Brigid’s Way walking pilgrimage to be held again later this month

The second annual Brigid’s Way walking pilgrimage will get underway this year on Saturday June 28^th in Faughart and finish up a week later in Kildare town on Saturday July 6^th.

The event is an Irish version of the famous Camino de Santiago and was held for the first time last July.

The pilgrimage will wind its way through quiet rural landscapes. Pilgrims will visit sites of spiritual significance, including Knockbridge, Hill of Slane and Hill of Tara and experience the magical landscapes of Donaghdee Forest and the Grand Canal en-route to Brigid’s monastic city in Kildare, arriving there on Sunday 6^th July.

This unique co-curated pilgrimage offers participants an opportunity to:

• Walk for 9 consecutive days through beautiful Irish countryside.
• Visit many sacred places in Ireland.
• Take part in scheduled and spontaneous ceremonies.
• Learn about the ancient traditions of Ireland in the company of like-hearted people.
• Uncover layers of stories within ourselves and within the land of Ireland.
• Allow time and space to drop down into the deeper part of ourselves. 

Each day pilgrims will walk 10 to 12 miles at a leisurely pace, with a support car travelling with the group at all times.

For further details or to book your place on the trip log on to www.brigidsway.ie or call Dolores Whelan on 042 9371901.

This week’s Dundalk Leader

In this week’s Dundalk Leader, there’s news of the Dolores Whelan and Karen Ward’s progress on the Walk of St Brigid’s Way, a call from County Council chairman Declan Breathnach to get the Narrow Water Bridge project back on track, while there’s an interview with Pat Campbell about the Liby Dynamites’ basketball team’s tournament win in Spain.

All that and more in this week’s Dundalk Leader, which can be read online here.

St Brigid’s Way Pilgrimage to leave Dundalk this Sunday

A nine day walk called the St Brigid’s Way Pilgrimage will be held between Sunday July 7^th and Tuesday July 16^th.

Local women Dolores Whelan and Karen Ward are inviting people to join them on walking pilgrimage from St Brigid’s Shrine in Faughart, Co Louth to her monastic city in Kildare town.

Amongst the stops they will take in include Fairhill Ringfort, Mount Oriel, the Hill of Slane, the Hill of Tara, Clarkstown Enclosure and The Curragh of Kildare.

Brigid’s Way is an alignment of ancient and sacred sites in Ireland which stretches from Brigid’s Well in Faughart, County Louth to Kildare.

This alignment was discovered by former Dundalk Democrat editor Anthony Murphy and his co-author Richard Moore during research for their book ‘Island of the Setting Sun’.

The route passes through some of the most prominent sites of Irish pre-history and Christianity, including the Hill of Tara and the Hill of Slane, Mount Oriel, Beauparc Motte, Realtoge Moated site and ends very close to a ringfort in the Curragh of Kildare.

This alignment of sacred sites reflects the Cygnus (Swan) constellation which was prominent in the skies at the time of Brigid’s birth in the 5th Century AD and is its reflection on earth of a heavenly configuration.

It might have formed an ancient “sightline”, pointing out the place on the northern horizon where the cross-shaped swan constellation (Cygnus) was rising in ancient times.

The pilgrimage will set out from Faughart at 2pm on Sunday and people are invited to join for even one day only.

Full details of how to get involved and where to stay (if required) ca be found on www.stbrigidsway.ie