Kells to burst into colour next month to celebrate life of St Colmcille
Kells will become a sea of colour next month as the town continues it celebration of Colmcille 1500.
Light projections, bunting, flags and banners will create a festive atmosphere in the town for the month of June.
This is the 1500th anniversary year of St Colmcille and Kells will be celebrating its patron saint in true party atmosphere.
The month of June is the focus for current planning by the Colmcille 1500 Kells committee, as 8th June is the day the saint’s death is remembered.
In past years there was the traditional pilgrim walk to Colmcille’s Well where the Kells silver band played and prayers were said. It is also always a lovely opportunity to re-visit the well and enjoy the old laneway of native flowers and trees leading to it.
“Remember, when you walk to the well, you are walking in the footsteps of the medieval monks and our ancestors, for this well is an ancient source of freshwater to the town,” says Ina Olohan of the Kells 1500 Committee.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines about group gatherings, the traditional walk will not take place.
“But instead, we aim high and we aim to celebrate our heritage with an innovative response on this very important anniversary year.
“Bespoke bunting, flags, and banner to illustrate our history and heritage, are being designed and will be visible on our streets from 8th June.
“In addition, new images are being developed to be projected onto prominent buildings at or near historical sites. These projections, like the one which has recently been shone onto the Kells civic offices, will depict a graphic image illustrating a scene or story from our history.
“Look out for the Scribe; the fierceness of warriors depicted in the story of Kells of the 100 kings; the Cathach – the cause of Colmcille’s exile; and more.”
A map is being developed to show the locations of these illuminations and guided tours of the installations will also be available.”
Ms Olohan thanked Meath County Council, the Heritage Council and the people of Kells and district for supporting these innovations.
The Kells Colmcille 1500 Committee are partnering with other Columban sites including Donegal, Derry and Iona to organise virtual and visual events to remember Colmcille’s unique legacy.
Colmcille was a prince of the Northern ú’Neill family but chose to became a monk and spent part of his training in Leinster with St Finnian at Clonard. The Dún of Kells was granted to Colmcille personally by his kinsman Diarmaid Mac Carroll, High King of Tara and it is likely that St Colmcille himself may have walked the streets of Kells and perhaps established an early church there.
His followers established a monastery here in 804 AD. Colmcille is credited with establishing monasteries in Derry, Durrow and on the island of Iona in Scotland. It is on Iona that Colmcille himself settled and from which his followers brought the faith to Scotland, England and Europe.
The sacred site of his monastery still overlooks the town of Kells and draws people from all over the world to visit the small stone cell named for him and the High Crosses. The Columban settlement in Kells was a major cultural and religious institution, a centre of spirituality, an intellectual powerhouse of art and learning. Its inhabitants – both monks and laymen - included scribes, stonecutters, goldsmiths, metalworkers, woodcarvers and masons. It is believed the Book of Kells owes its identity and status to having been completed by a particular scribe there.
The Colmcille 1500 Kells committee continues to fund raise for events planned for later in the year through grant applications and through continued public donations.