IDMA Excursion in Ireland 2008
As is traditional, the IDMA once again sponsored a fantastic excursion after the Conference. The 2008 Conference in Ireland exceeded everyone’s expectations and dreams. For three days we all got a little taste o’ Ireland with its intrinsic beautiful people and land. So much of what I knew about Ireland came from watching movies that I was interested to learn first hand what the heart of the land felt like. Most of all, I wanted to connect with something there ~ a person, a place…a memory long since forgotten. I wanted something to stop me in my tracks and impose its energy on me ~ that Irish energy.
The first day of the excursion began immediately after a moving ritual closing of the conference in the cairn at the Center for Shamanic Studies at Dunderry. We boarded a comfortable and spacious bus ready for our first adventure. We were off to Tara. Being from the U.S., I did not know what Tara was and so waited with an innocent anticipation. Rolling pastures replete with sheep meandered across the countryside as we made our way to the Hill of Heroes. It occurred to me when I saw the sign for Tara that that was the name given to the O’Hara plantation in the movie “Gone With the Wind”. Something clicked finally.
When we got to the hill, we were greeted by ripping winds and a few protesters who were looking for signatures regarding stopping the proposed highway that was being planned in the distance. I spent quite a while speaking with them and learned that one of them, who seemed like an American veteran, had come from New York and had been living in Ireland for twenty-five years. They kept talking about this hill as being the most sacred land in all of Ireland. I could feel the sense of deep connection they felt to this sacred site in the way I have heard the Irish feel about their land. Standing like guardians of old, they were protecting what was known as “The Seat of the King” not far up the hill.
As I wandered up the hill to the Neolithic site, I was struck by the vision of a small Catholic chapel that was built on the sacred hill halfway up, between the protestors and the upright “Stone of Destiny”. The stone is believed to be where the High Kings of Ireland were crowned. It struck me deeply that this ancient sacred site had been desecrated by the implant of a Catholic Church and how sad that was. It represented, for me anyway, the pervasive sadness that I felt throughout my time there of a land riddled with invasions of one kind or another, but never so stark as right here.
Our next stop took us to a nice hotel in Trim, County Meath which was not far from our destination Trim Castle, the largest Norman castle in Europe and Ireland’s largest castle. That was shocking, as it did not seem as large as I thought a castle should be. We arrived a little too late to catch the last tour inside of the castle, but enjoyed the placards with historical information, lots of photos and a chance to stroll the spacious grounds. The castle was used in the shooting of Mel Gibson’s movie “Braveheart”. Our first evening was rounded out with a lovely dinner followed by Irish music and dancing in the hotel’s pub.
The second day of our journey took us to Loughcrew Cairns or “The Hills of the Witch”, another Neolithic site dating to around 3000BC. We forged on a rather steep and steady slope to get to the top and once again were able to look around the rolling hills of green as far as the eye could see. The cairns had fantastic wall carvings of nature’s beauty, spirals, mountains, the sun and unknown icons both inside and out. The Parks’ service guides were excellent and pointed out a large stone on the side of the cairn called “The Seat of the Witch” where many of us enjoyed taking turns having our picture taken on the Seat. One of the guides told me that a farmer who was nearly 100 years old lived nearby and said that he remembered a time when all of the hills were covered with crystal and that when the moon was out, they would all glow as if they were lit up. The guide noted that years of tourists taking souvenir crystals have eroded and depleted the hilltops’ sparkling wonder.
We then journeyed on to have lunch in Kells, the home of the famous Abbey of Kells where the 
Book of Kells was kept. The Kells cemetery is also home to the well known High Crosses that had beautifully preserved examples of the highest (pardon the pun) form of Insular art, uniquely Celtic interlace carving and iconography. A tall round tower stood out front of the abbey and our guide, Brenda, said it was used by the monks to hide in because when the Vikings would come they would ransack the place repeatedly. I had to laugh at the thought of them hiding in there with Vikings outside trying to get at them. I suppose if you were inside it would not be very funny. It was like a small smokestack. How did they get IN there, anyway? Or out? One of the many wonders of the trip for me...
After another welcome lunch at a fine Irish establishment in Kells we wound our way, literally, through one-lane back roads and farmland where Brenda Blair actually got a key so we could all visit the Four Knocks Cairn. It is much smaller but older than the Pyramids and the same age as Newgrange, without all the commercialization of either. It also houses the first depiction of a human face found in prehistoric art in Ireland.
Then we were off to Dublin. Dublin reminded me of late 19th century New York City as depicted in the movie “Hello, Dolly!” It had a wonderful charm to its downtown architecture in that it still had not been overrun with modern skyscrapers overpowering the city. Both its beauty and sense of connection with the public were still intact.
That evening, some enjoyed the Ghost Tour while others went to the theater with Roger. I think most of us were too exhausted to go on the pub-crawl that was to round out the evening. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel were great as was Wynn’s hotel, a recently remodeled throwback to the late 19th century in all its splendour. It was absolutely beautiful, clean and friendly.
Our next day was full with trips to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells exhibit, Temple Bar, the Viking village, the national museum, pubs, and shopping for fine Irish linens, woolens and various other assorted sundries. There were plenty of other things to do, museums, tours, and more, but when all of us were back at the hotel, we all agreed that this conference was the gold standard to which all others hereafter will be compared. It was seamless from beginning to end. Thanks, Brenda!
Patty Hall