Saints and Martyrs of Ireland

Upon arrival at Dublin Airport, our English-speaking tour guide and coach driver will be waiting to welcome the group. We leave on our coach for  St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, taking in our first glimpse of the city. Pro-Cathedral is the episcopal seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.  Mass here. We will view the statue of Blessed Margaret Ball outside and learn how, in the 16th century, she was arrested for her faith before dying a martyr in the dungeons of Dublin Castle. There may be time to also visit the Church of St. Francis Xavier, one of the first churches built in the city after the Catholic Emancipation Act. Inside the church lies the tomb of Venerable John Sullivan who was beatified by Pope Francis in 2017. Afterwards we proceed to our hotel to check in and have dinner.

After breakfast at our hotel, we depart on our coach for the Old Library of Trinity College Dublin. Here we view the exhibition of the world-famous illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells. This Celtic masterpiece from the 9th century contains the four Gospels of the New Testament, written in Latin and illustrated in fine painting and decoration. We will enjoy an extended guided tour through the exhibition before departing for lunch. In the afternoon we proceed to Whitefriar Street Church. The Carmelite friars who maintain the church say it is an “oasis of peace and prayer in the centre of our bustling city”.  Mass here. During our visit we will discover how the church became home to the Relics of St. Valentine, which attract pilgrims from all around the world, and also the Madonna and Child statue of Our Lady of Dublin. Afterwards we continue our pilgrimage at the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and Shrine of Venerable Matt Talbot, who was known for overcoming his addiction to alcohol by devoting himself to a life of prayer, Mass and penance.

In the morning we say farewell to Dublin and travel with our guide southward to the wonderful natural beauty of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. After a half-hour drive we arrive at Powerscourt Waterfall. This is the second tallest waterfall in the country, standing at an incredible 121 metres. Many movies and TV shows have been filmed here such as the much acclaimed Vikings series. We will have a short stop and photo opportunity here before proceeding to the Monastic City in Glendalough. In the 6th century AD, St. Kevin crossed the mountains from Hollywood to Glendalough, glen of the two lakes, where he founded a flourishing monastery that became one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. We will have a guided tour here, viewing the ruins of the ‘city’ and learning about the life of St. Kevin. Lunch will be arranged in a local restaurant before having  Mass at St. Kevin’s Church nearby in Laragh. The foundation stone was laid on St. Kevin’s Feast Day in 1846 and you may observe his statue above the porch as you enter the church. We finish the day taking our coach to Cahir where we check in to our hotel and have dinner.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we depart with our guide for a guided tour of the Rock of Cashel, also known as St. Patrick’s Rock. This historic, hill-top fortress is deeply rooted in Irish heritage and identity. It is believed that St. Patrick came here to convert the King of Munster to Christianity and, during the ceremony, accidentally drove his staff onto the king’s foot. While touring we will view St. Patrick’s Cross and the last surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland in Cormac’s Chapel, among many other sights. After our tour here we will take our coach northward to visit the Hill of Slane stopping for lunch en route. It is said that St. Patrick lit the Paschal Fire here in Slane to defy a pagan ritual celebrated by King Laoghaire and his druids, resulting in their eventual conversion to Christianity. We finish the day in Monaghan with  Mass at the stunning  St. Macartan’s Cathedral and learning about the first Bishop of Clogher whom the cathedral is dedicated to. Check in to our hotel and have dinner here.

After breakfast, we take our coach into Northern Ireland to visit the cathedral town of Armagh. Our first stop here is the Navan Centre and Fort, where pilgrims traditionally begin their walk along St. Patrick’s Way. We will learn about the fascinating life of the indigenous Celtics and their legends during our visit in one of the most important archaeological sites in Ireland. We then take our coach up to St. Patrick’s Cathedral located upon a hill with a beautiful view of the city and countryside. We will have a guided tour here. According to tradition and the Book of Armagh, dating back to the ninth century, St. Patrick united a fawn with its mother on the hill where this neo-gothic cathedral now stands. We may view the great east window depicting this scene. After free time for lunch we return to  St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Mass. Before leaving town, we will stop at the ruins of the Armagh Franciscan Friary founded in 1264 AD. Check in to our hotel in Donegal then say farewell to our tour guide. Dinner will be served in a local restaurant.

After breakfast in our hotel, we travel to the Sanctuary of Lough Derg to visit St. Patrick’s Purgatory. It is believed that Christ revealed a cave here to St. Patrick that was an entrance to Purgatory. We begin with a guided tour of the Lough Derg Visitor Centre and Museum, followed by a boat tour around Saints Island. We will then have a guided tour of St. Patrick’s Purgatory, learning about the history of this ancient pilgrimage site. The sanctuary itself will provide lunch, tea and coffee for the group (included) with time included to visit the gift shop. In the afternoon we will have  Mass in St. Mary’s Chapel on the island before returning to the shore and departing for Knock on our coach. Check in to our hotel for dinner.

Following breakfast in our hotel, we will walk to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, Ireland’s International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine. The sanctuary was built after the small village of Knock experienced an Apparition of Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist on a rainy evening in 1879 AD. We begin with a walking tour of the grounds hosted by a sanctuary guide, including the award-winning folk museum.  Mass here in the Chapel of Apparition. There will be time allocated for lunch at the excellent on-site Cafe le Cheile. In the afternoon we will do Stations of the Cross and then have free time to explore the sanctuary in peace. We are reminded that “Knock has always been a place of welcome, sanctuary and sacredness, a place for people to join together in prayer and worship.” - Fr. Richard Gibbons, Rector. Return to our hotel for dinner.

After breakfast we will check out from our hotel. Depending on the time of our flight, there may be some free time to revisit Knock Shrine and have Mass. If there is then we may leave our luggage in a safe room after check-out. Take our coach to Knock Airport for our flight back to London Heathrow marking the end of our pilgrimage.