Saint Gall studied in Bangor in Co. Down under St. Comgall and St. Columbanus. St. Gall was one of Columbanus's 12 companions who accompanied him to Gaul in France and helped him found the abbey of Luxeuill.
In 612 St. Columbanus went to Italy but St. Gall stayed at the river Steinach as he couldn't travel due to ill health. During his recovery he became a hermit and attracted a lot of disciples. This is where the monastery of St. Gall was during the middle ages; it was a leading centre of literature, the arts and music.
There is a story that says St. Columbanus and St. Gall parted because St. Columbanus suspected Gall of malingering and gave him a penance that he could not celebrate mass during his lifetime and that Gall did so. St. Gall died some time between 627 and 645 at Arbon, Switzerland.
In art St. Gall is depicted as an abbot blessing a bear that has brought him a log of wood. Sometimes he has a hermit's staff and nearby is a bear with a log or he has a loaf and a pilgrim's staff. St. Gall is the protector of geese and poultry.
The first we know of St. Gall is that his parents brought him to the Bangor monastery in Co. Down.This was a custom at the time, to to bring children to monasteries to be taught in the hope that they might become monks. In this time it was like getting the best opportunity for the child. This means that St. Gall was from Ulster as people brought their children to local monastries. Columban was St. Gall teacher while he was at Bangor. St. Gall was a good pupil and was chosen for priesthood, which was rare for monks. Around 585 St. Galls life took a turn when St. Columban left for Europe. It was not uncommon for monks to do this as monasteries often became overcrowded. St. Gall seems to have been St. Columbanus's right hand man on the journey.
When they first arrived in France they tried to do some missionary work and then they moved on to a Roman fortress in Luxeuil. This became a great monastic centre but St. Columban got banished from there by the Kings mother, Brunhilde. The King led an immoral life, which may be the reason for this. All the Irish monks had to go with him so St. Gall had to find another place to live. St. Gall was now over the age of 50. They ended up traveling to Switzerland but had traveled a circle around Luxeuil to get there. A German tribe occupied this place, which were mostly pagan. They went to Lake Constance where they found a preist who helped them with a monastery and missioary work. There attempts to convert pagans got them asaulted and nearly killed. After a year there St. Columban decided to leave and go to Italy. The King who had banished him had become ruler of the area. At the time that St. Columban was about to leave St. Gall had a fever and was unable to travel. St. Columban did not believe this fully and maybe he was right as St. Gall had come to like Swizerland and his life there, but he did have a high temperature. St. Columban left St. Gall at Lake Constance alone. The priest that they had met helped him find a suitable place for a monastery; he showed him a beautiful empty valley with lots of fishing streams. Word spread of St. Gall and many people knew of him. and his good life, which was a good way to promote Christianity at the time. He stayed where the town of St. Gall is today. The duke of Alemannis's daughter got sick and was blessed by Gall, and she became well at once. He was offered to be made a bishop but St. Gall said he must write to St. Columban to ask him what to do, he found that his great friend had died. St. Gall then refused the offer. St. Gall was now around sixty years old. The monks of Luxeuil asked for him to return to become their abbot. He refused as he was so old and did not want to take up the post because of this.
The Library of St Gallen where many Irish Manuscripts are kept.
St. Gall died around the age of seventy while visiting his friend, Willimar, the priest that helped him find the place for his monastery. He is buried at the monastery where the town named after him is today.