Irish Holy Island Inis Cealtra
Last week we talked briefly about Lindisfarne, the Holy Island off the eastern coast of England. Today I'd like to feature The Holy Island off the shore of eastern County Clare, Ireland. There are two well known holy Islands in Ireland, one on Lough Derg, County Donegal; the other on a different Lough Derg in the Shannon River basin that creates borders for Counties Clare, Galway, and Tipperary. They both are sacred sites with long Christian histories and ancient ruins, but they are drastically different in spiritual perspective and present day experience.
The Donegal Holy Island is called St Patrick's Purgatory and is said to be where St. Patrick was shown the cave which led to Purgatory. It is a pilgrimage site that offers a three day experience based on the theme of sacrifice and repentance, including fasting, walking barefoot through the rocky ritual paths and sleep in austere lodgings.
Inis Cealtra, the Clare Holy Island, in contrast offers a simple, solitary experience of walking the land and visiting the ruins of early Christian churches. Those of you who know me or my writings, will not be surprised to know this island is the experience I sought to visit and wish to share with you
I finally got over to that section of Clare in May of 2016. At that time, it was hard to get up to date information on how to get to the island but I took a leap of faith that I would find a way. My bed and breakfast host was a terrific source of information. She told me that only one gentleman ferried people across to the island and that he did not have a regular schedule this early in the spring. She advised me to go over to the harbor mid morning (after a full Irish breakfast that she prepared} and wait for him to appear.
She shared her distress that there were plans to make the island a more visible tourist destination including having an excursion boat sponsored by the EU and eventually a visitors center as well. She also shared with me her childhood memories of going over to church services on the grounds in the summertime and told me about the wedding tradition of the island. She told me to look for the legendary “bargaining stone”, the site of old matchmaking and wedding rituals and present-day weddings as well.
She was so right. The boatman showed up about ten and ferried me over to the island in his motorized skiff with a promise to return for me late afternoon. The first set of ruins of a church I came to was sadly covered ine pigeon droppings. But for the rest of the day, I found nothing but pristine places with sunny skies and the island practically to myself. I felt incredibly blessed as I walked the ruins of several churches as well as stopped at four high crosses and a holy well. I then picnicked in the shadow of the ancient round tower. An area of thorn bushes alerted me to the presence of a fairy ring so I communicated with the elementals as well as the saints and Nature as the day progressed. There were chapel ruins named for both Brigid and another for Mary so I felt the balance of male and female energies as well. All the things I most cherish in Ireland; are all on this one quiet, little island.
I thought of my B&B host and now understood her regret that “improvements” were coming to Inis Cealtra.