In early October 2026, Friends of Columbanus Bangor were delighted to welcome Clare Balding, BBC Radio 4’s Ramblings presenter, to walk some of the Columban Way. ‘Ramblings’, Clare’s popular Radio 4 series, explores the stories of people and places through informal conversations on walks in the British Isles and beyond. The plan was to walk from Newcastle, County Down to Dundrum Castle, and learn about the history, nature and legacy of St Columbanus.
Deborah Girvan, Chairwoman of Friends of Columbanus Bangor (FoCB) explained, “About a year and a half ago, we sent an email to the producer of Ramblings, Karen Gregor, and invited her to consider walking the Columban Way in Northern Ireland. She wrote back to say that they were not in a position to include any other walks at that time as their schedule was full. Imagine our surprise when we then received an email from Karen in August 2026 to say that they were interested in walking the Columban Way!”
The six-mile Columban Way walk begins in Newcastle beside the car park at the Percy French Restaurant and follows the coastline along the beach past the Slieve Donard Hotel. It continues through the sand dunes at Murlough Bay, and ends at a ruined Norman Castle above Dundrum village with commanding views over the surrounding countryside and coastline back to the Mourne Mountains.
Tune in to ‘Ramblings’
The Radio 4 programme featuring Clare Balding’s walk along the Columban Way is scheduled for broadcast on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 3 pm, with a repeat on Saturday 7 November 2026 at 6.07 am. If you missed it, you can listen to it on BBC Sounds at the link below:
Walk the Walk
Anyone wishing to walk this beautiful coastal route should check tide times carefully and plan the beach section around low tide. For a detailed description with photographs please visit:
- Columban Way (Newcastle to Dundrum Castle) External website