Saint Goban was born in Ireland, though his exact place of birth is not unknown, there are accounts in antiquities linking his origins to the North Antrim coast area and Glenshesk near Ballycastle.  Local historical accounts refer to his skills as a builder and that he was responsible for many buildings around the locality including the church at Templastragh 'Temple of the Flame', above Portbraddon, County Antrim. Another church at  Drumenie in Glenshesk was also built by  him.

Gobain was ordained  in Ireland and then went to live as a Benedictine monk and disciple of Saint Fursey at Burgh Castle in Suffolk.  He accompanied and assisted the Abbott on his missions to spread the Gospel of Christ to the east coast of England.  Later Goban and Fursey both went to live at  Corbeny in France,  before the Abbey was built there. 

They settled and lived as hermits in the forests of Loan and finally at Oise. It was there that Goban founded another church and dedicated it to St. Peter, it is today called Saint Gobain. The land on which it was built was given to Goban by King Clotaire the III.  Gobain died in 670AD -  he was attacked and beheaded by robbers or raiders at Le Mont d'Hermitage, the location now known as the town of Saint Gobain in France.