Celtic Adventure

I returned Thursday evening from my "Celtic Adventure" - the pilgrimage to Ireland and Scotland. It was a wonderful time! And while I did take advantage of immersing myself in the culture, I also found the time to really reflect upon how the Irish and Scottish cultures have influenced Catholicism in the world, in the United States, in Pittsburgh, and even in my own life.

Day-by-day, I wrote down some of the highlights of my journey through the islands. I wanted to share with you those moments throughout the journey that I wanted to remember so well.

(Note: This is going to be a little long.)

Ireland: Day One

- Left Pittsburgh for Newark
- Leaving Newark for Shannon, our flight was a little delayed when we were called back [to the gate] for some paperwork problem.
- Arriving at Shannon, we found out that the itinerary was to be changed, and so we ended up spending some time in the village of Adare.
- In Adare, we ended up going to the 9:30 AM Mass at Holy Trinity Abbey Church, which was founded in 1232.
- After returning to the airport to pick up the remainder of our group, we headed to Galway, where we had some time in Eyre Square, and had lunch (and the trip's first Guinness) in a little pub called The King's Head.
- Rested and refreshed at the hotel, and had dinner in the restaurant within the hotel.

Ireland: Day Two

- The opportunity to visit the Marian Shrine at Knock was a great blessing.
- Concelebrating a parish daily Mass and to administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick was a unique opportunity that I didn't anticipate for this pilgrimage.
- Visiting the village / town of Cong, where "The Quiet Man", starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, was filmed.
- Walking through the ruins of Saint Mary's Abbey, an Augustinian abbey founded in 1200.
- Sharing a Guinness with some members of the group at the Pat Cohan Bar - made famous from "The Quiet Man".
- Enjoyed a great dinner at The Skiff in Galway.
- Sad to not have the chance to explore (experience) Galway a little more, but excited to travel to Killarney.

- Side happiness: The many places that I have found Wi-Fi. Just being able to stay connected has been awesome . . . Truly, the small things.

Ireland: Day Three

- Even with some small stops [along the way], today, overall, was a long day on the bus.
- After leaving Galway, we headed towards Killarney.
- We stopped briefly in the town of Kinvara, which had a little bay, although you could plainly tell we were at low tide.
- In Kinvara, there was a dog who followed the group, most likely thinking we were going to give him something to eat.
- Along the way to the Cliffs of Moher, we stopped along the road to stretch and admire the Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful.
- For lunch, we stopped at Fitz's Bar in Doolin. Although I just had a bowl of vegetable soup, it was quite good.
- The Cliffs of Moher are epic, awesome, and gorgeous! Also, windy as hell. But it was a wonderful experience to go there.
- We also stopped at Saint Bridget's Well to say a quick prayer. Pilgrims have been stopping there for centuries, requesting the Saint to intercede for their intercessions.
- Arrived in Killarney, and had about forty minutes to rest up before heading to dinner at the Porterhouse Restaurant and Bar. They ended up having live entertainment. The guy was rather good.

Ireland: Day Four

- Visited Muckross House - a beautiful mansion with twenty-five bedrooms. Gorgeous scenery with the lake and the mountains in the background.
- Visited Ross Castle, a tower castle in which we climbed the majority of steps (126 of them). It was pretty neat to learn about it. Hard to imagine the life of the Middle Ages looking through the lens of the Twenty-first Century.
- Lunch in Killarney. Mom, Dad, and I found a little place called Jam along Old Market Lane. Tasty food. Good find!
- Enjoyed the chance to visit the Cathedral of Killarney, Saint Mary's. A beautiful church. Some good praying.
- Group dinner was at Lord Kenmare's Restaurant. Delicious meal, including hand-made ice cream for dessert.
- On a whim yesterday, the majority of the group decided to see a show, "Celtic Steps". It was wonderful. Irish dancing, singing, and music - what a wonderful time to sit back and relax for the evening.
- Felt the need to not just go to the hotel after coming back from the show, I went across the street to the McSweeney Arms Hotel, Restaurant and Bar, and had a pint of Guinness. Sitting by myself there was quite nice.

Ireland: Day Five

- Began the day at Torc Waterfall, including a steep climb to a bridge overlooking a portion of the falls.
- On the way to Dingle, we stopped at Inch Beach for a brief visit. Very windy, but quite enjoyable.
- Stopped and visited Dingle, including Saint Mary's, the local parish, and The Diner, a tasty restaurant, for lunch.
- Came back to Killarney, and after a brief rest, headed to the Danny Mann Inn for a nice dinner.
- On the way back [to the hotel], saw and watched / listened to a man performing on New Street. Very entertaining.

Ireland: Day Six

- Began the day visiting Blarney Castle, and had the chance to kiss the Blarney Stone (or, The Stone of Eloquence).
- Did some shopping with Mom and Dad in Blarney.
- Following Blarney, we stopped in the village / town of Cobh. Toured the Cathedral of Saint Colman. Also saw a memorial built to those who died in the sinking of the Lusitania.
- Came to Cork, and had dinner at the Boardwalk.

Miscellaneous events:
- Heard FUN.'s "Some Nights" in Gaelic.
- Had a flavor of ice cream that was absolutely delicious: Captain Morgan's Rum and Raisin.

Ireland: Day Seven

- Woke up (way too) early to begin the Road Trip to Dublin.
- Stopped in the town / village of Cashel, and visited the ancient and impressive Rock of Cashel. (The site pre-dates the time of Saint Patrick in Ireland.)
- Following our visit to the Rock, we spent a little bit of time visiting and walking around the town / village of Cashel (proper). We stopped at an awesome bakery, and walked the streets. We also passed Kearney Castle (now a hotel), where Blessed John Kearney (a priest) was hanged in 1642.
- We left Cashel and headed towards Dublin. And we sat in traffic. There was a rematch for the national hurling title in Dublin between Kilkenny and Tipperary (they previously ended in a tied score). (Kilkenny won, by the way.) Though we moved at a snail's pace, it was hell.
- Two bright moments while sitting through the traffic: 1. Passing through the Curragh, an area of bogs and fields, most recognized internationally in the movie "Braveheart"; and 2. Needing to stop to use the restrooms, we stopped at a little supermarket called Centra, where the manager was kind enough to rest for a little. Of course, showing our appreciation, we all bought something to snack on (since we weren't stopping for a proper lunch). The people there were kind, and we're supporting a local economy. 
- After we got into Dublin, we came to the hotel. Following a brief rest, the parents and I walked around the area of the hotel, finding the church (Saint Mary's) where we'll be attending Mass tomorrow morning.
- Dinner was held at The Den Pub at the Lansdowne Hotel. Very tasty. The owner / manager was very friendly. A good time was had by all.
- Following dinner, ran to a convenience store and picked up some Fanta - love that drink. While we have Orange Fanta in the United States, we don't get Lemon Ice Fanta. It was SO GOOD to have it again.

Ireland: Day Eight

- Had the chance to sleep in today. I was happy for that, considering I didn't sleep well last night.
- Attended Mass at Saint Mary's Church on Haddington Road.
- Took time to have lunch and explore the ruins of Glendalough Monastery, which was founded by Saint Kevin. We were late leaving because some of the group got a little lost on one of the trails. (Everyone returned okay.)
- Returned back to Dublin, and a small group of us chose to tour (or, as I was saying, "make a personal pilgrimage to") Guinness Brewery. Excellent time there. Had the chance to learn how to pour the perfect Guinness.
- After a quick return to the hotel for a quick freshening up, we headed to the Temple Bar, where we saw the show "Celtic Nights".
- Last night in Ireland. Tomorrow we press on to Scotland.

- Funny experience of the day: At the Guinness Brewery tour, we were on the elevator heading to the Gravity Bar, which is on the top floor of the plant. When the elevator doors opened at the bar, "Come On, Eileen" started playing, just like we entered into our own commercial.

Ireland: Day Nine

- We left Dublin, en route to Belfast, shortly after 9:00 AM.
- We stopped in the town / village of Drogheda, and had the opportunity to stop at Saint Peter Church, where the head (and other relics) of Saint Oliver Plunkett is housed. The church, itself, is very beautiful, and reminded me a lot of the old Saint Peter Church in McKeesport.
- Shortly after [that], we entered into Northern Ireland.
- Upon entering Belfast, we had some time to look around and grab some lunch. Mom, Dad, and I grabbed some very good lunch at a restaurant called The Chubby Cherub. (Although I later felt ill, probably due to the rich creamy sauce that was on my lunch.)
- Arrived at the ferry in Belfast, which brought us over to Scotland.
- Ate dinner at the restaurant Elliots, in Ayr, followed by a two-hour ride to Edinburgh.
- Arrived in Edinburgh, where we ended up going to the wrong hotel. After repacking the bus and some laughing at the situation, we arrived at our hotel.

Scotland: Day One

- After a pleasant night's sleep, I got up late (as did a number of people from the group).
- After breakfast, I lollygagged in my room for a little while, just relaxing and getting miscellaneous items in order.
- I decided to got out exploring. Ended up visiting Saint Giles' Cathedral, and did some shopping.
- Met the group, and with our new tour guide, we were off on a quick tour around the city of Edinburgh.
- We walked up to Edinburgh Castle, where we had the chance to tour, see the Crown Jewels of Scotland, and the Chapel of Saint Margaret (the only building of the castle not destroyed by Robert the Bruce, after he kicked the English out).
- Had the opportunity to then tour Holyrood Palace - named after the famous Augustinian abbey that once stood there. The tour was long, but full of history. And it was great to go through the ruins of the old abbey church.
- Enjoyed dinner at The Whiski Bar. Very good food. I had a cocktail called "The Kilt" - Described [on the menu] as: "Simple perfection! The local Glenkinchie 10 Yr Old Malt with Amaretto served over ice." Delicious!
- Back at the hotel now, starting to prep myself for our final full day of the pilgrimage [tomorrow].

Scotland: Day Two

- Left early this morning to visit Saint Andrews - the town and the ancient cathedral.
- The town is a nice, little town - we had a quick tour on the bus.
- The ruins of the cathedral are amazing! We toured them, as well as a small museum, and the remains of the abbey. I and a few others decided to climb the 155 steps of Saint Rules Tower. Impressive sights to be seen from the top.
- While walking around town, we stopped at a nice restaurant called Mitchell's, where we had an excellent meal.
- Returned to Edinburgh, and spent the afternoon resting, walking and shopping.
- Had a very good dinner at a place called Howies.


That following morning, we boarded the bus, then boarded the plane. It seems like a whirlwind adventure, and, after two years of waiting, can't believe that it's here-and-gone already. But I'm glad to be home. Toward day ten of the trip, I was over living out of a suitcase.

Back to reality and normality.





Enjoy the journey . . .