St Columbanus Lecture and the launch of The International Columbanus Day 2025
Dr Damian Bracken, U.C.C., will deliver a lecture on ‘Columbanus, The Irish, And Rome’, on Friday 22nd November 2024 at 7.30pm In the Cathedral Parish Centre, College Street, Carlow Town. The evening will also see the Most Reverend Denis Nulty, Bishop Of Kildare and Leighlin, launch The International Columbanus Day 2025. All are welcome to attend and admission is free.
The International Columbanus Day 2025 will be hosted in County Carlow in July 2025, the first time this celebration has taken place in the Republic of Ireland.
St Columbanus was born c543AD near Myshall, Co. Carlow. Dr Bracken’s lecture will show how important Columbanus is to the early medieval church and give an outline of his many travels and achievements.
Speaking about St Columbanus, Bishop Nulty said “Why Columbanus, why bother ourselves with a seventh century Irish monk, thirteen hundred years later? Last year, as part of the International Columban Day, we had the signing of the Columban Charter of Partnership, a public declaration to promote pilgrimage, cultural and scientific activities relating to St. Columbanus and to his travels. This partnership now includes Ireland, Britain, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Italy. Myshall holds a central place in the Charter, in the Columban Way and most importantly in the story of Columbanus himself”.
Dr Damian Bracken, from the School of History in U.C.C., Cork, will deliver the lecture ‘Columbanus, The Irish, And Rome’. Dr Bracken’s research includes a focus on Hiberno-Latin literature, especially on the works of St Columbanus, the earliest Irish writer to leave an important body of writings, and the first to explore Irish identity. He is currently working on a book on Columbanus’s and a project on manuscripts associated with his continental foundations.
Local tradition holds that Columbanus was advised by St. Croine Bheag, a recluse of Carlow, to leave home to follow his monastic education. His journey took him from the south to the north of Ireland and eventually to Bangor in Co. Down. After many years of study and living in the monastery of Bangor Columbanus set off on his great missionary journey to the continent in 590AD. He founded many monasteries including Luxeuil in France and Bobbio in Italy. Columbanus was described by the late Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich as ‘Ireland’s first European, a poet, scholar, abbot, preacher and teacher’. Columbanus founded monasteries, associated with kings, and corresponded with popes. Many of Columbanus’ writings survive and they consistently inspire and encourage.
The Columban Way walk, developed in recent years, in County Carlow gives visitors the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of this inspirational sixth century monk. The walk starts at the Nine Stones on Mount Leinster, through Myshall and along the Barrow Way. The Carlow walk joins the finished route at Bangor, County Down as part of a wider national and European Columban Way.