Deborah hikes in Europe on trail of celebrated monk

Deborah hikes in Europe on trail of celebrated monk

6 March 2019

A LOCAL woman has returned from Europe after following in the footsteps of a celebrated Irish monk.

Alderman Deborah Girvan, who is a member of Ards and North Down Council, spent five days meeting people who are involved in developing the Columban Way, a 5,000-kilometre pilgrim route in honour of St Columbanus.

The Columban Way is set to become the second longest pilgrimage route in Europe, after the Camino de Santiago.

It is a cultural route that crosses Europe, covering Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Mrs Girvan, who was elected president of the European Association of the Columban Way in November last year, plans to develop the Columban Way in Northern Ireland.

The route will start in Cleenish Island on the Lakelands of Fermanagh and travel to Armagh where it will join the established St Patrick’s Way which runs from Armagh to Downpatrick.

From here, the route will go to Nendrum Monastic Site on Mahee Island, Strangford Lough, Comber, Movilla Abbey in Newtownards before finishing at Bangor Abbey.   

The route celebrates the story of the monk Columbanus, who was born in Leinster in 543 AD, and his disciple, Gall.

In 591 AD, they left Bangor to travel throughout Europe. Columbanus spent 20 years in Luxeuil in France and died in Bobbio in Italy in 615 AD, while Gall remained in present-day Switzerland. Columbanus and Gall are figures of enormous historical importance, laying the groundwork for the great monastic centres of the Middle Ages. 

During her trip to Switzerland, Austria and France, Mrs Girvan met with various groups who are involved in developing the route. 

She said: “When I was elected president, I announced I would organise a tour to visit some of the European regions that the Columban Way passes through.

“My purpose was to build relationships with the people who are working to develop the route, to tell them about my plans to progress the European Columban Way and to encourage them to become members of the Association. I also got to visit some of the key Columbanus and Gall monastic heritage sites in the regions.”

She added: “During my five-day trip, I visited St Gallen in Switzerland, Bregenz in Austria and Jouarre, near Paris, where the Columban Way will pass through. In each of the towns, I had arranged meetings with Friends of Columbanus groups, mayors, and senior tourism staff. The support from the people I met was humbling and very motivating. 

“This was a fascinating, interesting and worthwhile journey. It has reinforced my belief that the Columban Way has huge potential to increase tourism and bring much needed economic benefits to businesses in the council areas that the route passes through, including Newry, Mourne and Down where the route will follow the already established St Patrick’s Way.” 

Mrs Girvan, who is an Alliance councillor, described how some of the manus were penned by monks who lived on Strangford Lough over one thousand years ago.

She said: “In St Gall Abbey Library, St Gallen, Switzerland, which holds one of the most valuable collections of medieval Irish literature in the world, I was privileged to see, at close quarters, the St Gall Priscian, a manuscript written in old Irish and Latin in 850AD.  Some passages in the ancient book have been attributed to monks from Bangor and Nendrum.  

“It’s incredible to think that a manuscript that was written on our shores over 1,169 years ago was transported to St Gall by pilgrims, probably along the very same pilgrim route we are establishing.”   

Mrs Girvan pointed out that she made the trip at her own expense.  

She will be travelling to Italy in March for the second phase of her Grand Tour to visit and connect with the Italian groups who are developing the Columban Way in Northern Italy.