***Notice, this trip is full. Interested in being placed on a waiting list? Email me and we’ll talk***
Want to come to come to Ireland in 2018? Here’s an option, friend.
When
August 16-27, 2018
11 nights in Ireland.
Everyone can arrange their own flight, but, everyone needs to be in the Dublin airport, with luggage-in-hand and ready to rock-n-roll by 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 16, 2018.
Cost
Prices are in dollars.
Unfortunately for us, the US dollar isn’t super strong against the Euro at the moment. In addition, Dublin, being a large city in Ireland, is a little pricey lodging-wise. I promise that I tried to keep things as reasonable as possible.
From you I will need: $1,030.
Price includes: lodging for 11 nights, transportation in Ireland, chaplain donation, pilgrimage swag and printed materials, museum and national park fees, and World Meeting of Families entrance for conference/ mass/ other events.
Price does not include: your flight* from your home to Dublin and food.**
*Seeing as pilgrims will be joining us from multiple locations, and some flying to other parts of Europe before and after this Irish jaunt, flights are at the discretion of the traveler. I can make suggestions to those flying out of the Detroit-area, if anyone would like to come with the Detroit group.
**We discussed in a meeting that pilgrims preferred to handle their own food. When possible, I have tried to obtain locations with working kitchens (i.e. hostels where you can make your own food). In addition, several of our overnight locations offer breakfasts.
Things we’ll do
- Lady of Knock. This is a Marian apparition site, where the Blessed Virgin appeared to a group of Irish townspeople in 1879. We can still visit the area, and we’ll spend the night here as well.
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Cliffs of Moher. Shamelessly stolen image from teh Google. Cliffs of Moher. Basically those iconic cliffs you see in Ireland travel shots. It’s on the way to the Dingle Peninsula…so why not?
- Kerry Camino. (1) St. Brendan the Navigator is the realest (2) Hiking totally opens pilgrims to God, and I’ve seen that happen so many times, and I would like this group to have the experience of pilgrimage. This will be a three-day hike through the Irish countryside, ending up in a town known for its art and music, right off of the coast of the Dingle Peninsula. We’ll stay places with beds at night (i.e. no tent-camping or tent-carrying), but, it will be a little adventurous, and all of us will need to carry our luggage in packs.
- World Meeting of Families. Kind of like World Youth Day, only less rowdy and with more little kids, this will be held in Dublin, Ireland, and we’ll spend the majority of the time (6 nights) at this location. The event will undoubtedly feature top speakers, art, cultural events, and devotions and prayer across the city of Dublin. Pope Francis is invited to this event. However, whether or not he will attend has not been made public, so, be aware.
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This is Dingle. You will be walking through this. Music, food, and interacting with the locals
- Building memories, seeing the world
- Daily prayer, opportunities for sacraments and reflection (Chaplain pending, but, be assured, it’s a really cool priest).
Who
I’m planning in the 15 person range, as I like things to feel festive and kind of celebratory, but not too large where anyone can get too lost. We’re going to mostly stick with young adults, and, while people of all persuasions of faith are welcome, we will be participating in Catholic devotion and prayer.
Lodging
I try to keep my prices low so that people can afford these things, so, we will be staying places that are safe and clean and…simple. I.e. I don’t care so much for fancy TVs, I’d rather save that money and apply it to a larger experience. We’ll mostly be in hostels and lodges and the like, together as a group where I could manage. In some small towns, lodging together was not an option, in which case, the group will be split in between 2 lodges.
Transportation
Once we’re in the Emerald Isle, we’ll be traveling via private bus and public transit.
Experience
This will be my first time in Ireland, but I’ve organized many retreats and pilgrimages, both locally and internationally. The fact that my friends still sign up tells you that…we tend to have a good time.
That being said, this is a pilgrimage, not a vacation. We can talk more about what that means later, but, basically: encountering Jesus and serving one another will take preference to seeing all the sights/ getting too crazy/ etc.
We’ll undoubtedly have a few practice hikes, too, just to get us all prepared.
Sign up?
Sign-ups will be done via this online survey and then payment. Payment plus survey completion secures your spot. I can accept checks, Venmo, Paypal, etc.
Payment can be made in one of two ways:
- Upfront, all $1,030 at once or
- In two payments, the first of $630, the second of $400, due June 1, 2018.
Deadline for sign-up is March 17, 2018 (see what I did there?)
Please note that this will be a small-ish group, if you’re interested in attending, please sign up promptly to secure your spot in the fun.
Questions?
Email me anytime: danielle [dot] center [at] gmail.com. I’d love to chat. 🙂