Glencolmcille

Glencolmcille by leppre

Less well known than St Patrick, St Colmcille brought Christianity to the north-west corner of Ireland and the area is named, and its annual pilgrimage held, in his honour.

The pilgrimage at Glencolmcille takes place on the on the night of June 9th, starting after sundown. Pilgrims cover a 5km route, with 15 stations where rituals must be observed, and complete their journey before sunrise.

The pilgrimage route is rich in megalithic remains, some dating back more that 5000 years, and it is believed that the current pilgrimage occurs on a site where pagan ritual was commonly observed, indeed some of the structures that act as ’stations’ on the route are certainly pre-Christian.

In the Area

The area is a very beautiful one and well worth visiting even if you have no interest in the pilgrimage. An Clachan, a museum of domestic life in Donegal in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries is located in the village of Gencolmcille.

There is a growing number of craftspeople working in the area, predominantly producing Aran knitwear, tapestries and woven wool – Donegal has a long tradition of textile work, its tweed in particular is renowned internationally.

Killybegs is a working fishing village and home port to some of the largest trawlers in Europe.

Glencolmcille Map