Turas Columbanus Stage 11 – Final Stage!
After crossing the Mourne Mountains I thought was finished with hills but this is drumlin country and it was constantly up and down, though while none of them very high, it was draining.
There is lots of coastal scenery – stunning on a good dry day, sunny in the early stages.
Most of this 110 kms stage was on local roads where I availed of the signposted Cycle routes 99, 20 and 93. The route follows the coast around through Dundrum to Ballykinler – where Down GAA are due to locate their Centre of Excellence on the site of the British Army base. Lots of gunfire could be heard from the base, presumably from the firing range. The Isle of Man was clearly visible out in the Irish Sea.
The route winds its way around the coast and up and down the many drumlins but it’s easy pick up the right turns as this route is well signposted as Route 99. It’s well selected as the roads are extremely quiet and the views are outrageous! Ballynoe Stone Circle was an interesting stopping off point and you can sense the magic of the place. Continue on for about 5kms to arrive into Downpatrick, resting place of our national saint, Saint Patrick.
When you get to Downpatrick it is important not to follow this route out of Downpatrick and instead pick up Route 20 – I missed that and ended up on main road for 7 kms where I then rejoined route 20. This is a great route over to Mahee Island and on into into Comber. Mahee Island was stunning and worth the diversion even if it added 15kms to the journey with Nendrum Monastic site so beautifully located with stunning views of the Lough. This was a very important monastic site and would have been associated with Bangor Abbey and possibly our main man Columbanus. Definitely one of my favourite sections of the entire route.
Return back to the turn off for Mahee and take a right which brings you into Comber where you pick up Route 99 again but make sure you head towards Newtownards! Its a quiet road but with a good pull to Scrabo Hill which is adorned by the Scrabo Tower, a landmark you will have seen from Mahee Island. It is a nice downhill into Newtownards, with is a major urban centre and easy to get lost in. Change to Route 93 here and head up Mountain Road towards Crawfordsburn. Saw a herd of deer up on top! The route crosses the main Belfast – Bangor dual carriage way and winds its way along the coast. However time was slipping away on me and I took the most direct route into Bangor.
Finally I had arrived in Bangor where Columbanus spent many years as a monk before heading for Europe in his 50th year or later!
Turas Columbanus, also known as the Columban Way, traces the journey of Columbanus, in the late 6th and early 7th century through Ireland but also France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy from his birth place in the shadow of Mount Leinster in Carlow to his resting place in Bobbio, south of Milan in northern Italy.
The Turas Columbanus is the Irish section of this pilgrim walk / cycle through countryside, pathways, villages and towns from Ireland’s Ancient East through the monastic and medieval foundations from Myshall, Carlow, through the midlands, to Cleenish on Lough Erne, Armagh and Bangor.
For me it is important to keep the memory of this great Irish “Man of Letters” and “First European” alive in the 21st century and aspects of his life which are of significant interest to those who work towards an integrated Europe open to all.
France is next!
