Bus tour celebrating Cecil Frances Alexander to take in her former Donegal home

A new, one-day heritage bus tour celebrating the remarkable life, faith, and social influence of Cecil Frances Alexander and will include a visit to her former Donegal home  will launch later this month.

This cross-border tour  which will allow participants to journey through the landscapes and places that inspired one of Ireland’s most influential 19th-century women has been created by The Churches Trust and funded by Peaceplus, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council. 

Titled Bright & Beautiful: The Cecil Frances Alexander One-Day Heritage Bus Tour, the experience runs from 9.00am to approximately 5.30pm on Saturday, April 25, beginning and ending in Strabane, with an optional early pick-up in Derry city at 8.30am. 

Organisers say the tour weaves together faith, poetry, landscape, education, and social conscience, offering a richly layered exploration of Alexander’s enduring legacy.

Best known worldwide as the author of hymns such as All Things Bright and Beautiful, Once in Royal David’s City, and There Is a Green Hill Far Away, Cecil Frances Alexander lived much of her adult life in the north-west of Ireland. Her work combined literary brilliance with deep compassion, reflecting a lifelong commitment to children’s education, charitable action, and inclusive community life.

The day begins at Christ Church Strabane, near the site of the original church, which no longer exists, where Alexander worshipped during her years in the town and her husband, William Alexander, served as rector. 

A guided talk exploring the church’s history, stained-glass windows, and Alexander’s pioneering work in local charity and education, including her involvement with setting up a school for deaf and mute children in the area, will be presented by Gordon Smyth.

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Travelling by coach through rural Tyrone, participants will pass Milltown House, the Old Rectory, visiting Baronscourt Estate, before continuing to St Bestius’ Church in Killeter and Aghayarn. 

This area was Alexander’s home following her marriage and is closely associated with some of her most influential hymn writing. Here, the focus turns to parish life, rural ministry, and her innovative approach to hymns written specifically for children and education.

Crossing into Donegal, the tour continues to Fahan, overlooking Lough Swilly. Often described as the setting of some of the happiest years of Alexander’s married life.  

Fahan’s dramatic landscape against the shores of Lough Swilly, reflects the natural imagery that runs throughout her hymns. Visitors will explore the Church of Ireland site and the area around her former home at The Old Rectory, with guided reflections on her social influence in 19th-century Ireland.

After a provided lunch at the Diocesan Offices in Derry city, the afternoon includes a guided visit to her former home, The Bishops Palace, which is now a Free Masons Hall.  

Then on to St Columb’s Cathedral, where William Alexander served as Bishop. The cathedral contains a stained-glass window dedicated to Cecil Frances Alexander, and her memory is further honoured through portraits and a music room named after her, underscoring her cultural and spiritual significance.

The tour concludes at City Cemetery Derry, where Alexander is buried. This reflective final stop offers insight into her remembrance, with a group rendition of There Is a Green Hill Far Away and laying flowers at her gravestone, before returning to Strabane.

Speaking about the tour, project coordinator Sinéad Smyth, said it aims to “bring together place, poetry, and people in a way that honours Cecil Frances Alexander not only as a poet and hymn writer of international stature, and as a unifying historical figure, but as a woman of profound social conscience whose work continues to resonate across cultures and denominations”.

The Cecil Frances Alexander Heritage Bus Tour is designed to be accessible, informative, and reflective, appealing to heritage enthusiasts, faith communities, literary audiences, and anyone interested in women’s history in Ireland.  

It is free to attend and there is no booking fee.  Places are available to book here.