Itinerary for Ireland Tour 2018
JOURNEYING UPON THE LAND OF ÉIRU
ITINERARY
Saturday 30th June – Saturday 7th July 2018
TO WALK IN PILGRIMAGE – to hear the call and our soul’s response. To walk awhile in consciousness. To move into a place of union with the Divine. To fill the ache that lies within. An ancient calling that goes beyond time and space.
We start our journey in ceremony, calling upon the Great Earth Mother in Her many faces, to guide us as we move ever gently onwards and inwards allowing the flow of Her nature to carry us forward in honour to Her sacred body.
As part of our journey upon the Way, we will gather the threads and weave ourselves whole: as powerful and light-filled Souls. We will sing and chant, we will dance and move and there will be times when we will hold the silence and bear witness. For we come together to hear the pulse of Her nature and the beat of Her Heart through the inner and outer landscapes of Herself/ourselves.
ITINERARY 30th June – 7th July 2018
DAY 1) Saturday 30th June: Pick-ups at 10:30am from Bunratty Courtyard, Bunratty Village, Limerick, Ireland.
GRANGE STONE CIRCLE, LOUGH GUR & BRIGIT’S WELL, LIMERICK (L&D)
We go to Aine’s stone circle to open ourselves in readiness for the following sunrise and to have our opening ceremony.
The Grange Stone Circle is dedicated to Áine, Sun Goddess and Fairy Queen. It is here, at the summer solstice, that the first rays of the sun move through the two dolmen stones into the centre of the largest stone circle in Ireland. The goddess Aine is beloved of her people and guards the Land. This Circle is one of Ireland’s most beautiful, comprising of 123 standing stones, with a high earth bank surrounding it, helping to maintain its otherworldly space inside.
Behind this stone circle we have Lough Gur, which Aine is believed to have formed. We have stories here of a sacred tree within the lake, which magically arises every seven years and holds the fabric of Ireland together upon her branches. The area around Lough Gur has been inhabited for at least 5,000 years and the first Neolithic houses to be found in Ireland were excavated here.
We then continue our travel south, stopping un-route at Bridget’s well, outside of Newcastlewest, for our first blessings of the holy waters; on then, to Killarney, Co. Kerry for the next seven nights.
You will be staying the week in a 6 bedroomed House overlooking the mountain range outside of Killarney. The house is self-catering for breakfast and plenty of food & beverages will be placed in there for your convenience. We have a chef, Tidgh, coming in, to freshly prepare five of our evening meals. His food is divine…
DAY 2) Sunday 1st July: THE CITY, THE CAILLEACH AND A FAIRY GLEN (B&D)
9:15a.m. Attunement
Today we will continue the teachings out on the land and we will visit the city which sits at the foot of the ‘Paps’, the place of the Great Mother Goddess Ana/Anu. This is where one of the four great cities of the Tuatha dé Danann, the Gods and Goddesses of our land resided.
The Tuatha dé Danann were known for their magic and worship of the Mother Goddess Anu. There are two cairns (nipples) atop the mountains above the City and there has been continued worship of them as the breasts (Paps) of the Great Mother for over five thousand years. It is known as the oldest place of continued worship of the great Mother in Europe. Much later, when the first Celts came and conquered the land, the four great cities of the Tuatha dé Danann arose and moved into another plane of existence. Our stories tell us they moved to below the land Herself
On then to a place in honour of the Callieach and the stone Circle there before we journey back to Kerry, and a visit to a fairy glen.
DAY 3) Mon 2nd July: – RING OF KERRY & EIGHTICUE (B&D)
9.00am leaving
Today we have a full day on the famous Ring of Kerry with its panoramic views and ancient sites along the way. We will visit first the tower-house of Ballymalis Castle beside the river Laune and is believed to have been built in the 16th century.
We move on through Killorglin town towards Glenbeigh and on to Cahersiveen. Outside of Cahersiveen we will cross the bridge to visit ancient Cahergall Fort (Caher Gael) outside of Cahersiveen, originally built around 2,500 BC.
We will stop for lunch at the Smuggler's Inn outside of Waterville, (An Coire Án - The Little Whirlpool), for lunch by the beach. After lunch we will visit the ancient Stone Circle of Eightercue, where Armaghan the magician and Master Druid wove the land unto the first Celts.
Then to the picturesque town of Sneem and back via Moll’s gap and Ladies view as we come again, down the mountains. Travelling on we will be drinking in the views and beauty that is the best Ireland has to offer. National Geographic voted it one of the ten most beautiful places in the world.
Day 4) Tuesday 3rd July: – THE GEARAGH GOBNAIT AND SHEELA-NA-GIG (B&D)
9:00a.m. Attunement
The Gearagh is a submerged glacial woodland and nature reserve. It is located at the point where the River Lee descends from the mountains and widens at an alluvial plain, after which it stretches for roughly five kilometres, It was until recently densely populated with ancient oak trees and the last surviving full oak forest in western Europe. Its Irish name, An Gaoire, is derived from the Irish word Gaorthadh, roughly the Wooden River. It was flooded in 1954 to facilitate the building of two hydro-electric dams which provide electricity for the nearby city of Cork. The area is now part of the plants' upper reservoir.
The development required that the region was flooded, and so lead to the felling of hundreds of trees and the removal and relocation of tracts of people. Many of the trees were centuries old and had grown since the medieval period. Today only their stumps survive, in flood land, giving the area a ghostly and
almost lunar appearance.
It remains an area of outstanding natural beauty, with a diverse ecological system and wide variety of plants, birds and fish, including freshwater pearl mussel, Atlantic salmon, whooper swans, kingfishers and otters. It is designated a wetland of international importance and also enjoys international protection as an EU Special Area of Conservation of 558 ha. Part of the SAC is designated a nature reserve under the Irish Wildlife Act and the reservoir is a wildfowl sanctuary.
From here we travel to Ballyvourney to visit Gobnait’s well, one of the oldest wells of pilgrimage in Ireland and a Sheela-na-gig. Gobnait is another face of Brigit and dedicated to Bees. The Sheela-na-gig is a stone carving of a pre-Christian female idol signifying freedom and creativity. Most were broken up during the reformation and some small ones still exist around Ireland, mainly on the ruins of old churches. The Sheela-na-gig has become a symbol for many Irish women as the right to choose and is becoming re-named as the Sacred Whore
Day 5) Wednesday 4th July: – HAG OF BEARA, OGHAM STONE, KILCATHERINE & ARDGROOM STONE CIRCLES (B&D)
9:00a.m. Attunement
Today we carry our work and teachings out onto the land and visit the Cailleach Beara, the place of the Crone Goddess, part of our Triple Goddesses. The story is that the wise hag Goddess turned to stone while waiting for her consort, the God of the Sea, Manannan Mac Lir. We will move on from here to the ruins of Kilcatherine, where there was once the Priestess cult of Caitlin, known to be connected with the usage of cats to journey to the other realms.
We then move on to the Ballycrovane Ogham Stone, which stands at 17 feet and is said to be the largest Ogham stone in Ireland and is known to be much older than its Ogham inscription. Ogham writing was the first known writing in Ireland and was, for many centuries, known as the Druid’s sacred and secret language.
We stop awhile in Kenmare, known in Irish as An Neidín meaning ‘little nest’ and the picturesque town is indeed nestled within the mountains.
Day 6) Thursday 5th July: – INISFALLEN ISLAND & R&R (B)
9:00a.m. Attunement
This morning we will visit the Sacred Isle of Inisfallen, held within the lower lake of Killarney, for ceremony. This Island was once a place of sacredness for Priestesses of: The Goddess. It later became a centre of learning and Healing and Brian Boru, our last high king of Ireland finished his education here in the 900’s AD.
The afternoon is free time for writing, resting, shopping and/or exploring Killarney. You might like to go to Muckross House and their famous gardens, or go horse riding or hiking in the National Park, the largest national park in Ireland.
DAY 7) Friday 6th July:- ADARE CASTLE & BUNRATTY COURTYARD FOR FINAL NIGHT. (B)
9:30 Attunement
This Morning we make our way to Bunratty Village in Co Clare. En-route we will stop again at Brigit’s Well for our last blessing of the Sacred waters. On then to Adare, with its thatched cottages and Abbey ruins. Lunch in the village or at the Heritage Centre and then on for a private tour of the 13th Century Adare Castle which once was enclosed within an ancient fort.
We then make our way to Bunratty Village for your last night in Bunratty Courtyard.
Cost for the 7 day Sacred Journey: $2250 includes twin-rooms and 2 single room accommodation for 7 nights, all breakfasts, 5 dinners of the 7 dinners, 1 lunch, Shamanic Teachings, entrance fees, transport, plus pick up at Shannon Airport AND Bunratty Village plus drop off on the 6th July in Bunratty Village.
IMP – This Itinerary is open to change according to the needs of the Group.
Flights and insurance are not included. You can go to InsureMyTrip.com to search for an insurance policy that meets your needs. You must purchase travel insurance.
NOTE: This trip requires an overnight flight to arrive in Ireland. We strongly suggest you arrive a day early to sleep and rejuvenate from your travels. The tour activities begin on the first day of the trip. You can book lodging at Bunratty Courtyard Guesthouse in Bunratty Village. You can get a bus from the airport to the village. The bus stops right outside of the Courtyard. Or, you can get a cab. It’s only about 12 minutes from the airport. The village itself is worth walking around. You have Bunratty Castle and Folk Village, which is well worth a visit for those who need to stretch their legs in the afternoon. There are two pubs who offer meals plus traditional music in the evening, as well as a small restaurant right next to the Courtyard. Their website is www.bunrattycourtyard.com. – you must book and pay for this directly.
