Tradition has it that Deiniol was the first Bishop of Bangor in Gwynedd and the founder of the community there
The roots of Bangor’s magnificent cathedral can be traced back to the 6th century when King Maelgwn Gwynedd gave Deiniol land to establish a Christian community, known as a clas. Deiniol surrounded the site within a wattle fence called a ‘bangor’, from which Bangor derives its name.
The oldest parts of the present cathedral date to around 1130. It is built on the same site as Deiniol’s clas and continues to bear his name.
According to tradition, Deiniol became the first Bishop of Bangor. He is said to have attended the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi in the year 545 with his contemporary St David, where they discussed the rules of penance. The Annales Cambriai note that Deiniol was buried on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), following his death around 584.
As well as the splendid cathedral, Deiniol’s legacy is reflected in the centre of Bangor, where he has both a road and a shopping centre to his name.