was alive when the Antiphonary was written so that it follows that it can be dated some year between 680 and 691. The manuscript was given its present title “Antiphonarium Benchorense” by the great Italian scholar, Muratori. It remains the only important relic of the ancient monastery of Bangor and was taken from Bangor to Bobbio at some time between its composition and the plundering of the monastery by the Vikings in the ninth century.

Indirect evidence of the work of the Bangor monks, however, is found in early Christian ornamentation. Pictish artwork is strongly characterised by intricate network interlacing. This is apparent in ornamental stones found on the east coast of Scotland and England from Shetland to Durham and in parts of Ireland. Identical features are also found in the great contemporary illuminated gospels of Durrow, Lindesfarne and Kells. The Book of Durrow is named after the Columban foundation of Durrow near Tullamore in Offaly. It is generally regarded as having been made towards the end of the seventh century, perhaps in the 670s, and Cruthinic influence was outstanding.

But the finest surviving example of the Pictish art form lies in the Lindesfarne Gospels which were written in honour of St. Cuthbert by Eadfrith who was made Bishop of Lindesfarne in the year of our Lord 698. These were bound by Bishop Ethilward and ornamented by Bilfrith the anchorite. The great work was preserved with the body of the saint at Lindesfarne and then carried in flight before the fury of the Vikings. Having rested some years at Durham, it was finally returned to Lindesfarne Priory where it stayed until the Dissolution.

The Book of Kells is generally assigned to the early ninth century when it may have been written and illuminated by the scribes of Iona. Subsequently it was brought to Kells where it was known in the eleventh century as “The great gospel of Colum Cille (Columba).” There are many influences apparent in its design, notably the Coptic (Egyptian), Cruthinic (Pictish) and Celtic, all three of which were prominent in Bangor until its destruction. For example, Christ is symbolised by the Greek letters “Xp” (Chi Rho) in both the Book of Kells and the Bangor Antiphonary.

Yet because of its location on the shores of Belfast Lough the great monastery lay open to attack by the Vikings. They first came raiding in the year 810 AD and between 822 and 824 the tomb of Comgall was broken open, its costly ornaments seized and the bones of the great saint “shaken from their shrine.” St. Bernard related that on one day alone 900 monks were killed. It is unlikely that following this time the Laus Perennis was ever sung again