Mike Garde was delighted to join the world of the Celtic Pilgrims on what was possibly the last visit this group will make to Ireland. They came under the direction of Marlene and Stan Kropf.
I joined them for one day ~ June 23 and the most wonderful visit to Bolton Abbey, Castledermot and Moone. We stopped to make up our pack lunches at Kilcullen very close to where Robert Dunlop who is a retired Baptist Minister lives. He was a great friend to Mennonites. We then came to Bolton Abbey and participated in prayers before we had a delightful picnic in the grounds of the Abbey. Following that we had our usual visit to Castledermot and Br Eoin our guide perhaps subconsciously knowing this was the last visit took us around. Quite shocking in its simplicity was a new section added to our visit, namely showing us the remarkable baptistery which suggests that Ireland was a Believer’s Church before the Normans came in 1169! Mike had been at this location with Willard and Alice Roth in September 2011 and again in November 2011. The Baptistery was totally overgrown. Some work on making it look presentable has taken place. See below the earlier photographs.
What was amazing was that at the Baptist Church where I am a member had a Baptism Service the following day, Sunday. A number of people gave expression to their commitment to Christ through the waters of Baptism. The juxtaposition of these ancient images with the modern journey of faith entered into was very moving.
Then we went to Moone where Bro Eoin gave a masterful presentation on all the dimensions of the High Cross. While there we were very fortunate to have a roof over the Cross as we were deluged by a Monsoon style shower as we all participated in the liturgy which would have been enacted around the cross in the first Millennium.
After that we said farewell to Eoin and we returned to Dublin. Meriel my wife joined Stan, Marlene and Janet Rasmussen went for a lovely meal together at the…
101 Talbot Restaurant – Dublin.
http://www.101talbot.ie/ before going to……
….. The Abbey Theatre to see …
The House by Tom Murphy which was very moving and quite black in its relentless depiction of Irish life in the 1950’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qyAKvrNp7sc
http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/whats_on/event/the-house/
The evening brought home the Death of our Culture and Cry for meaning where those who grow up in this culture find it impossible to connect to the High Crosses as there are what James Joyce put it, “nets set out to catch you before you are born.”
A moving day, a pilgrimage that has reached its journeys end but with memories to both calm us as we enter the storm and which challenges us to make the crossing.
2012 Celtic Pilgrimage — IRELAND
Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
3003 Benham Avenue
Elkhart, IN 46517
USA
Pilgrimage mobile phone (operates only in UK and Ireland): +44 7515 077 908
Stanley Kropf mobile phone in USA: 574-370-5790
Rostrevor, Northern Ireland Kilbroney Centre 15 KilbroneyRd BT34 3 BH
http://www.downanddromore.org/pages/ministries/kilbroney-centre
Day 5 Tuesday 19 June Travel from Iona to Kilbroney Centre, Northern Ireland
7:30 am: Breakfast at hotel
9:00 am: Depart Iona; 9:10 am arriveFionnphort
9:15 am Bowman’s bus across Isle of Mull; 10:25 arriveCraignure
10:55 Depart Craignure on ferry; 11:41 arrive Oban
Lunch in Oban
12:56 pm: Depart Oban on train; 16.00 arrive Queen Street Glasgow
16:15: Depart Queen Street Glasgow on coach; 18:45 arrive Stena Ferry terminal
19:30: Depart Cairnryan on Stena Ferry; dinner on ferry; 21:45 arrive Belfast
Ferry terminal to Kilbroney: 1 ¼ hr (2300)
Day 6 Wednesday 20 June Benedictine day of worship and work at Holy Cross Monastery, Rostrevor (http://www.benedictinemonks.co.uk/)
8:00-8:30 am: Breakfast
9:15 am Depart Kilbroney for Holy Cross
9:30 am: Presentation by Bro. Thierry
11:30 am: Eucharist
Lunch provided by monks
Afternoon of work, rest
14:15: None
17:30: Vespers
6:00: Silence
6:30 Departure for Kilbroney
7 pm: Dinner
7:45: Presentation by Ken and Claire Humphrey (Belfast)
9:00-9:15 pm: Brief evening prayer
Day 7 Thursday 21 June County Antrim Celtic day pilgrimage (St. Patrick sites) hosted by Tim Foley, Mennonite Mission Network:
Depart Kilbroney Centre: 9 am (prayers on coach)
Arrive Nendrum 10:30 am: http://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/nendrum.shtml
Depart Nendrum 11:30 am; arrive Saul Church 12:15 pm; picnic lunch on grounds http://www.saintsandstones.net/saints-saulchurch-journey.htm
1:30: Depart Saul Church; if weather is good, could hike up the hill to St Patrick statue; arrive St. Patrick Centre, Downpatrick 3:00 pm: http://www.saintpatrickcentre.com/index.php
5:00 pm: Depart Downpatrick; arrive Kilbroney Centre 5:45 pm
6:30 pm: Dinner
7:15: Evening conversation with Tim Foley; 8:30 pm evening prayer
Dublin, Ireland O’Callaghan Stephens Green Hotel
1-5 Harcourt St., Dublin 2; tel: 353-1-607-3600 dublin.city-centre-hotels.com/stephens-green-hotel
Day 8 Friday 22 June Travel Rostrevor to Kildare and Dublin
6:45 am: Breakfast
7:30 am: Depart Kilbroney Centre (prayers on coach); arrive Kildare, 10:45 am
11 am: Solasbhride retreat with Sr. Mary Minehan introducing Brigid (http://www.solasbhride.ie/)
12:15 pm: Lunch at Silken Thomas
1:30: St. Brigid Cathedral; St. Brigid Catholic Church; Healing Well; Garden Well
4:00: Depart Kildare; 5:00 pm arrive Dublin
5:00 Hotel check-in; Burdock fish & chips (or other dinner choice); Dublin cultural evening (individually arranged)
Day 9 Saturday 23 June
Breakfast: Breakfast room is open from 7:15-10:15 am
9:45 am: Depart hotel joined by Mike Garde, Mennonite 11 am arrive Bolton Abbey
11:00: Bolton Abbey visit
11:45: Sext (midday prayers)
12:15 pm: Picnic lunch in garden
1:15: Visit to high crosses with Bro. Eoin:
3:30: Depart Moone; 4:30arrive Dublin
Dublin cultural evening (individually arranged)
Glendalough, Ireland Glendalough Hotel glendaloughhotel.ie
Day 10 Sunday 24 June
Breakfast: Breakfast room is open from 7:15-10:15 am
9:30 am: Book of Kells exhibit; http://www.tcd.ie/Library/bookofkells/
11:00: Sunday Eucharist, Christchurch Cathedral http://www.christchurchdublin.ie/Worship/Services.htm
11:15: Choral Eucharist, St. Patrick’s Cathedral http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/Weekly_Services.aspx
1:00 pm: Lunch
3:15: Depart for Glendalough Hotel; 4:15 arrival
4:30: Check into Glendalough Hotel
7:00: Dinner
8:30: Evening prayer
Day 11 Monday 25 June Glendalough orientation at visitor’s centre and museum; guided Glendalough pilgrimage with Father Michael Rodgers
7:30 -8:30 am: Breakfast
9:30: The Glendalough Visitor Centre (17 min. video introduction)
10:00: Guided Glendalough Pilgrimage with Father Michael Rodgers
Lunch and afternoon on your own
6:30 pm: Dinner
8:00: Evening prayer
Day 12 Tuesday, 26 June Retreat day; retreat reflection session in evening
7:30-8:30 am: Breakfast
Retreat Day
6:30 pm: Dinner
8:00: Retreat day reflections and evening prayer
Lindisfarne, England LindisfarneHotel thelindisfarnehotel.co.uk
Day 13 Wednesday 27 June Travel Glendalough to Lindisfarne via Dublin Airport
7:30-8:30 am: Breakfast
9:30: Departure from hotel; 10:45 arrive Dublin Airport
2:10 pm: Depart Dublin; 3:10 arrive Edinburgh
3:30 pm: Depart Edinburgh for Lindisfarne
The shape of pre Norman Christianity in Castledermot and Moone and a Quaker village in Ballitore, Co Kildare: The Castledermot/ Moone/ Ballitore region of Co Kildare represents one of the richest areas of cultural, religious, historical and archaeological interest in the world. Castledermot looks like a ghost town, and the baptistery in a corner of a field is over grown and the there is no flowing water. As Newgrange represents Co Meath so Castledermot and Moone represent pre Norman Ireland and the Quaker Village in Ballitore show a more excellent way and they are the stars in the crown of Co Kildare. Bro Eoin of the Cistercian Monastery, Moone, Co. Kildare has been a pioneer in the field of research for over forty years. He has brought out a number of books on the High Crosses and was the person to research the baptisteries/Fonts and Holy wells. 
He would argue that Castledermot was where the Crosses originated and that the Moone community followed the example of the monks in Castledermot. 
Bro Eoin explains the evolution of the crosses to Willard Roth and George Corrigan who has a great interest in the history of dissenting Protestants in the area.
Here is the presumed grave of the founder of the community Dermot:
The presumed grave of Cormac the High King of Munster :
We will return to discuss the Baptistery in Castledermot, but it is now time move onto Moone where there was a flowering of the High Crosses. Here is the Cross inside to protect it, it was outside for centuries.
Baptistery in Moone: 
Just up the road from Moone is the Quaker Village of Ballitore. It had a Quaker school where the famous political philosopher and anti revolutionary Edmund Burke, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke and later Cardinal Cullen a very strong exponent of explicitly Catholic education went to school. http://www.answers.com/topic/paul-cullen- rugby league http://www.answers.com/topic/paul-cullen-bishop In Ballitore the name Shackelton is revered and it where the famous Antarctic Explorer family originated from.
http://indigo.ie /~jshack/ernest.html
http://www.quakers-in-ireland.ie/quakermeetings/leinster/ballitore
Back in Castledermot: Note the baptistery which Bro Eoin has found. He argues that the Normans brought the system of compulsory infant baptism to Ireland. This was linked to Peter’s pence which involved a tax on each baptised person to Rome. Before that Irish Christians practised believers’ baptism. The Baptistery is at the edge of the Franciscan Abbey. It must precede it by about 400 years.
It is totally unrecognised and cared for, and the town around these sites which is as important as Newgrange or the pyramids of Egypt is dying. Hopefully a local school in Castledermot and the county Council will take an interest in this Heritage and thereby begin the journey to make this area a centre of tourism and rediscovery of what it means to be human, not least Irish and at a deeper level Christian. Note that the future Archbishop of Dublin Lorcan or Laurence O’Toole was born near Castledermot:
http://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/F1114s/
He later was a monk in Glendalough before becoming the Archbishop of Dublin. You will see the same kind of Irish Christian voluntary community found in his home area of Castledermot.
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