5. DHS - St. Colmcille Turas

Shrine Five: station to station. Location: 54.710193, -8.720312Speaker: Shane McIntyre, Glencolmcille, author of Guide to Turas Cholm Cille.Theme: gathering annually to salute Donegal's very own saint.St Colmcille brought Christianity to the north-west corner of Ireland and the area is named and this annual pilgrimage is held in his honour. The place is famous for the 'turas' or penitential pilgrimages that are made round the various stations on the 9th of June, the saint's day. The three mile pilgrimage starts at midnight and has to be completed before sunrise. The stations are marked by small cairns or by cross-inscribed pillar stones which are associated with the early monastery. The pilgrimage route is rich in megalithic remains, some dating back more that 5000 years, and it is believed that the current pilgrimage occurs on a site where pagan ritual was commonly observed, indeed some of the structures that act as 'stations' on the route are certainly pre-Christian.Audio taken from Donegal's Hallowed Sites on the Racontour Archive.Spotify URL: Donegal's Hallowed Sites playlist on Spotify