Glencolumbkille

Glencolumbkille

Nested in County Donegal, the coastal village of Glencolmcille is home to the Glencolmcille Folk Village. The village is also called Glencolumbkille or the original Irish Gleann Cholm Cille. The Folk Village is one of Ireland's finest living history museums and offers a look at how people lived in Ireland over the past centuries. Designed to resemble a "clachan" or small hamlet, the site features six small thatched cottages, each representing a different period of Irish history from the 17th century to the present day. The People's Village was an idea of the local priest, Father James McDyer. He wanted to help revitalize the community and its economy. With design and construction by local people, it opened its gates in the 1960s. The surroundings are also charming, as the village sits on a hill with views of Glen Bay Beach. The district of Glencolumbkille has many historic sites, including Glencolumbkille Cashel. This is a penitential station, also called Glencolumbkille Turas. Every year on June 9th the locals walk through 15 "stations". The starting point is a cairn that dates back to 3000 BC. The pilgrim circles the cairn three times sunwise while praying. With his back to the stone, he renounces the World, the Flesh and the Devil. The other sites are Glencolumbkille Church, a holy well is located in Beefan townland, Malin Beg, Church of St. Kevin and Ringfort and Malin More, a portal tomb dating from around 2000 BC.