Columban Way Walk 2024 a huge success – Friends of Columbanus, Bangor

Columban Way Walk a Huge Success

The first planned Columban Way Walk on the island of Ireland has been hailed a huge success! The 361 mile walk started on 17 August from Mt Leinster in Co Carlow and finished 36 days later on 21 September in Bangor, Co Down. Over 100 walkers joined the five core walkers on the last stage of the journey from Helen’s Bay along the North Down Coastal path to Bangor.

Walkers from Helen’s Bay reach the sea

Deborah Girvan, Chairwoman of Friends of Columbanus Bangor said, “Working with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland, we mapped the whole route, identified accommodation along the way, supported the walkers by providing food, and transported their luggage by car from one stage to the next. It was a huge undertaking for such a small group of volunteers. However, we have demonstrated that the Columban Way is a viable pilgrim route on the island of Ireland which has the potential to attract long distance walkers not only from Europe and the USA but from across the British Isles. It should be noted that the Columban Way is still being developed but we are working hard to encourage Councils along the route, both north and south of the border, to adopt the Camino into their tourism strategies.

Walkers final day – climbing out of Newtownards

This was a truly cross-community and interdenominational walk which was supported by local community and church groups at every stage of the journey. We would like to thank all the volunteers who gave up their time freely to organise the walk; walkers who took part; community and church groups who welcomed the walkers with open arms along the way; and Ards and North Down Council and Carlow County Council for grants to help make the walk possible.”

The Flotilla landing by the bridge to Cleenish Island

Highlights of the walk included a flotilla of boats following a boat journey on the River Erne from Belturbet in Co Cavan to a jetty near Cleenish Island in Co Fermanagh to visit the place where Columbanus was educated. In Armagh, walkers were joined by Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Catholic Bishop of Armagh and Archbishop John McDowell, the Anglian Archbishop of Armagh, along with 50 pupils from local schools and the Armagh U3A walkers.

The walk reaches the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Armagh

Volunteers from the Samaritans charity, helped to register walkers and stamp their passports. Heather Hamilton, Director of the Samaritans for North Down and Bangor said, ” We were delighted to be chosen as the nominated charity and raised £522.58 from bucket collections and donations on the day.”

Mayor Alistair Cathcart welcomes the core Columban Way walkers to Bangor. Diarmuid Healy; Simon Derache, President of the Via Columbani Federation, France; Tomas Hodgins who walked the whole route (361 miles) from Carlow to Bangor supported by Charlie Reid and Damien Howard.

Volunteers from Bangor and North Down Samaritans who took part and helped with the Columban Way walk.

Young musicians from Ards CCE entertain the walkers as they arrived.

David and Ellie Duly from Holywood who joined the Columban Way walk along with over 100 people at Helen’s Bay.

For further information contact Deborah Girvan on 07872 857 912

Notes to Editors

1. The Columban Way is a 7,600 kilometre European pilgrim route which follows the footsteps of Bangor monk from Mt Leinster, Co Carlow, where he was born in 543AD through eight European countries to Bobbio, Italy, where he died in 615AD.

2. Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Lichenstein have completed their walks. In France , the route has been developed in Brittany, Jouarre (Pays de Brie), and Luxeuil-les-Bain in North East France. In RoI the beginning of the Columban Way has been mapped and signposted in Co Carlow and the end of the Columban Way has been established from Comber to Bangor via Newtownards and Helen’s Bay.

3. For further information on the Columban Way, please visit www.friendsofcolumbanusbangor.co.uk and https://viacolumbani.com/en