Glencolumbkille (Gleann Cholaim Cille, "St Columba's Glen") is a picturesque holiday resort in the far north of Ireland, at the most westerly point in Donegal county. It lies in a valley opening into Glen Bay, on the Atlantic, with a sandy bay and magnificent cliff scenery in the surrounding area.
The area around Glencolumbkille is one of the
Irish-speaking parts of Donegal. Here St Columcille (Columba) lived in solitude and meditated. Another tradition has it that Bonnie Prince Charlie, the last of the Pretenders of the House of Stuart, spent some time here during his flight from the English.
In the middle of this century when Glencolumbkille was in danger of dying through lack of employment, Father James McDyer set up a cooperative to make the best use of agriculture and to market the artistic handicrafts of the inhabitants. The undertaking proved successful. Thatched cottages were built for holidaymakers and the Folk Museum attracted day visitors.