Broken cross slabs in the churchyard at Glencolumbkille (reflected).
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Glencolumbkille, Co Donegal. Glencolumbkille is a beautiful valley in the extreme west of south Donegal. Ancient remains from several different eras Ireland's past are clustered around the hills and mountains. Today the Glen is best known for its associations with St Columba, the fiery Donegal saint who is said to have come here to wrestle with his demons. The old, pre-Christian name for the Glen is the Demons Glen.
Columba is one of the most interesting figures of the early Christian period in Ireland. He was a Donegal prince, born at Gartan into an important royal family. He chose the spiritual rather than the earthly kingdom at an early age. There are many stories and tales of Columba, who founded many well known monasteries in Ireland. He was responsible for the Battle of Drumcliffe, which was fought over a book, and in which several thousand men were slain. He went to Inishmurray for his pennance, and from there he left for the Scottish Island of Iona, where he founded one of his most famous monasteries. At Iona, Columba set out to convert as many souls as had been slain at Drumcliffe. The tale of Glencolumbkille goes that Columba either came here to wrestle with his own demons, or came here to do spititual battle with the demons already present in the Glen. Whatever the case, it is one of the most interesting early Christian pilgrimage sites surviving today. The pilgrims come to the Glen on June 9th, the feast-day of Columkille, and proform the stations set on a 'turas' around the valley, where a cairn of stones and ancient cross slab represent the stations. |
The well at Glencolumbkille, with an unusual statue of Columba.
The earliest remains are from the stone age.
There are several court cairns and ruined dolmens in the area. Indeed
the easiest munument to find is a ruined court cairn which is underneath
the present Church of Ireland at the centre of the Glen. This fascinating
site demonstrates the many layers of Glencolumbkille. On and around the
court cairn, a stone fort or cashel was built. This may date from earlier,
but such monuments are usually associated with the early Christians. A
small church probably stood here, under the site of the present church.
The best-known monuments of the Glen are the small cairns of stones, and
the many cross-slabs, a form of early high cross which is basically an
engraved standing stone. There are some 32 of these in the Glen.