Itinerary

A JOURNEY TO THE
FIVE HEARTS OF IRELAND

August 15th - 24th 2008

This tour will be co-led by Glenn and Cameron Broughton and Marcus Mason.

Day 1 - Fri 15th Aug

Arrive at Dublin airport where you will be collected by your tour guides. Drive to hotel in Armagh, Ulster via Proleek Dolmen - a place to first connect with the energies of this land.

The province of Ulster is part of Great Britain and so British pounds (£) are the currency. Introductions followed by dinner at the hotel.

Day 2 - Sat 16th Aug

Orientation meeting. Then our first visit is to Navan Fort, the ancient Emain Macha of Irish history and legend and the earliest capital of Ulster. According to the early Christian scribes, Irish history began with the founding of Emain Macha. Traces of a giant Celtic temple have been found here.

Then we experience the Beaghmore stone circles (seven circles and nine stone rows) - a stunning and powerful center of Neolithic sacred sites.

Free-choice dinner not included in tour price.

Day 3 - Sun 17th Aug

We leave the first hotel and head south towards the Republic of Ireland (where the currency is € the Euro). En route we visit the ancient cemetery of Caldragh on Boa Island in Lower Lough Erne. Here we find two remarkable pre-christian statues - the Janus Idol and the Lusty Man. This is like no cemetery you have ever visited before!

Close by is the restored stone circle, alignment and cairn of Drumskinny.

Then we cross over into the republic and the province of Connaught. We visit St Hugh's Well (Tubbervoey) and Sweat House.

Arrive at our hotel at Carrick-on-Shannon. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 4 - Mon 18th Aug

In ancient lore the kingdom of Connacht (or Connaught) was ruled from a ritual center at Cruachain Ai. This large complex of ancient sites allows us to experience the variety of structures from the Neolithic age including the low hill or mound of Rath Cruachain, the coronation site of the kings of Connaught and a male or solar energy site. Oweynagat - the Cave of the Cats or the entrance into the Underworld is a place of the goddess.

Free-choice dinner in Carrick-on-Shannon not included in tour price.

Day 5 - Tues 19th Aug

We leave the hotel and head further south into the province of Munster. In County Clare we find Holy Island - Iniscealtra in Lough Derg. We will take the short ferry ride across to the island where we find one of the enigmatic Irish round towers and the ruins of three early churches.

Stay at a hotel in Limerick. Free evening in Limerick to maybe find a pub with live traditional music.

Day 6 - Weds 20th Aug

Free time this morning in Limerick. Leave the hotel and drive east into the province of Leinster.

We will go to Uisneach the geographical and energetic center of All Ireland. Uisneach, which was once in a fifth province of Meath, is the sacred site of the ancient goddess Eri from which Ireland gets its name, Ire. The Stone of Divisions or Catsone marks the direction of the four provinces surrounding this sacred center. It is said that the first fire in Ireland was lit on this hilltop and that it was a fire here at Beltane that sparked other beacon fires across the land.

Picnic lunch and afternoon at Uisneach when we visit the heart-shaped holy well and the Catstone or navel stone of Ireland.

Stay at hotel in Kells for the rest of the tour. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 7 - Thurs 21st Aug

Today we visit the Bru na Boinne visitor center to learn about Newgrange and Knowth cairns, Ireland's most famous Neolithic sites. We will be guided inside Newgrange known as a passage tomb but also a place of initiation and spiritual rites of passage. It is aligned such that the midwinter solstice sunrise casts a shadow that extends deep inside the passage to the central chambers.

Knowth has the finest Neolithic stone carvings in Europe that decorate most of the kerbstones around the base of the cairn. We will get the key to enter Dowth cairn for private ceremony.

Free-choice dinner not included in tour price.

Day 8 - Fri 22nd Aug

Visit to Tara the ancient capital of Leinster and the ancient seat of the high kings of Ireland when Tara replaced Uisneach as the seat of power. There is a complex of sites at Tara including Grainne's (Sun Goddess) Mound, the Mound of Hostages, the Stone of Destiny and Teach Cormaic.

Lunch in the café at Tara followed by a visit to the holy well there. Afternoon visit to Fourknocks cairn. We are able to get the key to enter this underground chamber which has wonderful acoustics and is a perfect place for toning and soundwork.

Dinner at the hotel.

Day 9 - Sat 23rd Aug

A climb up the hillside to the Cairns of Loughcrew on top is rewarded with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. The old name for Loughcrew was Slieve na Caillighe, Gaelic for Mountain of the Witch. We can gain private access into Cairn T which has the Hag's Chair set into the northern side of the kerb.

Final afternoon free for exploring Kells and for last minute shopping.

Farewell dinner at the hotel.