St Columbanus’s Day falls on November 23rd each year; and last Tuesday Cllr Dr Ian Adamson OBE (today a Contributing Editor to Impala) organised, through his Ullans Academy, an amazing celebration lunch with the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, and Lord Bannside (as we must learn to call Dr Ian Paisley), as guest speakers. Most likely, such an event, in the circumstances which Ireland now finds itself, will never be repeated.Yesterday I posted the text of President McAleese’s speech here (see link below). And the Alan in Belfast blog has carried an excellent account of the formal events associated with the lunch, a report re-posted on the Slugger O’Toole politics blog (see links below).

My own report of the lunch will, God willing, follow shortly.

Blog Link

President McAleese’s speech at the St Columbanus lunch, Thursday, November 25. 2010

Links

“The Feast of Columbanus … and a giant jigsaw puzzle for the Irish President and Lord Bannside “ Alan in Belfast blog, November 24, 2010

The feast of Columbanus accompanied by speeches from Lord Bannside & the Irish President Slugger O’Toole blog Wednesday, November 24, 2010