On Saturday September 10th, the combined Parishes of the Glasnevin Grouping joined together in pilgrimage to Glendalough.
Glendalough became an important place of pilgrimage when the Celtic monastery of St. Kevin flourished there from the 6th to the 11th century. Long after the monastery closed and especially during the 17th and 18th centuries, pilgrimage became one of the main expressions of Irish people’s spirituality. They went to sacred places at special times seeking healing, encouragement and blessing for their lives.
Glendalough is a place of natural beauty. The valleys, lakes, trees, rocks and hills all seem to call out to be admired.
There are so many stories to explore: the historical perspective , the faith dimension , the earth experience, the individual story and how we are all part of an infinitely larger and even more mysterious reality – that of the universe and creation itself.
It is impossible to spend time in the inner valley of Glendalough and not feel connected to all the forms of life expressed there. Everything seems to proclaim its story, from the towering cliffs of ancient granite and mica schist over five hundred million years old to the granite boulders scattered throughout the valley since the last ice age which ended some ten thousand years ago. The indigenous plants and trees all express their own story of the cycle of birth, life, death and renewal. Birds, animals, flora and fauna all have their place here.
