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ITINERARY
Sunday 23 Sept:
Depart Johannesburg for Dublin on Swiss Air.
Monday 24 Sept:
On arrival at Dublin Airport, a Coach will transfer us to our Hotel. The Evening is free.
Dinner and Overnight Maldron Hotel, Cardiff Lane, Dublin
Tuesday 25 Sept:
After breakfast, we will leave on a ½ day walking tour of old Dublin, visiting places like Trinity College (to view the ancient Celtic Book of Kells), Christ Church Cathedral and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the 2 Church of Ireland (Anglican) Cathedrals of Dublin. (A famous Dean of St. Patrick’s was Jonathan Swift, of Gulliver’s Travel fame); other places to see in Dublin could be the Castle, the Grand Canal, and of course many shops and famous doorways.
The afternoon is free to do continue with your own exploring.
Dinner and Overnight: Maldron Hotel, Dublin
Wednesday 26 Sept:
After breakfast we travel to Glendalough, in the Wicklow Mountains for an excursion to discover the history and beauty this Celtic Site founded by St. Kevin in the 6thC. We will begin our visit at the Visitor’s Centre, followed by a Pilgrimage walk through the valley, and visit the remains of St. Kevin’s Cell, the Reefert Church, the Round Tower, the Abbey Church, and also explore the lakes, all set in the beautiful countryside of these two valleys.
Dinner and Overnight: Maldron Hotel, Dublin
Thursday 27 Sept:
After Breakfast, we leave for Armagh. Enroute, we will visit Bru’na Boinne, a pre-Celtic Neolithic Cairn in County Meath (an UN International Heritage Site); after that we move on to Monasterboise, and view some of the best preserved Celtic Crosses in Ireland; finally if time allows, we will break our journey by paying a visit to small town of Kells, which is associated with Columba.
Dinner and Overnight: Benburb Servite Priory. (outside Armagh)
Friday 28 Sept:
After breakfast, we will spend the day at the Centre for Celtic Spirituality at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh for a Conference on Celtic Spirituality.
Programme:
10.30am: Welcome, Introductions and Morning Tea/Coffee
11.00am: Guided Tour of the Cathedral from a Celtic Perspective
12 noon: Celtic Communion Service
12.30pm Lunch
1.30pm: An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality – “Sacred Living”
3.00pm: What the Church today can learn from our Celtic forbears.
(NB There will be a cost of UKP20 for this Conference – this does not include cost of lunch)
Dinner and Overnight: Bendurb Servite Priory
Saturday 29 Sept:
After breakfast, we leave Armagh and travel to Larne Docks to catch the ferry to Troon, Scotland. Here our coach will collect us and take us to Oban. (sometimes called the “Gateway to the isles’) If time allows we will travel to Oban via the Hilltop fort of Dunadd (where Columba invested the ancient Celtic kings of Scotland) and Kilmartin Glen to see the ancient standing Stones. Or, we will travel directly to the coastal town of Oban via Loch Lomond.
Dinner and Overnight: Columba Hotel, Oban
Sunday 30 Sept:
After an early breakfast, we travel by ferry from Oban to Craignure, on the Isle of Mull, then across the Isle of Mull by bus to Fionnphort, and finally by ferry again from Fionnphort to Iona.
7.00pm Dinner
Overnight: St. Columba Hotel, Iona (or similar)
Monday 1 Oct:
A free Day, to experience the many facets of Iona.
Every day you are welcome to attend worship in the Abbey at 9.00am & 9.00pm.
On Monday at 8.00am, there is also a celebration of Holy Communion at the Bishop’s House Chapel.
7.00pm Dinner
After evening worship at the Abbey we are invited to attend a community dance (a “ceilidh”) in the local Hall.
Optional Extras for the day could include:-
a) A 3 hour boat trip to Fingal’s Cave. (Cost UKP 20)
b) Visit the Iona Heritage Museum: Cost UKP 1.90
Overnight: St. Columba, Hotel, Iona
Tuesday 2 Oct:
After breakfast, we can join the worship at the Abbey; we are then free until 12noon, when we join other visitors to Iona on a Pilgrimage Walk around Iona. Led by a member of the Iona Community, the story of Iona is retold as the group stops at significant sites along the way.
Dinner and Overnight: St. Columba Hotel, Iona
Wednesday 3 Oct:
After breakfast, we leave Iona and travel across Mull and onwards through the highlands of Scotland and cross into England enroute to the Holy Island. Lindisfarne, a tidal island. Holy Island became the centre for the Celtic evangelization of north east England. In 634 Aidan, was sent from Iona to Lindisfarne to found a monastic community.
Dinner and Overnight: Lindisfarne Inn
Thursday 4 Oct:
At 10.00am we join a Pilgrimage Walk around parts of the island led by the Revd. Rachel Poolman of the St. Cuthbert’s Centre. The Walks theme will be:- “Still to be decided”
At the conclusion of the walk we will celebrate Communion somewhere on Holy Island.
In the afternoon, we are free to do our own thing and visit such places as the ruined Abbey; the Museum to see a copy of the illuminated Lindisfarne Gospels.
Rachel’s e mail: centre@holyisland-stcuthbert.org
Phone 01239 389254
Dinner and Overnight: Lindisfarne Inn.
Friday 5 Oct:
After Breakfast, we depart for York, and join a ½day walking tour of York, visiting the tourist main sites of York, including York Minster. Our evening will be free.
Dinner and Overnight: Park Inn, (or similar) York
Saturday 6 Oct:
After breakfast, our coach will take us to Heathrow Airport for our return flight to RSA.
Sunday 7 Oct:
Arrive Johannesburg.
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