The Call

The varied landscape of lush green meadows, mountain ranges and spectacular coastline certainly lead one to believe that this land is blessed and stories of fairy folk and leprechauns also reflect the belief that the land has supernatural guardians...

Our pilgrimage will take us back in time and into the realms of myth, legend and deep wisdom as we make a journey through some of the most magical counties of the Republic of Ireland, visiting sites revered as sacred by Pagans and Christians for thousands of years. This opens a doorway for each of us to discover forgotten aspects of our inner world…

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The Journey

After collection from Dublin airport we start our journey based in Naas, County Kildare. We visit historic Kildare Cathedral and climb the mysterious round tower in its grounds, one of only two in Ireland that you can ascend. This town is about Brigid and we'll visit her holy well and the Brigidine Sisters who maintain her perpetual flame.

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Nearby we venture into the Wicklow Mountains to visit Glendalough, an atmospheric former monastic spiritual community established fifteen hundred years ago by St Kevin. Its historic buildings are set in a magical wooded valley of outstanding natural beauty containing two lakes with a wonderful tranquil energy that nourishes the soul.

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Travelling across Southern Ireland we'll visit one of Ireland's most popular sites, the Rock of Cashel, a medieval settlement perched atop a massive limestone outcrop. Moving on to County Limmerick we'll strenthen our connection to the land at Grange Stone Circle, one of the most stunning stone circles in Ireland. Heading north we follow the Wild Atlantic Way, along the spectacular west Irish coast and stop at the Cliffs of Moher to take a walk on the wild side...

~ Spirituality, history, mystery, legends, breathtaking scenery and lots of green... ~

 

On the west coast in County Sligo we go back in time to the Neolithic as we explore Ireland’s largest megalithic complex at Carrrowmore. Our guide will explain the original purpose of the monument builders, why they built them here and what beliefs these people had; food for thought as we make comparisons with our modern world. The isolated site of Carrowkeel has sat high in the spectacular Bricklieve Mountains for over five thousand years and looks over to the cairn of Queen Maebh. The thirty-minute trek to get there is well worth it! The panoramic views from the cairn on top are spectacular and we are able to crawl into the atmospheric chamber that has withstood the ravages of the Irish weather for five millennia, and go within! 

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Saying goodbye to Sligo and the west coast we head east to connect with the energetic and spiritual centre of Eire at the Hill of Uisneach where our guide will bring the story of this land alive for us.  Moving on to the old town of Kells, famous for the Book of Kells you can go in search of its five High Crosses; the locals are still looking for the fifth one! 

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~ Mischievious Irish humour, traditional music, storytelling, and maybe a Guinness... ~

 

We are now in the eastern province of Leinster where we get a bird’s eye view of seventeen counties from the top of Loughcrew or Slieve na Caillighe- the Mountain of the Witch. This mystical site has been revered beyond memory and for good reason, magic and secrets reside here. What symbolism will you see in the stone carvings within the mighty cairn? 

The ancient seat of the high kings of Ireland at Tara is the traditional center of this province, located by a holy well. What secrets will it share with us? Energy currents empower each of the sacred centres on the hilltop.

Finally across the Boyne Valley we visit Newgrange, Dowth and Knowth cairns. At Newgrange we go inside the cairn to witness a recreation of the winter solstice rising sun entering deep within the passage, and at Knowth we see some of the finest Neolithic stone carvings in Europe. 

Our magical Journey With Soul being complete we return to Dublin airport for flights home but the impact of your time in Ireland will stay with you forever! 

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Tour price includes -

• Collection from & return to Dublin airport

• All land transportation

• Accommodation in quality hotels

• All breakfasts & four evening meals

• All normal admission charges to sacred sites

• All tour guide fees

• Gratuities & taxes on accommodation & included meals

• Third party liability insurance

• All rooms have ensuite bathroom facilities and tour prices are based on sharing a twin/double room. A limited number of single rooms are available for which there will be a single supplement charge as specifed at the top of this page.

 

Tour Leaders

Glenn Broughton

Cameron Broughton

Guest Presenter

Anthony Murphy

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Itinerary

Day 1 – Mon, Aug 5th

After collection from Dublin Airport we drive to our country house hotel in Naas – for 3 nights

Introductions and orientation meeting followed by 

Dinner at the hotel

 

Day 2 – Tues, Aug 6th

We start our journey with a pilgrimage to Kildare, the home of Brigid. She was both Pagan goddess and early Christian saint. We will visit St Brigid’s Well, a place of peace and tranquility that has been revered since beyond memory. The Brigidine Sisters, who maintain her perpetual flame, are a shining light for peace and have recently opened a new centre that we will visit when we go to meet them.

St Brigid established a monastery in 470AD, probably at the location of a former pagan sacred site. Kildare Cathedral developed from this monastery in the early 13th century and is unusual in Ireland for being Anglican. It contains a hidden ‘sheela-na-gig’, a pagan symbol of fertility and the feminine. Within the graveyard is a fine example of one of the surviving round towers of Ireland. 

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Free choice dinner not included

 

Day 3 – Weds, Aug 7th

The former monastic site of Glendalough meaning ‘Glen of the two lakes’ is set in a valley of great natural beauty and serenity surrounded by the Wicklow Mountains. The ‘monastic city’ was mostly built in the 12th century and comprises several churches, a spectacular round tower and an early Celtic cross. We explore the legends as well as the ruins and take time to walk in the natural woodland that was home to this spiritual retreat.

We lunch at Avoca Handweavers’ award-winning café and take a tour of the oldest woollen mill in Ireland.

We travel through the stunning high moorland scenery of the Wicklow Gap to visit a stone circle within a sacred landscape. Castleruddery, a small stone circle, contains two large quartz blocks as portal stones that are highly energetic. 

Free choice dinner not included

 

Day 4 – Thurs, Aug 8th

We depart Naas for County Clare and en-route we'll visit one of Ireland's most popular sites, the Rock of Cashel. Perched atop a massive limestone outcrop the medieval settlement includes a round tower, an abbey, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral and residence of the kings of Munster (and a Sheila-na-gig!). 

After lunch in Cashel we then visit a hidden gem, a stunning stone circle sitting in the landscape of a sacred lake, Lough Gur, County Limerick.

Grange Stone Circle, named after the Sun Goddess Grainne, will evoke myth and mystery while stirring our souls.  

We'll stop for lunch at a charming café, then head to our hotel in Ennis, County Clare for one night.

Dinner at the hotel

 

Day 5 – Fri, Aug 9th

This morning we’ll head up the coastal road, on the Wild Atlantic Way, where we'll find the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. We'll walk along the cliffs and witness Ireland's most breath-taking and dramatic coastline. These cliffs tell the story of over 320 million years of greeting the Atlantic Ocean. After our exhilarating visit to the cliffs, we’ll follow the Atlantic Way as we make our way north to Sligo, our base for two nights. 

​There are many good shops and riverside cafes and restaurants in Sligo situated close by our city centre hotel. You can nearly always find traditional music happening somewhere in town!

Free choice dinner not included

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Day 6 – Sat, Aug 10th

Carrowmore is the largest megalithic complex in Ireland covering more than 1 ½ square miles. There are remains of thirty passage cairns, together forming an oval shape, many of which have a dolmen at their centre. The sacred mountain of Knocknarea, with Maebh’s Cairn on top, is visible to the northwest. We will have a guided tour from one of the local guides on site.

Lunch (not included) and free time in Sligo before our afternoon visit.

Carrowkeel is set high in the rugged Bricklieve Mountains and offers sensational views of the surrounding landscape. It is wild and spectacular here and it allows us to easily imagine ourselves in Neolithic times when the forces and places of Nature were revered as part of the locals' worldview and spirituality; as we reach the top we are in another world. There are fourteen Neolithic cairns, two of which have three-sided recesses forming a cruciform chamber that we can enter. Cairn G has a light-box above the entrance, similar to the one at Newgrange, and this admits the light of the setting sun around midsummer and the setting moon around midwinter. 

We will have the whole day to explore these sacred landscapes that have been revered for over 5,000 years.  

Dinner at the hotel

 

Day 7 – Sun, Aug 11th

Today we travel to our fourth and final hotel base in Kells (3 ½ hrs) for 3 nights.

En route we'll have a guided visit to the geographic and energetic centre of Ireland at the Hill of Uisneach where we'll see the Stone of Divisions (the Catstone) from where Ireland was divided into provinces.

When we arrive in Kells you will have some free time to explore the town with its five High Crosses and other historic sites.

Optional dinner at the Bective Restaurant, not included or free choice dinner not included

 

Day 8 –Mon, Aug 12th

Anthony Murphy, author of 'Newgrange: Monument to Immortality' and other books on Megalithic Ireland will be our expert Irish guide for these two days to share his wisdom with us as we experience the sacred sites of this remarkable region.

Today we visit the Bru na Boinne visitor centre, Newgrange and Knowth. 

The Bru na Boinne monuments are designated as a World Heritage Site. We will get to enter down the passage into the heart of Newgrange cairn to experience a recreation of the winter solstice rising sun penetrating deep into the central chamber.  Knowth is a complex of cairns that has the finest Neolithic stone carvings in Europe decorating most of the kerbstones around the base of the main cairn; this feels like a real world Hobbitland! 

We'll also have a private visit at the atmospheric cairn of Fourknocks where we'll have a shamanic experience.

Free choice dinner not included

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Day 9 – Tues, Aug 13th

This morning our climb up to the hilltop cairns of Loughcrew is rewarded with panoramic views of seventeen counties (or so we’re told!). The old name for Loughcrew was Slieve na Caillighe, Gaelic for Mountain of the Witch. Cairn T that has elaborately carved and decorated stones in its inner recesses and the Hag’s Chair set into the northern side of the kerb. We’ll take time to personally experience the energies of the different cairns that each have solar alignments on various Celtic Festivals.

We have a relaxed lunch at Tara before visiting the royal centre of the ancient capital of Leinster and the place where the king undertook the ‘Ban Fheis’ or sacred marriage to the goddess in order to secure fertility and wellbeing for the land and his people. Its importance grew until the king of Tara was also seen as the High King of all Ireland, but only after undertaking tests to prove his rightfulness to be king.

We will view an excellent audio-visual show before exploring the complex of sites at Tara including Grainne’s (Sun Goddess) Mound, the Mound of the Hostages, the Stone of Destiny and Teach Cormaic. 

Farewell dinner at the hotel

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Day 10 - Weds, Aug 14th

Depart for Dublin Airport for flights home or private time in Dublin

 

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