Colmcille 1500 Launch

A wide range of events on the 6th and 7th December 2020 mark the opening of Colmcille 1500, a year-long celebration of the life, work and heritage of St Colmcille (Latin Columba). There will be real and substantial contact online, with events streamed from Derry, Donegal and Kells in County Meath. Events will continue from Sunday evening through to an online céilí at 8pm on Monday with song music and conversation from Scotland and Ireland in Scottish and Irish Gaelic.

Messages from public and community-based figures will welcome and reflect on the year ahead and will be streamed online on Tuesday at
https://www.facebook.com/colmcille1500 Partipants include the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, the Chair of Donegal County Council, the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, and a range of public and community-based figures from Scotland Ireland and the Isle of Man.

On Sunday 6th, through the night and from sunrise, there will be a range of church-based events, many in Gartan, birthplace of Colmcille, Gartán Donegal but also in Derry and Kells. See Diocese of Raphoe https://www.facebook.com/DioceseofRaphoe
and https://www.facebook.com/stcolmcilleschurchglendowan.
Ecumenical evening prayer will take place St Columba’s Church of Ireland Churchill at 10pm. There will also be an ecumenical morning prayer from Ráth Cnó or Churchtown, birthplace of the saint. See https://www.facebook.com/StColumbaGartan. For events in Kells County Meath, see https://www.facebook.com/103280528310061/posts/103297048308409/?sfnsn=mo

The University of Ulster at Magee will host an online seminar on Colmcille from 9am on Monday 7th. This is in lrish and will focus on Irish-medium secondary schools and is open to a general audience too. The university will play a major role in the Colmcille 1500 commemorations.

Press releases can be downloaded here:

See social media channels for further information on online activity.