Filling Your Well In Ireland: Discovering The Sacred Feminine In A Magical Land

Arrive in Dublin and make your way to The Iveagh Garden Hotel, located nearly across the street from beautiful St. Stephen's Green and within walking distance of numerous Dublin attractions. 

We will have an opening circle in the late afternoon, followed by dinner at the hotel.

Kildare is the location of one of the most famed holy wells associated with the Goddess and Saint Brigid. People throughout Ireland over hundreds of years have made pilgrimages to this and other holy wells seeking healing.

http://www.megalithicireland.com/St%20Brigid%27s%20Well,%20Kildare.html

Next we will travel to Lough Gur, site of the most ancient stone circle in Ireland and a place rich in folklore and archaeology. Here we will meet Noirin ni Riain, an interfaith minister, spiritual singer and Celtic spirituality expert, who knows Lough Gur like the back of her hand. https://www.noirin.love

We will spend the afternoon with Noirin experiencing this magical and mysterious site dating back to the Stone Age.

https://loughgur.com

We will then make our way to the coastal village of Doolin, famous as a centre of traditional Irish music.

https://doolin.ie

We will spend much of our day in the Burren, an amazing and unique landscape home to rock formations and a diverse array of flowers from various ecosystems around the world.

https://www.ireland.com/en-us/destinations/regions/the-burren/

We will soak in the energy around Poulnabrone (photo above) and visit the lovely Burren Perfumery, which includes a tea shop and herb gardens. https://burrenperfumery.com

Our final visit of the day will be the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. You will then have leisure time to spend back in Doolin.

We will start off the day forging deep into the Earth at the Aillwee Caves.

https://www.aillweecave.ie

You will also have the opportunity to interact with birds of prey and sample the wares of a local cheesemaker on site.

Our next visit will be Brigit's Garden in County Galway. a magical site that celebrates Nature and the attributes of the Goddess Brigit.

https://brigitsgarden.ie

We will relax and digest as the bus wends its way northward to the picturesque coastal town of Westport.

https://westporttourism.com.

In the morning we will take a boat trip through the gorgeous, peaceful Killary Fjord (see photo above).

The afternoon we will spend at the Lost Valley, a working farm in pristine environs that is also a monument to the Great Famine of the 19th century. The Lost Valley was voted the #1 site in Western Ireland by Tripadvisor in 2020 and offers a unique window into the cultural heritage of the west.

https://www.thelostvalley.ie

In the evening we will be graced by a visit from and a performance by harpist Lynn Saorise. https://www.facebook.com/LynnSaoirseHarp/

We will travel to Roonagh and take the half hour ferry to Clare Island, home of the 16th-century pirate queen Grainne O'Malley. We will learn about this fascinating woman while visiting her family castle, as well as spend time exploring the 12th century Cistercian Abbey and grounds, and bask in the serene atmosphere around the megalithic standing stones on the island.

We will have the morning at leisure in Westport and then travel through Connemara to beautiful Kylemore Abbey and Gardens, home to a Benedictine order of nuns for the past 100 years.

https://www.kylemoreabbey.com

Our overnight will be at Oranmore Lodge Hotel in County Galway.

We will start our day in the company of bees, ancient symbol of the Feminine, with a tour by beekeeper Noel Leahy in the Sliabh Aughty mountains.

https://leahybeekeeping.com/sample-page/

Next we will make our way to Rathcroghan, an ancient site with numerous burial mounds and earthworks. There is a renowned cave associated with the festival of Samhain (Halloween) and Morrigan, a Celtic goddess. Rathcroghan is also the location for the beginning and end of a national epic tale and the royal seat of famous Warrior Queen Maeve.

https://www.rathcroghan.ie

In the late afternoon we will make our way into Northern Ireland, to our countryside lodging for the next two nights, Killeavy Castle Hotel.

Meditation teacher and Forest Therapy practitioner Ann Ward will facilitate a daylong experience of immersion into the serene beauty of the Ring of Gullion, designated an "area of outstanding natural beauty." Ann will show us sacred sites nestled within the mountainous landscape where her mother was born. She will guide us on meditative walks, as well as provide a seasonal lunch with local food items in a lovingly restored hut from World War II. 

Ann inherited her love of and connection with Nature from her mother, and throughout the day (Mother's Day in the US) we will be reflecting on our own mothers and our role as mother in this life, however we express that (i.e. human or animal or plant children, creative projects, etc.).

https://www.xhale.biz

We will travel back into the Republic of Ireland and spend the day in Bru na Boinne, the Valley of the Boyne River.  This area contains one of the world's most important prehistoric landscapes, dating from the Neolithic period, including large passage tombs and 90+ additional monuments. We hope to be able to experience the incredible site of Newgrange but aren't able to confirm until closer to the time.

And then we will make our way back to Dublin, for our closing circle, dinner and last overnight at the Iveagh Garden Hotel.

The next morning, you will wake with your "Sacred Feminine well" full, and after one last hearty breakfast you will make your way to your next adventure, whether that means a journey home or a journey elsewhere.

SLAN! Farewell, and if you are headed home, SLAN ABHAILE!