PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

When: Fri 11th - Fri 18th July
Duration: 7 Days
Where: North West Ireland

An Approved EcoBreak

Why a Pilgrim Tour?

Imagine what possesses people to go and do Spain's Camino Santiago:

Tradition - Adventure - Redemption - Camaraderie

They have had 1,000 years of people treading a path toward the Shrine of St. James.

Friday 11th – Friday 18th July

PILGRIM PROGRESS is Ireland’s mini Camino Santiago, an eclectic circuit that embraces all faiths and none, a week's movement winding its way through marshes, lakes, o'er high seas, to monastic islands, over heath and bog, steep hills, by quiet rills, through driving rain and blasts of sun - through 6 counties, a full soul discovering circuit with night stops at an extraordinary array of "hostelries." 

ROUTE: GYREUM ECOLODGE/ HOLY HILL HERMITS/ BUNDORAN AMUSEMENTS/ LOUGH DERG/ INIS RATH HINDUS / JAMPA LING TIBETAN BUDDHISTS / CONCLUDING 24 HOURS QUIET RETREAT BACK AT GYREUM

1, Gather at evening at the hobbit like cairn The Gyreum

2. the first day leads via Carrowkeel and Temple House home to Europe’s most westerly Templar Preceptory, on to to the Celtic Hermits' dens on the Atlantic crest of The Ox Mountains

3 by sea to the remote sea isle of Inishmurray with the best monastic settlement remains in Ireland from there back to the dodgems, amusements, temptations and ghost trains of Bundoran,

4. By the bogs and forests a long hard hike to St. Patrick’s Purgatory on Station Island in the dark waters of LOUGH DERG

5. Moving from island to island along Lough Erne toward Inish Rath, to be immersed in Vedic garlands

6. and ever onward to the Tibetan Buddhists to some fathoming of Goddess worship, to the Poor Clares of Drumshanbo, to the Sweat Lodges of Leitrim and back to ground zero, to yourself, to The Gyreum, a 250km circle on land sea and lake.

7. Upon return to Gyreum there is a 24 hour quiet retreat which is always at the cusp of the Full Moon. This allows Pilgrim time to assess the transformations of the journey and ready themselves for a return to the real world.  At its conclusion there is a great celebratory banquet.

FURTHER DETAILS & BOOKINGS

Pilgrimages in 2008

Friday 11th - Friday 18th July

Sunday 10th - Sunday 17th August

Monday 8th - Monday 15th September

Wednesday 8th - Wednesday 15th October

Friday 7th - Friday 14th November

Friday 5th - Friday 12th December

Certified Ecotourism
Pilgrims Progress been certified according to the Greenbox Ecotourism Standard which means that all the key elements of ecotourism are met as part of the experience. (A full list of criteria can be found on http://www.greenbox.ie/)

Environment
The hosts of Pilgrims Progress, Colum Stapleton & Alex Delimata, have a policy of encouraging accommodation providers on the route to adopt eco friendly principles and practices and reduce their carbon footprint as far as possible. So far three of the rest stops have progressed to the stage where they have been awarded the EU symbol for eco friendly accommodation- The EU Flower. Walking guides along the route ensure that all waste material is collected and disposed of at recycling centres, food packaging is keep to a minimum and organic waste is composted. The signs along the route are made from wind blown trees found along the Pilgrims path. All Pilgrims are encouraged to car pool to the start of their journey and also to follow the 'Leave no Trace' code of ethics, which provides tips on how to travel responsibly in the Irish countryside.

Learning
Pilgrims Progress has been designed to be an enriching experience with many opportunities to learn about aspects of history, archeology, nature and culture in the North-West of Ireland. The journey appeals to a wide range of people, especially those interested in walking holidays and with an interest in world religions and history. Past and present beliefs and history are discovered, encountered, compared and contrasted by means of a progress through the countryside. Extensive historical and literary research has been carried out by promoter and filmmaker Colm Stapleton, as well as in depth interviews with religious leaders and elders from: Holy Hill Hermits; Carmalites; Vicar, Church of Ireland, Lissadel; Lough Derg; Minister, Scots Presbyterian Church, Enniskillen; Hare Krishnas, Inish Rath; Jampa Ling, the Gelugba Tibetan Buddist Retreat Centre andThe Poor Clares, Drumshanbo. Information along the route is provided through a range of guided tours, lectures and talks by experts. A travel library is available and suggested reading lists and reference materials are available prior to your departure.

Conservation
The promoters of Pilgrims Progress are members of the conservation organisations CRANN and Birdwatch Ireland and also regularly undertake informal conservation promotional efforts, principally with youth groups in the Greenbox region. Colum Stapleton conducts school tours of the Gyreum, explaining ecotourism principles and how they are put into practice at the accommodation. A tree planting scheme is also in operation to offset visitor's carbon use. With increased numbers visiting on very decreased air fares -guests are asked to plant three trees each while they are here - so the burnt hydrocarbons of their flight can be counterbalanced by swift growing CO2 breathing ash, rowan, silver birch and willow. Visitors pay for the trees but they must do the planting. Alex Delimata makes regular conservation and ecotourism presentations to transition year students and scout groups. Native tree planting, wildflower seeding and organic practices are well in progress on her seven acre site.

Supporting the local community
The Pilgrims Progress experience has been designed so that local people and businesses are involved at every level, from accommodation, provision of meals, design and a major part of the interpretive element. Support of local businesses and communities is a key ethos of the experience and is a strongly held principle for both promoters.

For information and booking please contact Colum:

info@gyreum.com
www.gyreum.com


Tel: +353 71 9165994 or +353 87 6750769

GROUPS MAY ENQUIRE DIRECTLY & WE CAN FACILITATE SPECIAL DATES TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS