Pilgrimage: DT09044

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Day 1, Monday, November 2, 2009 - Depart the U.S. for our trans-Atlantic flight on Aer Lingus, the Irish national airline carrier.  Departures from JFK and from Boston. D

Day 2, Tuesday, November 3, 2009 - We arrive in Dublin where we meet our guide and driver and transfer to Brooks Hotel.  This afternoon we will visit the National Museum of Ireland with its impressive Celtic artifacts.  We will visit Christ Church Cathedral, which was built on the site of a Viking wooden church founded in 1083.  The present cathedral was built primarily from 1871 to 1878.  We will visit Trinity College to see the famous Book of Kells, the most richly illuminated of Ireland’s medieval manuscripts.  Tonight we will enjoy a “welcome to Ireland” dinner in our hotel. BD

Day 3, Wednesday, November 4, 2009 - Today we travel to Newgrange for a visit to the Stone Age passage graves.  We will see the Hill of Slane where St. Patrick lit a Paschal fire as a challenge to the pagan High King of Tara and visit Monasterboice to see Muiredach’s High Cross, the finest high cross in all of Ireland.  Later we will visit Mellifont Abbey, founded in 1142 and the first Cistercian Abbey in Ireland.  We will return to Dublin where we will visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Evensong. BD

Day 4, Thursday, November 5, 2009 - Today we travel to Glendalough, the setting of some of Ireland's most important monastic settlements.  At the visitor's center, we will see a film, "Ireland of the Monasteries", which will give us a brief history of the monastery.  There will be a pilgrimage walk through St. Kevin's Monastic City and the remains of St. Kevin's Cell, the Reefert Church and Tempall na Skellig.  We will visit the graveyard and the old Abbey Church.  We will continue to Galway for dinner and overnight in the Connemara Coast Hotel. BD

Day 5, Friday, November 6, 2009 - We will travel by ferry to the Aran Islands where we will visit Dun Aengus, the iron or bronze promontory fort with four concentric stone walls and the Seven Churches which make up a monastic settlement dedicated to St. Brecan.  We will be accompanied by Padraigín Clancy, a scholarly expert on St. Brigid and a graduate of Irish Folklore and History.  Padraigin has a keen interest in Celtic Christian Spirituality and has lectured extensively and facilitated retreats and seminars throughout Ireland, Britain, Australia, and the United States.  We will return to our hotel on the mainland for dinner and our overnight stay. BD

Day 6, Saturday, November 7, 2009 - We travel south today along the coast through the Burren, a great rocky expanse in Ireland’s County Clare.  Its ancient, awe inspiring stone structures hold secrets from the past.  We will visit Kilmacduagh (Church of the son of Duach), the monastery which was founded by Saint Colmán MacDuagh about A.D. 600.  The most conspicuous feature of the well-preserved round tower (33m high) is that it leans almost 59cm from the perpendicular.  The extensive remains include a Cathedral, Church of St. John the Baptist, Glebe House, O’Hayes Church and St. Mary’s Church.  We will continue to our hotel at Shannon Airport.  This evening we will travel the short distance to Bunratty Castle where a full medieval banquet is re-created with music, song, and merriment.  Seated at long tables in the magnificent baronial hall, guests sample dishes made with ancient recipes.  To add to the fun a "lord and lady" are chosen from the participants to reign over the proceedings. BD

Day 7, Sunday, November 8, 2009 - Depart Shannon Airport to the United States. B