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Columban Way Newcastle Walk – Sat 13th June
A guided 5 mile walk from Newcastle following the coastline to Murlough Bay and on to Dundrum. This will be followed by an optional visit to Dundrum Castle. The best view of Slieve Donard is from the beach between Newcastle and Dundrum (not from anywhere above Newcastle). This superb, but much neglected, 5 mile walk…
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Columbanus Day 2026 Lodi, Italy
Dear Friend of Columbanus Bangor Columbanus Day XXVII, an annual European event to commemorate Columbanus, will take place in Lodi, Italy, 4-5 July 2026. A trip is being organised by Bishop Denis Nulty and the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin to attend the event. I am attaching further information abut the travel plans to Lodi…
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St Columbanus: The Strangford Connection – Video
The video of Canon Andrew Totten’s talk given at Newtownards Arts Centre on the 19th May 2026 is now on the website. A PDF of the PowerPoint slide and links to further resources are included.
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Columbanus Lecture 2026
In this special event Canon Andrew Totten will be presenting his research findings which suggests that Columbanus and his companions may have travelled to France in a very different way than has been traditionally imagined.
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AGM Monday 23 Febuary 2026
Members are invited to the Friends of Columbanus Bangor Annual General Meeting which will take place on Monday 23 Febuary 2026 in Bangor City Presbyterian Church, Main Streeet, Bangor, 7.00pm – 8.30pm.
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Celtic Saints: A Journey Through Time and Tradition
Step into Ireland’s rich spiritual heritage at North Down Museum, Bangor on Saturday 7 February 2026 for an immersive afternoon inspired by two of Ireland’s most influential Christian figures, Saint Brigid and Saint Columbanus. On arrival, enjoy traditional refreshments associated with Saint Brigid, including homemade pancakes, oatcakes and local honey. You will then be guided by Brigid Watson through the…
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Samaritans Receive Surprise Christmas Present
With proceeds from the recent Columbanus Festival in November 2025, Friends of Columbanus Bangor donated £350 to the Bangor and North Down Samaritans. Deborah Girvan, Chairwoman of Friends of Columbanus explained, “We had record numbers attending some of the festival events which has allowed us to gather up a small amount of money through ticket…
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Columbanus Festival 2025 – Report
Place, Words, and Music was the theme of the annual Columbanus Festival, a cross-community festival which aims to keep the memory of Columbanus alive and bring people together from all community backgrounds to celebrate the life and work of Bangor’s remarkable monk. The weekend programme, 21 – 23 November, included a Mayoral Reception to welcome…
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Columbanus Festival 2025: Place, Words and Music
The annual Columbanus Festival: Place Words and Music will take place from 22nd to 23rd November 2025 in various locations around Bangor. The programme will focus on the work of the monks who lived in Bangor during the time that Columbanus spent twenty years of his life before embarking on a journey to the continent…
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Columbanus Educational Exchange Programme Welcomes Italian Students
Bangor Academy recently welcomed 40 students from the Lombardy region of Italy as part of a student exchange programme to explore the Columbanus heritage in the Bangor area. Two schools, one from Bresica and the other from Bobbio, had previously welcomed students from Bangor Academy who had travelled to Lombardy at the end of September…