Baile Nua na hArda

Newtownards occupies territory with deep historical roots. In 545 AD, St. Finian established Movilla Abbey, a monastic settlement on a hill overlooking Strangford Lough, approximately a mile northeast of the present town centre. This monastery became an important early Christian centre before Viking raiders destroyed it sometime after 824 AD; the site was later incorporated into the Augustinian...