Celtic Soul

Pilgrimage to Ireland

 

A thick and very old aspen wood covers the hill called Knockma (Cnoc Meadha). There was such a rush of energy in the place that many times my legs felt wobbly – similar to the sensation of walking a labyrinth. Near the top of the hill I was drawn to a very old tree that was host to a great deal of ivy and a number of small ferns. During the entire time on Knockma, ravens were circling and calling overhead as if to guide the way.

Knockma is the great hill of Maeve, Queen of Connacht. It is also associated with Cesair who according to legend was an colonist who arrived during the time of the great flood. Two of the three cairns on top of Knockma are said to be the resting places of Maeve and Ceasair. Knockma is also said to be the place where Finvarra (Finnbheara), the King of the Connacht faeries, holds court.

 

 

South to Kerry

From Galway I traveled south to the Dingle Peninsula (Corca Dhuibhne), the home of the great Celtic hero Cú Roí. I stayed in a cottage that had a view of a castle (which I explored later) in one direction and a vista of farmland and Dingle Bay in the other.

It was by chance that someone guided me to a holy well associated with the Three Sisters. According to the legend I was told, they had come to the earthly realm to aid the 3rd century warrior, Fionn Mac Cumhaill and his Fiana. The well enclosure no longer holds the sacred waters that have changed course and now flow as a little stream beside the stone well – as if to say “you cannot contain the fay”.

The Three Sisters are integral to Dingle, and the mountain range on Sybil Head is named for them. They are the three divine sisters who personify the land and the very essence of Ireland. Erin (Ériu) represents sovereignty and is the sister for whom Ireland is named. Banba (Banbha) represents the spirit of Ireland, and Fotla (Fódla) represents the power of the land.

Many sites are on private pastureland and frequently to get to them one must scale stone walls and maneuver through barbed wire fences to gain access. This unmarked site, a cairn/chambered tomb, had been dug up and laid open, and initially not obvious. Once inside the perimeter, the stone passageway and several chambers (at least what was left of them) could be seen. The entrance to the final chamber still had the remains of a lintel and upright stones on each side. This felt like an important portal into the holy of holies. From here there was an entrance to a small underground area. As I was sitting and meditating within the chamber, I was startled by three ravens that suddenly broke cover from a nearby gorse bush.

Gallarus Oratory is a monastic building that was constructed between 1100 and 1200 CE. Like the ancient forts and beehive huts, it was erected without the use of mortar. The doorway is situated to capture the setting sunlight. Directly across from it a small (and the only) window is situated to catch the rising sunlight as it comes over the hill. The Druidic penchant for aligning important structures with the movement of the sun lasted long into the Christian period. I noticed how this, like most ancient sacred sites, fit within the landscape – cradled by the land behind with an open vista in front.

Within the stone wall enclosure was a small standing stone with symbols carved into its surface. It stands on an area covered with stones. Underneath are the foundations of a building that pre-dates the oratory.   Gallarus still carries a sense of quiet reverence as it bears witness for those who sought meaning beyond the realm of human culture in the privacy of their own hearts and with their own god(s).

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