Inis Mor Day 4

I want to stay here, 

To sink into eternity,

To listen to the  constant pounding of the sea, 

To sit upon the rock of all foundation,

And to listen to my ancestors,

Who tell me we are one.



Today we walked a long distance over lime stone rocks and soft cushy grasses to reach what is called the Black Fort.  

The Black Fort is an ancient fort that dates back thousands of years. It sits on the edge of a cliff and looks off to the vastness of the sea towards America. It is where the chieftain, the family and royals would have lived. It is essentially a fort made of rocks. As  you can see there is no shortage of rocks. 



The walk today was like stepping back in time or timelessness. There are miles of rock fences and rock covered land. The winds blew around us. Looking off the sheer cliffs you could see the waves crashing into the rocks with plumes of mist. The land has a wildnesses to it. It is like a land that will not be tamed. 


Prayer: 

God of Power, Might and Constancy,

Always nudge me to live on the edge of wildness, to feel the wonder of the earth and to image you in all your manifestations.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dublin Day 3

Image
 I awoke today to a beautiful sunny day. This past week has been mostly overcast, and yesterday was downright rainy, so the sun today was a welcome change.  I arranged for a tour of the Wicklow Mountains, which are south of here. I have wanted to see this area for some time, so when I saw this day tour, I booked it immediately.  Instead of trying to get a bus to the starting point, I took a cab this time. It took me directly downtown, which only took about 25 minutes instead of an hour. There were about 30 people on our coach. The driver was knowledgeable and witty, which made for an interesting day. Our first stop was just 30 minutes outside of Dublin at a working sheep farm. We had the opportunity to meet farmer Michael and his 3 Border Collies. The dogs came running to greet us and hang out with us while the farmer finished some chores in the lower pasture. He showed us how the dogs are trained and the commands they obey. It was pretty amazing. They each know themselve...
Read more

From Dundalk to Dublin

Image
At last,  I am leaving my hotel hermitage. First, I give thanks for this place and all the staff in the hotel, from reception to housekeeping to room service. They all cared for me. While I was in isolation I was never alone.  And I give thanks that I was staying in a hotel with these amenities available! I ordered breakfast this morning, after having survived the last 3 days on my previous breakfast and it did not disappoint!    I packed my extra fruit into my suitcase and backpack. I will enjoy it later. I have become practiced at using the apps to find buses and trains. I found a bus, about a 10 minute walk from my hotel, to take me to Dublin. Meanwhile, Reception called to check on me again and I told them I was nearly ready to go. I almost felt sad leaving my space that had become my sanctuary and headed down to the elevator. I stopped near the front desk and told everyone thank you and goodbye. They all knew me. They call me Miss Eileen. It was sweet parting....
Read more

Dublin to Kilkenny

Image
  Dublin to Kilkenny We arrived a little late to Dublin, at about 1:15. I knew there was a bus to Kilkenny from the airport, but it was not obvious how to find it. So, at about 2:20, after asking a few people, I finally found the bus, and the bus was leaving at 2:30, so it all worked out. Two and a half hours later, we arrived in Kilkenny after a bit of a tour driving through Dublin and then traveling over the green rolling hills of the Irish countryside. Gratefully, my hotel was only about a block from the drop-off. Checking into the hotel (which was very old) was delightful. The receptionist was so helpful. He gave me a city map and helped me prioritize my time. I wanted to lie down and sleep since I did not sleep on the airplane, but I pushed myself to keep going.  Downtown Kilkenny dates back to the Middle Ages. It was deeply meaningful to think that my relatives saw the same streets and buildings in the 1800’s. I enjoyed wandering around the old castle grou...
Read more