A new guide to the historic Colmcille Turas in Gleann Cholm Cille will launch shortly, just before the saint’s holy day on 9 June.
The 24 page booklet, a onestop guide to the early medieval pilgrimage, was designed by local journalist Gerard Cunningham.
The Turas is one of the major attractions in the area, noted for its megalithic and early Christian monuments.
One of the cross pillars has become an iconic symbol of the parish, featured in calendars, tourist guides, books, and even matchboxes.
The new guide features full colour images of all of the stations on the Turas, and background information on the history of the pilgrimage.
“There’s already a lot of information available locally, but it’s not all in one place,” said Gerard. “It’s held in local history books, archaeology references, folk memories.”
“I wanted to assemble all the information in one place, so that everything was available in one go.”
He hopes that future editions might be updated with even more information, and similar guides to the pre-Christian monuments of the area.
The guide’s convenient A5 format means it makes an ideal size for visitors to carry as the retrace the steps of pilgrims around the valley.
