by admin | Mar 10, 2018 | Uncategorized
Brigid`s Way – National Pilgrim Path Week 2017
Brigid`s Way was ignited with pilgrims as we journeyed on the one day route from Slane to the Hill of Tara, with the theme of Approaching Sovereignty. Beginning with Brigid`s Water blessing at the River Boyne, pilgrims were invited to consciously walk with their own private sovereignty intention for that day and indeed into the future. This was consolidated when we all reached the Hill of Tara where everyone was offered Brigid`s Fire Blessings. A great day and a great bunch of people who came together to walk this Ancient Path between Sky and Earth, Brigid`s Way.
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Brigid`s Way 2017 – Day One Faughart to Dundalk
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Step by step we move closer to Brigid`s Fire Temple in Kildare – day one is complete ! From scattered showers to glorious sun, unexpected meetings in fields of horses and fields of cows and blossoming fruit and flowers to meet us as we end the day. Abundance is all around.
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by admin | Sep 14, 2016 | Gallery 2016, Testimonials
“Thank you all for such a wonderful day, feet were tired but we both enjoyed the day, looking forward already to next time.” Regards, Geraldine McMahon
“This Summer I decided to do the two weekends of Brigids Way with Brigid Beag (who is 4 months old) strapped to my front. Together we experienced the wonders of Faughart and all the beautiful ritual and ceremony of the first day, the arduous 22km trek from Dundalk to Ardee where I had to dig deep and really connect to my warrior energy, the blissful walk along the Grand canal with Swans. Heron and Black dogs as our Guardians and finally to Kildare, the fire temple, Solas Bhride and the Wells where I got to share some of the songs that the great Brigid has gifted to me over the years. Brigids Way has inspired me to reach far beyond what I thought to be true of my body’s capabilities and connected me more fully to Brigid’s profound and awesome inspiration. Beannachtai ar an obair na Bridgi!” Gemma MacGowan, Kells, Co.Meath
“Another wonderful day’s walk with Brigids Way. Thank you all so much for creating and offering such an enjoyable opportunity to walk the sacred paths. I am awed by the power of walking on our beautiful land with intention, and of honoring the rituals and practices of our ancestors. It is very healing on many levels, and I look forward to joining in again.” Carol, Dublin.
”Thank you so much for leading such a wonderful weekend and pilgrimage.I am still buzzing from all of the experiences and my intention at the outset to be nourished and enriched was certainly fulfilled and then some!! I felt infused by a magical energy when I returned home which has stayed with me along with the faces and conversations with people met, and the many images of beauty symbolism,ideas, inspiration and challenges!” M C, Omagh, Co. Tyrone
“So glad I went on the St Brigid Pilgrimage and enjoyed it so much and its all new territory for me, I was never @ any of the places before Fens I think you’ll agree have a primal almost spiritual side to them. Visiting the Healing Stone in the Curragh and the 2 wells, Healing and Garden Well and also Solus Bhríde were new to me and so worth while”. Is mise, Seán
“The Brigid’s way pilgrimage was just the re connection I needed to get back on my spiritual path. It was wonderful to walk and talk with like minded people. What came across most for was the challenge of carrying the light (within) and keeping the flame burning. We so often stray and focus instead on the crosses we bear. I realised I can put down the cross and listen to the birds sweetly singing and just be. Thank you for your excellent organisation and I look forward the next time I meet you.” Love and light, Marian Gleeson, Kildare.
“Thank you so much to your dedicated team for a most enjoyable weekend. I really felt a connection to the Goddess Brigid, particularly on Sunday when there was more ritual and symbolic gesture, and the visit to Solas Bhride was a very pleasant experience. There was great spiritual learning for me over the weekend and I thank you for that, and for making the pilgrim way possible in this way, I am truly grateful and appreciative for all your effort, commitment and courage to bring the Goddess more fully into awareness and encourage more people to know about her and experience her in their lives. I felt and feel so grateful and blessed to be Irish also and to feel the blood of my ancestors running through my body. All blessings upon your team for your continued devotion to this wonderful Goddess and saint, and the work that you have done and have yet to do…May your lives be enriched with every breath” With love and gratitude, Bernadette Lacey
“Last weekend was my first experience of walking part of St Brigid’s Way, and I look forward to returning to do it again and again. It was an enriching and rewarding experience, an opportunity to be at one with nature and enjoy the beauty of the path of St Brigid;s Celtic Pilgrimage while in the company of such a wonderful and welcoming group, who each shared so freely their song, dance, story or welcoming smile. A huge thank you to you for such wonderful organising, so much so that the whole weekend appeared to flow seamlessly, and I went away feeling that I had known so many of the group for much longer than a weekend and knowing that our paths would most likely cross again. Blessing, Annette G, Ireland
“Thank you very much for the beautiful gift of St Brigid’s Way. I thoroughly enjoyed my first walk on St Brigid’s Way. I found the atmosphere friendly, welcoming and inclusive. So from the heart, go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir, go n-éirí on bóthar libh. And I hope to join you on Brigid’s Way in the future. “Blessings of Abundance, Roisin
by admin | Mar 23, 2016 | Route and Maps
- Total Distance (approx): 6 miles, 9.6km
- Terrain: Paved: Minor roads (L-roads), sometimes on pavement on more major routes. Grassy/sometimes muddy: Meadow/Farmland.
- Start: Faughart Graveyard/Well
- Accommodation: Dundalk
Glen Gat House (042 9337938), www.Glengathouse.com, Email: glengat@gmail.com Lismar B&B (042 9357246), www.lismarhouse.com, Email: info@lismarhouse.com
Gallery Images
Route
Directions WALKING ROUTE: approx 6 miles 9km. Exit FAUGHART Shrine car park and turn right and continue walking straight. After .5 miles take the turn right signposted (there is a broken Faughart Community sign half hidden by a hedge at the turn) towards KILCURRY on the L7108. At O’Hagan’s pub crossroads continue straight across towards KILCURRY. At the crossroads in KILCURRY (you will see the Kilcurry Church where Brigid’s Relic is housed ahead on your left and the Big Tree just before it.) continue straight across (still the L 7108). There will be a sign for Dundalk to the left and Armagh to the right, you will be walking straight ahead towards the Church. After 2 miles (from Faughart) at a Y junction with a chevron road sign veer left. After approx .4 miles you will walk under the M1 bypass overhead bridge. After .3 mile at Barleyfields turn right at the red bricked bungalow. Continue on over the stone bridge at the Castletown River through Toberone townland. At the T junction (you will see Fatima Church ahead) turn right, then immediately left at Mullhollands shop onto the Milltown Road (passing the Dundalk Rugby Football Club). At the next crossroads cross the Castleblayney road straight through to Mount Avenue which is signposted the Castletown Motte near Cuchulain’s Mound on the right hand side. At the REDUCE SLOW sign turn right to the entrance to SALLY COX’S DEERPARK. Walking across her land which is part of the ancient pathway and holds the sacred healing stream of Brigid. Exit at the Carrick Road and turn left to walk into DUNDALK to Glengat House B&B. Map
Getting to the Start Point – Faughart
If you are travelling by public transport, we recommend catching a taxi from Dundalk to Faughart, see phone numbers below. On our organised pilgrimage, we will arrange lifts from Dundalk to Faughart.
Local Taxi Numbers
Dundalk Taxi Tel: 042 93 777777 and 042 93 333333.
Driving from the North
Head south on N1 toward Exit 18 (Sign posted for Dún Dealgan Thuaidh/Dundalk North/N52/Cairlinn/Carlingford/R173/Baile Mhic Scanláin/Ballymascanlan) Take this exit and at the first Roundabout (Major Hollows Roundabout) take the 2nd exit onto R132 At the next Roundabout (Ballymacscanlan Roundabout) take the 4th exit off this roundabout on to the N52 and drive over the bridge. Follow the road for 1.4km until you arrive at a T junction. Turn right at the T junction and you will see a car park on your left for St. Brigid’s Well and Shrine.
Driving from the South
Take M1 to exit 18. Take the first left turn on to L71000. Drive 1 mile (1.6 km), Faughart Shrine is on the Left Hand Side. GPS Co-ordinates Discovery Map 29: J 049 127 Longitude: 6° 23′ 52″ W Latitude: 54° 3′ 11″ N View Larger Map
Getting to the End Point – Dundalk
By Bus from Dublin
Bus Eireann’s 100X service departs from Custom House Quay on the hour. It arrives into Dundalk’s Long Walk bus station. Get off at the second last stop in Dundalk, opposite McDonalds. Glengat B&B (which we usually use on Brigid’s Way) is only one minute walk away. View Glengat on Google Maps www.buseireann.ie The Matthews bus service departs hourly from Parnell Street. It terminates in Dundalk at The Marshes Shopping Centre. You can get a taxi from the shopping centre to Glengat B&B or walk for about 15 minutes. View Glengat on Google Maps www.commuter.matthews.ie
By Bus from Dublin Airport
Bus Eireann’s 100X bus departs at 20 minutes past every hour. It arrives into Dundalk’s Long Walk bus station. Get off at the second last stop in Dundalk, opposite McDonalds. Glengat B&B is only one minute walk away. View Glengat on Google Maps www.buseireann.ie
By Train from Dublin
Departs from Connolly Station. www.irishrail.ie
By Train from Belfast
The Enterprise train service leaves from Belfast Central rail station approximately every 2 hours and takes 75 minutes. www.translink.co.uk Trains arrive into Dundalk’s Clarke station from where it is a 10 minute walk into Dundalk town. Glengat B&B is about a 5 minute walk away. View Glengat on Google Maps www.irishrail.ie There is no convenient bus service from Belfast to Dundalk.
Travel From Airports near Belfast
Flights arrive into George Best Belfast City airport and into Aldergrove, Belfast International Airport. Both these airports have bus services which bring you into Belfast city centre. (Airport express 600 bus from George Best Airport and the Express 300 bus from Aldergrove). www.translink.co.uk From there, take a taxi to Belfast Central railway station and follow the instructions above.
Driving from the South
Most routes are via Dublin and the M50. Follow signs for the North and Belfast. Leave the M50 at Junction 3 for the M1. Remain on the M1 until Exit 16 signed Dundalk South. When you leave the motorway take the 3rd exit on the roundabout for Dundalk town . Stay in left lane until you reach a large junction; the Xerox building is on the right, with the Crown Plaza Hotel on the left. Turn left at this junction for Dundalk town centre. You will go through 3 sets of small lights – 1 at a college – 1 at a hospital and 1 just before going over a bridge. When you go through the 3rd lights and cross the bridge prepare to turn left. The Glen Gat is ahead on the corner on the right.
Driving from the North (via Belfast)
Take the M1 out of Belfast and follow the signage for Dublin. This will involve coming off the M1 at junction 8 and coming onto the A1 (still signposted Dublin, the South) via a series of roundabouts. Remain on the A1 (which becomes the N1 when it crosses the border) until Junction 18, signposted Dundalk North. Follow the signs to take you into Dundalk town centre. You will pass the Greyhound stadium on your left and a few minutes later, a Lidl on your right. Get into the right hand lane and take a right hand turn at the second set of lights. This road will bring you into the town centre.
Driving from Monaghan, Enniskillen, Sligo and Cavan
Drive through Castleblaney on to the N53 until you come to Dundalk.
Additional Information
For information about the Dundalk area, contact the Dundalk Tourist Office
by admin | Mar 23, 2016 | Route and Maps
ROUTE: Faughart to Dundalk
Route Directions
We meet at the Tourist Office on Market Square, Dundalk. Registration for anyone joining the pilgrimage will take place here. We walk from Market Square to Park Street, down Park Street and up Anne Street to The Crescent and we will take the R171 Ardee Road towards Knockbridge (5km). Continue on this straight road walking on the right side pavement.
Outside the town at a fork in the road walk straight on the right hand side and follow the R171 to Knockbridge and Louth. (Also signposted to Knockabbey Castle and the Táin Trail).
NOTE: There is no footpath at this section so stay right walking single file close to the verge facing oncoming traffic. ONLY if approaching a blind corner cross over to the left hand side of the road until past the corner then recross back to the right hand side.
Outside KNOCKBRIDGE (approx 4.5km just past the L31671 sign on the left), continue walking straight and begin looking left for the green sign for CLOCHAFARMORE (Cloch an Fhir Mhoír – the Stone of the Big Man). The sign is old and opposite a cream coloured ‘Heather Cottage’ and PJ Castle building. Climb over the stile and duck under the electric fence CAREFULLY. We will do Ceremony here in the field at the Stone sacred site.
Back on the R171 road continue walking straight into the village of KNOCKBRIDGE (Chnoic Bhride – the Hill of Brigid). There is a beautiful stained glass window of St Brigid in the Knockbridge Church.
Follow the signs out of KNOCKBRIDGE to LOUTH VILLAGE (still the R171) continue on the straight road. Outside Louth Village keep on the R171 and follow the signs to TALLANSTOWN (ignore a conflicting sign to Ardee at The Hill pub, follow the signs to Tallanstown 2km and Ardee 8km) straight through towards Ardee. At Tallanstown turn left at the village to follow the signs all the way to Ardee. Note the magnificent ‘Helmet’ statue on the way into Ardee past the roundabout.
Getting to the Start Point – Dundalk
See Directions to Dundalk and Faughart
