Sisters celebrate 80 years at Drumalis

The grand Victorian country house on Glenarm Road, owned and operated by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion, has served as a place for those seeking refuge, relaxation and reflection since 1930.

Sister Margaret Rose McSparran said: "For the past eight decades, Drumalis has served as an oasis on the journey of life to people from across Northern Ireland and beyond. But and a lot of people in Larne do not realise what a jewel they have right on their own doorstep. It is a beautiful house and has a rich and fascinating history."

READ MORE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF DRUMALIS IN THIS WEEK'S LARNE TIMES It was felt that if people from different backgrounds could come together at Drumalis, it would help them come together on the outside world as well.”

As part of this cross-community initiative and in response to the IRA ceasefire in 1994, the Sisters invited the ministers of the four main churches in Larne to come to a coffee morning at Drumalis. The aim of this meeting was to help improve relations between the churches, and it heralded the start of the Tuesday Group, which continues to meet to this day. The group has been involved in various anti-sectarian activity in Larne over the years and helped set up the Larne Millennium Initiative, an inter-church organisation promoting dialogue and co-operation.

On top of these dramatic changes, Drumalis has also received a major facelift over the past 10 years. In 2003, the main house was restored with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund. And in 2008, the Sixties extension was demolished to make way for a state-of-theart retreat centre.

As well as providing an oasis for thousands of people from across Northern Ireland and beyond each year, Drumalis also functions as a very busy conference and educational centre, offering both organised programmes and facilities for groups to hold their own events.