Barbara Dickson plans return trip for St Columba anniversary

The Scottish singer made the announcement while delivering a video message to the Derry Diocese from lockdown a year on from her visit to the city during the Little Way Novena dedicated to St Thérese of Lisieux.

In her message, shared by the Derry Diocese, Barbara Dickson stated: “I can’t believe it’s almost a year since I came to Derry to the Cathedral there to talk about my faith journey and to sing a couple of songs. It just is astonishing to me that so much time has gone past.

“It’s also the first time in my life I think I had a thousand hugs in one evening when I was standing outside with the Bishop, which was fantastic, it was such a great experience and I really hope that next year, God willing, we might all gather together to celebrate the great St Columba’s birthday. Wouldn’t that be good - hands over the water between Scotland and Ireland again.”

She added: “I’d love to send best of wishes to Fr Paul [Farren] and everybody at Cathedral House and to all the people who came to hear me that night, that lovely May evening in 2019 so I’d like to send loads of love to you all. Keep positive and safe most importantly, and let’s hope we will be back to some kind of new normal after this is over, and I would hope that we could maybe get together next year. It would be lovely. My thoughts and prayers are with you all until we meet again.”

Prior to the lockdown, plans were being put in place to mark the 1,500th anniversary in 2020/21. A native of Gartan in Donegal, St. Columba or ColmCille is widely regarded as Derry’s patron saint and is said to have established the monastic settlement in the Long Tower area which eventually became the city of Derry. He was born in 520 or 521 and there are many local sites associated with him throughout the north west region and further afield. In 545, he founded his first monastery in Doire Cholm Cille and in 563 set sail with 12 monks from Derry to the island of Iona in Scotland where he died in 597. St Columba is also revered in Scotland and there is even a stained glass window depicting his voyage across the sea in the 12th Century St Margaret’s chapel at Edinburgh Castle.

While the diocese is expected to host events marking the anniversary, Derry City and Strabane District Council have been working closely with Donegal County Council’s Heritage Office, Foras Na Gaeilge and the Heritage Council in the production of the Columban Heritage Audit as a precursor to a shared programme of works and events in 2020/21.

You can see the video message on the Facebook page of St Eugene’s Cathedral www.facebook.com/StEugenesCathedral/videos/900033937074356/