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Colmcille’s 1500th birthday was celebrated at his birthplace in Donegal today, in a symbolic cross-border event, which was part of a year-long programme by Donegal Council Council and Derry City and Strabane Council. The event premiered a digital folklore animation project, which engaged a new generation of children in keeping the iconic saint’s legacy alive.
The event was addressed by the Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, who co-ordinated the programme, and the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC). Cathaoirleach, Cllr Jack Murray said it was “very special to commemorate Colmcille’s 1500th birthday here at the Colmcille Heritage Centre in his birthplace of Gartan.”
“Our two councils have come together with local church leaders to commemorate this 1500th anniversary with other local, regional and national partners. This birthday celebration today marks the culmination of a series of 120 events and activities over the past year, which commemorated Colmcille’s remarkable life and legacy. These included concerts, exhibitions, films, plays, conferences, conservation works to Columban heritage sites, audio guides, publications, lectures and other performances. We are delighted that despite COVID, we managed to use online and virtual events to bring Colmcille to not just local and regional but to national and international audiences too.”
The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, said that birthday celebrations planned for the City that evening “The 'Light of the Dove' that were cancelled due to the weather warning would be re-scheduled when feasible. The event will see the grounds of the Long Tower Church come to life with a stunning light installation, accompanied by dance, poetry and performances by local musicians to create a walk-through experience themed around hope and looking to the future.”
The Mayor said An Cathaoirleach would be joining him for the event, which has been co-ordinated by the North West Carnival Initiative (NWCI), In Your Space and Studio 2. “It will be a special and poignant evening to remember a figure who has such a prominent place in local history” he said.
The birthday event at the Colmcille Heritage Centre was also attended by primary schoolchildren from Gartan National School, one of 20 schools who participated in the digital folklore animation project. The project was led by Donegal County Council Library Service, in partnership with library authorities in Sligo, Meath and Libraries NI.
Eileen Burgess, DCC’s Culture Divisional Manager, said the project “upskilled teachers to help children research Colmcille’s life and to create the digital animations. The children’s animations have been developed into an illustrated comic which we launched digitally today. The comic takes a light-hearted look at the folklore and legends of the Donegal saint.”
“Today at Gartan also marks the launch of the ‘Illuminating Colmcille’/’Léargas ar Cholm Cille’ Colouring Book, which was commissioned by the County Donegal Heritage Office and funded by The Heritage Council and DCC. It’s available free-of-charge from libraries, the County Museum, the Donegal Education Centre, the Heritage Office and on-line.”
Ms Burgess said she was delighted to announce two other launches today: a new illustrated map of the key sites in Ireland and Scotland linked to Colmcille and an Irish-language audio guide of Donegal heritage sites associated with St. Colmcille that explores aspects of his life and legacy. “The ‘Dún na nGall Cholm Cille /St. Colmcille’s Donegal’ audio guide was researched by Abarta Heritage, translated into Irish by Foras na Gaeilge, produced by In Hand Guides and narrated by Áine Ní Bhreisleáin.”
Also in attendance at the Gartan event were representatives of the Colmcille 1500 programme’s main funders, North West Regional Development Group: Chair, Councillor Ciaran Brogan (DCC) and Vice Chair, Alderman Derek Hussey (DCSDC).
After the Gartan event, the Cathaoirleach unveiled a commemorative 4m bronze sculpture of Colmcille at Kilmacrennan. The sculpture was commissioned as a Percent For Art Project and funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland as part of the N56 Coolboy to Kilmacrennan Road. Artist Niall Bruton captured the essence of the Saint as a monk-like figure standing proud and strong against the elements, arms heavenwards with a crescent of doves. The sculpture is surrounded by decorative kerb stones created in workshops with Scoil Cholmcille National School in Kilmacrennan and Coláiste Ailligh in Letterkenny.
The day’s celebrations ended with digital projections at the Guildhall Square in Derry as part of an illuminations project ‘Coinneal Cholmcille (Columba’s Candle)’, in partnership with Foras na Gaeilge and local authorities across Ireland and Scotland to illuminate locations linked to Colmcille. Projections in at the Colmcille Heritage Centre and St. Colmcille’s Chapel in Gartan are to be re-scheduled due to the weather warning.
Events were supported by Creative Ireland and the North West Development Fund in conjunction with and supported by The Executive Office and The Irish Government. The Library Service Project was partly funded by the Creative Ireland Programme with additional support from Donegal, Sligo and Meath County Councils and Libraries NI.
Rinne Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall agus Comhairle Chathair Dhoire agus Cheantar an tSratha Báin 1500ú breithlá Cholm Cille a cheiliúradh ina áit dúchais i nDún na nGall inniu ag imeacht siombalach trasteorann. Chuir an t-imeacht tús le tionscadal de bhéaloideas digiteach, ina raibh páirt ag glúin úr páistí le hoidhreacht an naoimh chlúitigh a choinneáil beo.
Ag an imeacht labhair Cathaoirleach Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall, an duine a rinne comhordú ar an chlár, agus Méara Chomhairle Chathair Dhoire agus Cheantar an tSratha Báin (CCDCSB). Dúirt an Cathaoirleach, an Comhairleoir Jack Murray go raibh sé “an-speisialta 1500ú breithlá Cholm Cille a cheiliúradh anseo ag Ionad Oidhreachta Cholm Cille i nGartán an áit ar rugadh é.”
“Tháinig an dá chomhairle s’againn le chéile le ceannairí eaglasta áitiúla le comóradh a dhéanamh ar an cheiliúradh 1500 bliain seo lenár gcomhpháirtithe áitiúla, réigiúnacha agus náisiúnta. Tá an ceiliúradh breithlae seo mar thoradh ar shraith de 120 imeacht agus gníomhaíocht le bliain anuas, a rinne comóradh ar shaol agus oidhreacht iontach Cholm Cille. Ina measc sin bhí ceolchoirmeacha, taispeántais, scannáin, drámaí, comhdhálacha, oibreacha caomhnaithe chuig láithreacha oidhreachta Cholm Cille, treoracha fuaime, foilseacháin, léachtaí agus cuir i láthair eile. Tá lúcháir orainn, ainneoin COVID, gur éirigh linn imeachtaí ar líne agus imeachtaí fíorúla a úsáid le Colm Cille a thabhairt ní hamháin chuig lucht éisteachta áitiúil agus réigiúnach ach chuig lucht éisteachta náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta chomh maith.”
Dúirt Méara Chomhairle Chathair Dhoire agus Cheantar an tSratha Báin, an Bardasach Graham Warke go ndéanfaí iarracht an ceiliúradh breithlae “Solas an Choilm” a bhí beartaithe don chathair ar an oíche agus a cuireadh ar ceal mar gheall ar an rabhadh drochaimsire a atheagrú ag am níos fóirsteanaí. Leis an imeacht 'Solas an Choilm’ tiocfaidh beocht isteach i dtailte Eaglais an Túir Fhada le suiteáil fhíorálainn solais. Chomh maith leis sin beidh damhsa, filíocht agus ceol ó cheoltóirí áitiúla le go dtig le daoine siúl tríd le téama an dóchais agus dúil leis an am atá le teacht.
Dúirt an Méara go mbeadh an Cathaoirleach leis ag an ócáid, a chomhordaigh Tionscnamh Carnabhail an Iarthuaiscirt (TCIT), In Your Space agus Stiúideo 2. “Tráthnóna speisialta tochtmhar a bheidh ann le duine a thabhairt chun cuimhne a bhfuil áit chomh lárnach sin aige sa stair áitiúil” a dúirt sé.
Ag an imeacht breithlae in Ionad Oidhreachta Cholm Cille bhí daltaí bunscoile i láthair as Scoil Náisiúnta Ghartáin, ceann amháin de 20 scoil a ghlac páirt sa tionscadal de bheochan digiteach béaloidis. Is í Seirbhís Leabharlainne Chomhairle Chontae Dhún na nGall a bhí i mbun an tionscadail, i gcomhar le húdaráis leabharlainne i Sligeach, i gContae na Mí agus Leabharlanna TÉ.
Dúirt Eileen Burgess, Bainisteoir Roinn Cultúir CCDG, go ndearna an tionscadal “múinteoirí a uasoiliúint le cuidiú le páistí taighde a dhéanamh a shaol Cholm Cille agus leis na beochaintí digiteacha a chruthú. Rinneadh beochaintí na bpáistí a fhorbairt le greannán maisithe a dhéanamh a sheol muid go digiteach inniu. Sa ghreannán tá dearcadh spraíúil ar an bhéaloideas agus ar na finnscéalta a bhaineann leis an naomh Chonallach.”
“Inniu i nGartán fosta seoladh an Leabhar Dathúcháin ‘Illuminating Colmcille’/’Léargas ar Cholm Cille’, a choimisiúnaigh Oifig Oidhreachta Chontae Dhún na nGall agus a mhaoinigh an Chomhairle Oidhreachta agus CCDG. Tá sé ar fáil saor in aisce ó leabharlanna, ó Iarsmalann an Chontae, ó Lárionad Oideachais Dhún na nGall, ón Oifig Oidhreachta agus ar líne.”
Dúirt Ms Burgess go raibh áthas uirthi an dá sheoladh eile a fhógairt inniu: léarscáil nua mhaisithe de na príomhláithreacha in Éirinn agus in Albain a bhaineann le Colm Cille agus treoir fuaime Ghaeilge de láithreacha oidhreachta i nDún na nGall a bhaineann le Colm Cille a phléann gnéithe dá shaol agus dá oidhreacht. Is é Abarta Heritage a rinne an taighde ar an treoir fuaime “Dún na nGall Cholm Cille /St. Colmcille’s Donegal’. D’aistrigh Foras na Gaeilge í , In Hand Guides a léirigh í agus Áine Ní Bhreisleáin a rinne an tráchtaireacht.”
I láthair ag an imeacht i nGartán chomh maith bhí ionadaithe de chuid phríomh-mhaoinitheoirí chlár Cholm Cille 1500, Grúpa Forbartha an Iarthuaiscirt: An Cathaoirleach, an Comhairleoir Ciaran Brogan (CCDG) agus an Leas-Chathaoirleach, an Bardasach Derek Hussey (CCDCSB).
I ndiaidh an imeachta i nGartán, nocht an Cathaoirleach dealbh chomórtha 4m chré-umha de Cholm Cille i gCill Mhic Réanáin. Coimisiúnaíodh an dealbh mar Thionscadal Percent For Art agus mhaoinigh Bonneagar Iompair Éireann í mar chuid de Bhóthar N56 An Cúl Buí go Cill Mhic Réanáin. Léirigh an tEalaíontóir Niall Bruton éirim an naoimh mar dhuine atá cosúil le manach ina sheasamh go bródúil agus go láidir in éadan na doininne, a sciatháin i dtreo na bhflaitheas agus corrán de choilm leis. Thart ar an dealbh tá clocha colbha ornáideacha a cruthaíodh i gceardlanna le Scoil Náisiúnta Cholm Cille i gCill Mhic Réanáin agus Coláiste Ailigh i Leitir Ceanainn.
Cuireadh deireadh le ceiliúradh an lae le teilgin dhigiteacha i gCearnóg Halla na Cathrach i nDoire mar chuid de thionscadal soilsithe ‘Coinneal Cholmcille (Columba’s Candle)’, i gcomhpháirt le Foras na Gaeilge agus údaráis áitiúla ar fud na hÉireann agus ar fud na hAlban le háiteanna a bhaineann le Colm Cille a shoilsiú. Tá pleananna le hionad Oidhreachta Cholm Cille agus Séipéal Cholm Cille i nGartán a shoilsiú curtha siar mar gheall ar an rabhadh aimsire.
Fuair na himeachtaí tacaíocht ó Éire Chruthaitheach agus Ciste Forbartha an Iarthuiscirt i gcomhar le hOifig an Fheidhmeannais agus Rialtas na hÉireann agus le tacaíocht uathu. Fuair Tionscadal na Seirbhíse Leabharlainen cuid den mhaoiniú ón Chlár Éire Chruthaitheach le tuilleadh tacaíochta ó Chomhairlí Contae Dhún na nGall, Shligigh agus na Mí agus Leabharlanna TÉ.
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