Itinerary
Our time together will be spent doing deep work at Ireland’s sacred sites, classes and rituals, along with relaxing times in town to enjoy traditional music sessions and delicious local cuisine. We will celebrate Bealtaine with a bonfire and ritual at our home center of Riverhaven on the shore of beautiful Lough Key, and we will close the pilgrimage with a farewell feast. We strive to not over schedule our days, so we have plenty of time to explore each site fully. Our schedule will balance free time with group meditations, rituals, workings, and classes. We have kept some space in the schedule, and we will be adding additional visits or local festivals as information becomes available. Please re-visit this page to see updates.
Slieve na Calliagh (Loughcrew)
The Irish name for this site means “Hill of the Witch”. Here the Loughcrew hills are crowned with a megalithic tomb and ritual complex, filled with Neolithic cairns richly ornamented with ancient stone carvings and many of them aligned to the solar calendar. Here it is said that the hag Goddess Cailleach formed the landscape when she scattered mighty stones from her apron across the hills. At this potent site, we with meet Irish priestess and healer Gemma McGowan, who will introduce us to the Cailleach and guide us to connect with her ancient power and intelligence.
Ráth Cruachan (Rathcroghan)
The ancient royal site of Rathcroghan is an Iron Age ritual landscape at the heart of Connacht, the province in which our pilgrimage takes place. Here we will spend the day with Irish priestess and guide Lora O’Brien. We will greet and honor Medb, warrior queen and protector of Connacht. At Oweynagat (the Cave of the Cats), we will approach the Morrígan, queen of the Otherworld. We will honor her with devotions and meet the wolf spirits of the Cave, seeking their protection and guidance. Visit Lora’s web site to learn more.
Inis Badhbha (Boa Island)
Named for the war Goddess Badb, Boa Island is the largest of a group of islands in the waters of Lough Erne. Local tradition maintains that the island was a place where treaties were made, and its archaeology records a history of ancient weapon-crafting. At Caldragh Cemetery we find the mysterious Boa Island statues: early medieval stone-carved idols in the Celtic style with wide, gazing eyes. In this green and crumbling cemetery the Otherworld is near and rich with spirit presences, a perfect place for us to honor and seek communion with Badb.
Cnoc na Rí (Knocknarea)
Atop the limestone mountain of Knocknarea on the Cúil Irra (Coolera) peninsula of County Sligo, Queen Medb’s Cairn dominates the skyline and commands the landscape. The cairn, a massive Neolithic passage tomb, is said to be a burial place of mighty Queen Medb, where she stands entombed upright in her armor facing out toward Ulster to ward her territory. We will climb the beautiful, flowering slopes of Knocknarea to honor Queen Medb and connect with her fierce spirit.
Binn Ghulbain (Ben Bulben) and Gleann an Chairthe (Glencar Waterfall)
The mighty and fairy-haunted mountain of Ben Bulben was said to be the favorite hunting-ground of Finn and the Fianna warriors, as well as an ancient síd of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Its landscape features strongly in the poetry and mysticism of William Butler Yeats, whose grave is sited in the village of Drumcliffe at the foot of the mountain. We will catch stunning views of Ben Bulben and enchant ourselves with tales of the Fianna, as we visit Drumcliffe and continue on to the gorgeous Glencar lake and waterfall, nestled in a richly forested glen among the foothills of the mountains.
Ceis Corann (Kesh Corran)
Crowning the highest point in the Bricklieve Mountains, the ancient cave complex of Kesh Corran has been home in Irish myth and folklore to wolf-packs and kings, witches of the síd, and bands of Fianna warriors. Topped by a Neolithic cairn and containing evidence of ancient ritual, these caves are said to be connected by a hidden passage to Oweynagat cave at Rathcroghan. Kesh Corran forms the natural endpoint to our ritual journey into the Otherworld that began at Oweynagat, emerging here in these high, resonant caves that overlook a sweeping panoramic view of the landscape of western Ireland.
Andersons Thatch Pub
Established in 1734, Andersons Thatched Pub is a world-famous old world treasure in the Sligo countryside. The atmospheric thatched cottage with its antique fittings, warmth and liveliness makes this pub a beloved venue for Irish traditional music and dance, pints and craic (conviviality and good company). Irish coffee is a house specialty!
Time With Lora O’Brien
We have two opportunities during this trip to work with a native Irish Author and Presenter Lora O’Brien.
As part of this tour you will be able to access a recording and notes of Lora O’ Brien’s Online Class “Working With Sacred Sites” before our trip. This pre-recorded class and downloadable notes are an excellent two hour primer to any Ireland pilgrimage. Before the trip we will be spending an hour in a webclass with Lora discussing the sacred site class material we watched and read about and learning a little bit about how the Coru Priesthood and Land, Sea, Sky Travel approach pilgrimage.
On the tour, Lora will be spending an entire day with us exploring and guiding us through the Rathcroghan site.
Lodgings
We will spend our entire time on the tour at Riverhaven Eco-Cabins.
These wonderful cabins have been a Land, Sea, Sky Tour favorite on many trips before and we look forward to sharing them with you.
Situated on the shore of Lough Key they are cozy, clean accommodations with a wood burning stove in each cabin along with access to the grounds of the cabins.
The grounds include a working farm, a medieval archaeology dig site, several acres of forest, a private boat to explore Lough Key on and several miles of walking trails.
Rooms hold two to three guests each and roommates may be requested.
Some single rooms are available at an additional $500USD, due at time of deposit.
Please make accommodation inquiries to Vyviane (vyviane@landseaskytravel.com) and not to the accommodations themselves.
Important Things to Note
Due to the nature of this trip and the location of the sites, to fully participate in all aspects of the trip we recommend that you are comfortable walking up to two miles over the course of a day and that you be able to navigate wet and muddy ground and uneven terrain. There are also a number of steps and stairs at our lodgings, and at some of the sites we will be visiting. With that said, we do welcome and accommodate people with different degrees of physical ableness. Please be in contact at the time of registration if you need accommodations or would like any additional info on what to expect on this trip – vyviane@landseaskytravel.com.
All communication regarding the trip should go through Vyviane unless otherwise noted. All communication should be made thru e-mail, phone calls, or the official trip Slack group.
Please be aware that communications sent to the wrong person or made through Facebook, Instagram or other social media platforms may not be seen, answered, or considered official communications.
While wi-fi is available on our coach, we cannot guarantee that connectivity will be consistently functional for the entirety of our stay.
The primary focus of our trip is devotional in nature. Due to the intense ritual work planned we ask that all guests attend or catch the recordings of all pre-trip classes. Classes are held on Zoom software and will be recorded. You can expect five to ten hours of pre-trip classes. It is also recommended that participants have a basic understanding and personal practice around cleansing, grounding, ritual work, devotional practices, and an existing relationship with their personal Otherworld guides, guardians and/or Gods. For more information or questions surrounding preparation or the ritual cycle work of this trip please reach out to Morpheus Ravenna with the Coru Priesthood at morpheus@corupriesthood.com.
While Land Sea Sky Travel does not foresee canceling the trip for any reason on our end, there are many circumstances beyond our control, and we recommend that every trip participant buy adequate travel insurance through a reputable company, such as AAA or Travelex.
Hospitality Statement
Land Sea Sky Travel holds in highest regard open mindedness and hospitality. As such, we have a zero tolerance policy towards racism, religious intolerance, sexism, transphobia, ageism, ableism, homophobia, and all other forms of discrimination.
We strive to hold safe events, both in-person and virtually via our many social media sites. If you ever encounter any form of harassment, or feel unsafe in our community, please reach out to Vyviane immediately or any other member of staff if necessary.