iona-digest          Sunday, July 25 1999          Volume 1999 : Number 030



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Discussion List   (digest)   http://www.gospel.it/iona/
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Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 09:18:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: dan@fuse.net
Subject: Re: [iona] My trip to Iona

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|(_)| )(_|                     mailto:musictus@musictus.com
Discussion List              http://www.gospel.it/iona/
_______________

Vaughan,
=09Thanks for your travelogue. Really enjoyed it.

On Sat, 24 Jul 1999, Vaughan Granier wrote:

> . _  _  _
> |(_)| )(_|                     mailto:musictus@musictus.com
> Discussion List              http://www.gospel.it/iona/
> _______________
>=20
> Hiya, guys
>=20
> I was over in the UK end of May and June, and I managed to make it to the
> Woven Chord concert. Didn't know how to find any of you who were also
> there, so I was unable to make contact with you.
>=20
> What I did do, though is visit Iona on my way across to Ireland, and I
> thought I would just pass on to you the relevant portions of a series of
> emails that I sent to my friends on another list. It is a bit of a longis=
h
> email, but if you have any interest in Celtic Christianity and the ruins
> that remain on Iona and in Ireland, then this is an email you might enjoy=
=2E..
>=20
> Here goes:
>=20
> The Celtic Christian Experience...
>=20
> Picking out more the highlights, since at almost every turn there was a
> ruin deserving of at least a second look, and in the context of my seekin=
g
> out Celtic Crosses wherever I could find them, I would not want to bore y=
ou
> all with too much detail here.
>=20
> Reading through it after writing it though, it is a bit of a tome - I gue=
ss
> my passion showed through... :-) Enjoy!!!
>=20
>=20
> JEDBURGH ABBEY
> This old ruin, dating from about the 1100's as far as I could gather from
> the locals (it was closed) is an awesome sight along the road from
> Hadrian's Wall to Edinburgh. Just a ruin - not by attack but by attrition=
 -
> it dominates the little town around it. The carving and brickwork is
> beautiful - I simply wish it had been open on the day.=20
>=20
> ST. MARGARET'S CHAPEL
> Inside Edinburgh Castle, this is the oldest surviving portion of the enti=
re
> fortification - dating from about 1200 AD. Refurbished recently and
> therefore dressed in a shiny white coat of paint on the inside, it is a b=
it
> artificial, but it has a humble serenity and meekness that is truly
> endearing. In the midst of a battle fortification such as this castle, it
> is an anomaly that is truly refreshing to step inside of.
>=20
>=20
> IONA
> Iona is a place steeped in history, tragedy and fortitude. Set just acros=
s
> the sea from the little town of Fionnphort on the west coast of the Isle =
of
> Mull it engenders a sense of awe just seeing it across the water. Landing
> on it's shores, on your right is the beach where in 807 AD the Vikings
> landed and massacred the monks where they stood. Iona has seen invasion
> after invasion over the 1500 years of it's history, and the loss of many
> peaceloving and innocent lives. There remains a distinct sense of their
> presence even now...
>=20
> The Nunnery, built in circa 1200, is an open ruin now, although the majes=
ty
> of it's stonework is clear, and a very powerful reminder of the skill of
> the original craftsmen of the time. The abbey, of which the earliest part
> also dates to 1200 AD lies to the north of the modern village, along the
> coast line. Rebuilt often over the years, it's restorers were faithful to
> it's early designers, and it carries with it a rich history. Two crosses
> stand outside the entrance - one is St. John's cross, a replica of the
> original which now stands in the old infirmary (converted to house the mo=
st
> delicate of the ancient stonework of the island). Along with the second
> cross, which is to the best of my knowledge original, I believe they date
> from approximately 800 AD.
>=20
> The abbey's centre square is lined with ancient gravestones dating from
> 600-700 AD onwards - all exquisitely carved in relief with celtic knotwor=
k,
> swords, images of their one-time inhabitants and inscriptions telling of
> their creators, their purpose and sometimes dating them accurately. The
> infirmary is repository to ancient stone relief carvings of Crusader
> figures, dating from 1100 AD or thereabouts, crosses, portions of exquisi=
te
> stonework. Church services are held every hour, I believe - short items f=
or
> the constant stream of pilgrims (funny, that - most everywhere I went,
> there was a touristy atmosphere - even for the most sacred of sites -
> except Iona and the Skelligs. These two had the aura of a place of
> pilgrimage, and a sense of an impregnability - no amount of tourism is
> going to change what they were)
>=20
> My feelings while there?=20
>=20
> A tremendous sense of a courage and a conviction far exceeding currently =
my
> own wildest potentials - living here on this windswept isle, caught up in
> their vision of God's will to the extent of total self denial, there is a
> realisation that we in our modern age may well have lost the meaning of
> true passion. We like our conveniences too much, and perhaps we have
> measured (and thereafter pursued) success and fulfilment by inadequate
> means, and fail in our understanding of passion, sacrifice, and purpose,
> and we do not give ourselves over completely to the passions that beckon =
us
> onward...and upward...
>=20
> The place is serene and gentle in spite of that - it encourages reflectio=
n
> and lifts one's spirit up - there is evidence of an unquenchable fire
> captured so well in the stonework - the crosses especially for me are
> symbols of this. The deepest impression left with me was a sense of the
> personal and individual passion of the stone workers and the monks who
> lived there - somehow their faith and their commitment was not preserved =
in
> anonymity - it was almost as if their names, and their faces, were only
> just outside my conscious grasp as I walked around. I was clearly reminde=
d
> that life is a path walked in the presence of a great cloud of witnesses,
> unseen to us but present nonetheless...
>=20
> The graves of Royalty from all over Europe line the graveyard - again, a
> sense that people have long so revered Iona and the passion of it's
> founders that being buried there was of major importance to them...it wou=
ld
> please me greatly to join them when I too must leave, but that is not a
> possibility anymore.=20
>=20
> ST ANNES CATHEDRAL
> This Belfast cathedral is relatively young, no more than 100 years old. I=
t
> is exceptionally beautiful, but for me, while it was faithful to many
> concepts belonging to Celtic Christianity, it remains merely a Church for
> me. This is not to detract from it's grandeur, it's stonework, and it's
> conceptual design - it is majestic in many respects with regard to these,
> and I would be doing it a disservice if I detracted from it for these rea=
sons.
>=20
> KILFENORA
> This is a small town in the area of the Cliffs of Moher - surrounded by t=
he
> similar villages of Lisdoonvarna, Ennistymon and Ballyvaughan (hehe - sin=
ce
> my name is Vaughan, I was intrigued to note the Gaelic spelling "Baile
> Bheachain"). Kilfenora has an old church there - nothing but a ruin with =
a
> fantastic relief carving of a bishop set into one wall, and a number of
> Celtic High Crosses in the area. One such is known for it's exceptional
> relief carving of a bishop, complete with Crozier, at the top. It stands =
in
> the churchyard, amongst the gravestones there. As an aside - I got really
> spooked by a stark black granite gravestone, inscribed with just one word=
 -
> "VAUGHAN". Weird, I tell you. No dates, nothing. No story of the wife and
> kids like there normally is. Just my name. Hoooaaaaahhhhh. Weird.
>=20
> THE SKELLIGS
> This was the highlight of the trip for me. A 40 minute boat ride in 10 fo=
ot
> plus swells, and deep mist all around. The first Skellig rose out of the
> mist like an abandoned ship, with all 40 000 gannets screaming in our ear=
s.
> Not much to see there, except some really impressive natural rock arches.
>=20
> Skellig Michael is the purpose of the trip. It is a stark, sheer rock,
> protruding without any warning out of the Atlantic, about 200 metres into
> the air. It is at first glance totally impassable and unclimbable, and at
> second glance not much better.
>=20
> In about 600 AD, a community of monks seeking a more ascetic lifestyle
> sailed out to Skellig Michael  (8 miles out to sea) and began the 100 yea=
r
> process of building an access route to the top, and there constructing ou=
t
> of bare rock firstly a plateau on which building could take place, and
> thereafter actually constructing dwellings and a church and the basics of=
 a
> community which went on to survive for at least another 600 years.
>=20
> The settlement is 180 metres up, near the top of the Rock, and was
> originally accessed by stairs cut straight up the cliff face, almost
> vertically. Almost immediately after the original access was built a (onl=
y)
> slightly more accessible route exists, using 365 stairs up the Southern
> face. These are treacherous in the extreme - slippery, and sloping down t=
he
> rockface, not into it, thus making each step something of a gamble. An
> impossible journey if one has any fear of heights, and I cannot imagine
> doing it barefoot or in primitive footwear such as sandals. My African
> Hiking Boots were barely up to the task on the day...and the old monks us=
ed
> to carry supplies up that route!!!!!
>=20
> Beehive dwellings, still in immaculate condition and dating from 600 AD..=
=2Ea
> open roofed church, walls still fully intact ...graveyards, two of them,
> each with rough hewn stone crosses dating back to 700 AD at least...a vie=
w
> of the Atlantic and of Little Skellig, with the mainland and Puffin Islan=
d
> in the distance.
>=20
> What a place. It is a monument to passion and perseverence, and self
> sacrifice. The rocks themselves testify to these things - it is the harde=
st
> place to live I have ever seen, and somehow, somewhy, these twelve monks
> made it a home for themselves, for their entire lives. It engenders a sen=
se
> of awe, and of mystery. In truth, I got the impression that the creators =
of
> this place are unknowable, unique individuals with unique passions and
> perspectives. The greatest mystery perhaps is what they learned of God=20
> in such a place, and what they did with that knowledge. I will ask them
> oneday...
>=20
> THE HIGH CROSSES AT AHENNY AND KILKIERAN
> Mute testimony to a bygone era - the days of the subsumption of the Old
> Ways of the Celts by Chrsitianity - these crosses are magnificent - up to=
 4
> metres (12 feet) tall, carved in impossibly intricate knotwork, and still
> standing after 1300 years. They stand alone in two deserted Grave Yards -=
 I
> guess they are the source of my passion for the High Crosses of Ireland.
> Before the days when scripture scenes were carved into the faces of the
> High Crosses, these monuments are intricately carved with Celtic symbols
> and knotwork, predating the High Crosses in the rest of Ireland by a good
> few years. They are the only real examples dating from the time when
> Ireland was in transition between Christianity and the Old Ways.
>=20
> THE ROCK OF CASHEL
> This is a massive monastic fortress situated on a 300ft high limestone
> outcrop overlooking the town of Cashel in Co. Tipperary. Originally
> fortified by pagan Kings it was donated to the Church in the 9th Century
> AD, and became a focal point of the Christianisation of Southern Ireland.
> Destroyed by Cromwell in the 17th Century, it remains uninhabited since
> then. Outstanding are the Round Tower, the Cross of St. Patrick, the 11th
> Century crypt and the ruined churches on the site.
>=20
> JERPOINT ABBEY
> A 12th Century Cistercian monastery. Not too much to speak of here - just
> the carving of a Butler Knight on a pillar of the cloister.
>=20
> GLENDALOUGH
> This is a monastic settlement founded in the 6th Century AD by St. Kevin,=
 a
> monk who sought a life of ascetism. He got followed, so the solitary life
> was out, and he ended up establishing a monastic community in what is
> arguably the most beautiful valley in all Ireland. If only I had a scanne=
r
> so you could see this place... Again, wonderful ruins, speaking of a
> passion that defies modern logic.... a 31 metre (100ft) Round Tower - the
> best preserved in Ireland...ancient churches that remember history and
> mutely communicate something of it to those with ears to hear... beautifu=
l
> indeed. The rivers are crystal clear, the mountains high and green, the
> trees lush and gentle, and the birds plentiful. Kevin chose his place wel=
l
> - I am envious of him.=20
>=20
> THE HIGH CROSS AT MOONE
> Hidden away a good few kilometres from anywhere, down a little side road,
> and down a worn path past a farm, there is a little church, mostly ruins.
> As you step through the side door of the building, you are greeted by the
> tallest High Cross I have ever seen - 7.21 metres tall (25 ft). I am 5ft =
8"
> (short, I know), and I barely clear the base of this cross. Carved in
> awesome detail with Scriptural images, it has been rebuilt from the piece=
s
> that were found lying in the churchyard.  It is a very lonely Cross - wei=
rd
> to say that, but I got a sense of tremendous loneliness there...I dunno.
> Beyond explanation, I guess.
>=20
>=20
> Well, other than the Guinness Brewery, which according to most Irishmen i=
s
> the most sacred of all sites in Ireland, that is about the best I can do
> for you on this trip that I had. I hope I didn't bore the uninterested, a=
nd
> I hope even more that I excited the travellers to get on their horses and
> see Ireland if they haven't already.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> VAUGHAN
> <vaughang@gcl.co.za>
>=20
> Go lasa an ghl=F3ir D=E9 cos=E1n as do chuid am at=E1 caite chuig do
> thodhcha=ED, agus go raibh an t-am i l=E1thair gan sc=E1th i l=E1thair A
> =E1illeacht.
>=20
> May God's glory light a path from your Past into your Future, and
> may your Present be shadowless in the presence of His beauty.
>=20
>=20
> ______________
> To unsubscribe send an e-mail command to musictus@musictus.com
> In the body of the message type ONLY the following: unsubscribe iona
> or visit http://www.gospel.it/iona/mailingl.html
>=20

______________
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------------------------------

Date: Sun, 25 Jul 1999 07:55:51 PDT
From: navigato@excite.com
Subject: Re: [iona] My trip to Iona

. _  _  _
|(_)| )(_|                     mailto:musictus@musictus.com
Discussion List              http://www.gospel.it/iona/
_______________

On Sat, 24 Jul 1999 14:11:03 +0200, Vaughan Granier wrote:

> . _  _  _
> |(_)| )(_|                     mailto:musictus@musictus.com
> Discussion List              http://www.gospel.it/iona/
> _______________
> 
> Hiya, guys
> 
> I was over in the UK end of May and June, and I managed to make it to the
> Woven Chord concert. Didn't know how to find any of you who were also
> there, so I was unable to make contact with you.
> 
> What I did do, though is visit Iona on my way across to Ireland, and I
> thought I would just pass on to you the relevant portions of a series of
> emails that I sent to my friends on another list. It is a bit of a
longish
> email, but if you have any interest in Celtic Christianity and the ruins
> that remain on Iona and in Ireland, then this is an email you might
enjoy...
> 
> Here goes:
> 
> The Celtic Christian Experience...
> 
> Picking out more the highlights, since at almost every turn there was a
> ruin deserving of at least a second look, and in the context of my
seeking
> out Celtic Crosses wherever I could find them, I would not want to bore
you
> all with too much detail here.
> 
> Reading through it after writing it though, it is a bit of a tome - I
guess
> my passion showed through... :-) Enjoy!!!
> 
> 
> JEDBURGH ABBEY
> This old ruin, dating from about the 1100's as far as I could gather from
> the locals (it was closed) is an awesome sight along the road from
> Hadrian's Wall to Edinburgh. Just a ruin - not by attack but by attrition
- -
> it dominates the little town around it. The carving and brickwork is
> beautiful - I simply wish it had been open on the day.=20
> 
> ST. MARGARET'S CHAPEL
> Inside Edinburgh Castle, this is the oldest surviving portion of the
entire
> fortification - dating from about 1200 AD. Refurbished recently and
> therefore dressed in a shiny white coat of paint on the inside, it is a
bit
> artificial, but it has a humble serenity and meekness that is truly
> endearing. In the midst of a battle fortification such as this castle, it
> is an anomaly that is truly refreshing to step inside of.
> 
> 
> IONA
> Iona is a place steeped in history, tragedy and fortitude. Set just
across
> the sea from the little town of Fionnphort on the west coast of the Isle
of
> Mull it engenders a sense of awe just seeing it across the water. Landing
> on it's shores, on your right is the beach where in 807 AD the Vikings
> landed and massacred the monks where they stood. Iona has seen invasion
> after invasion over the 1500 years of it's history, and the loss of many
> peaceloving and innocent lives. There remains a distinct sense of their
> presence even now...
> 
> The Nunnery, built in circa 1200, is an open ruin now, although the
majesty
> of it's stonework is clear, and a very powerful reminder of the skill of
> the original craftsmen of the time. The abbey, of which the earliest part
> also dates to 1200 AD lies to the north of the modern village, along the
> coast line. Rebuilt often over the years, it's restorers were faithful to
> it's early designers, and it carries with it a rich history. Two crosses
> stand outside the entrance - one is St. John's cross, a replica of the
> original which now stands in the old infirmary (converted to house the
most
> delicate of the ancient stonework of the island). Along with the second
> cross, which is to the best of my knowledge original, I believe they date
> from approximately 800 AD.
> 
> The abbey's centre square is lined with ancient gravestones dating from
> 600-700 AD onwards - all exquisitely carved in relief with celtic
knotwork,
> swords, images of their one-time inhabitants and inscriptions telling of
> their creators, their purpose and sometimes dating them accurately. The
> infirmary is repository to ancient stone relief carvings of Crusader
> figures, dating from 1100 AD or thereabouts, crosses, portions of
exquisite
> stonework. Church services are held every hour, I believe - short items
for
> the constant stream of pilgrims (funny, that - most everywhere I went,
> there was a touristy atmosphere - even for the most sacred of sites -
> except Iona and the Skelligs. These two had the aura of a place of
> pilgrimage, and a sense of an impregnability - no amount of tourism is
> going to change what they were)
> 
> My feelings while there?=20
> 
> A tremendous sense of a courage and a conviction far exceeding currently
my
> own wildest potentials - living here on this windswept isle, caught up in
> their vision of God's will to the extent of total self denial, there is a
> realisation that we in our modern age may well have lost the meaning of
> true passion. We like our conveniences too much, and perhaps we have
> measured (and thereafter pursued) success and fulfilment by inadequate
> means, and fail in our understanding of passion, sacrifice, and purpose,
> and we do not give ourselves over completely to the passions that beckon
us
> onward...and upward...
> 
> The place is serene and gentle in spite of that - it encourages
reflection
> and lifts one's spirit up - there is evidence of an unquenchable fire
> captured so well in the stonework - the crosses especially for me are
> symbols of this. The deepest impression left with me was a sense of the
> personal and individual passion of the stone workers and the monks who
> lived there - somehow their faith and their commitment was not preserved
in
> anonymity - it was almost as if their names, and their faces, were only
> just outside my conscious grasp as I walked around. I was clearly
reminded
> that life is a path walked in the presence of a great cloud of witnesses,
> unseen to us but present nonetheless...
> 
> The graves of Royalty from all over Europe line the graveyard - again, a
> sense that people have long so revered Iona and the passion of it's
> founders that being buried there was of major importance to them...it
would
> please me greatly to join them when I too must leave, but that is not a
> possibility anymore.=20
> 
> ST ANNES CATHEDRAL
> This Belfast cathedral is relatively young, no more than 100 years old.
It
> is exceptionally beautiful, but for me, while it was faithful to many
> concepts belonging to Celtic Christianity, it remains merely a Church for
> me. This is not to detract from it's grandeur, it's stonework, and it's
> conceptual design - it is majestic in many respects with regard to these,
> and I would be doing it a disservice if I detracted from it for these=
>  reasons.
> 
> KILFENORA
> This is a small town in the area of the Cliffs of Moher - surrounded by
the
> similar villages of Lisdoonvarna, Ennistymon and Ballyvaughan (hehe -
since
> my name is Vaughan, I was intrigued to note the Gaelic spelling "Baile
> Bheachain"). Kilfenora has an old church there - nothing but a ruin with
a
> fantastic relief carving of a bishop set into one wall, and a number of
> Celtic High Crosses in the area. One such is known for it's exceptional
> relief carving of a bishop, complete with Crozier, at the top. It stands
in
> the churchyard, amongst the gravestones there. As an aside - I got really
> spooked by a stark black granite gravestone, inscribed with just one word
- -
> "VAUGHAN". Weird, I tell you. No dates, nothing. No story of the wife and
> kids like there normally is. Just my name. Hoooaaaaahhhhh. Weird.
> 
> THE SKELLIGS
> This was the highlight of the trip for me. A 40 minute boat ride in 10
foot
> plus swells, and deep mist all around. The first Skellig rose out of the
> mist like an abandoned ship, with all 40 000 gannets screaming in our
ears.
> Not much to see there, except some really impressive natural rock arches.
> 
> Skellig Michael is the purpose of the trip. It is a stark, sheer rock,
> protruding without any warning out of the Atlantic, about 200 metres into
> the air. It is at first glance totally impassable and unclimbable, and at
> second glance not much better.
> 
> In about 600 AD, a community of monks seeking a more ascetic lifestyle
> sailed out to Skellig Michael  (8 miles out to sea) and began the 100
year
> process of building an access route to the top, and there constructing
out
> of bare rock firstly a plateau on which building could take place, and
> thereafter actually constructing dwellings and a church and the basics of
a
> community which went on to survive for at least another 600 years.
> 
> The settlement is 180 metres up, near the top of the Rock, and was
> originally accessed by stairs cut straight up the cliff face, almost
> vertically. Almost immediately after the original access was built a
(only)
> slightly more accessible route exists, using 365 stairs up the Southern
> face. These are treacherous in the extreme - slippery, and sloping down
the
> rockface, not into it, thus making each step something of a gamble. An
> impossible journey if one has any fear of heights, and I cannot imagine
> doing it barefoot or in primitive footwear such as sandals. My African
> Hiking Boots were barely up to the task on the day...and the old monks
used
> to carry supplies up that route!!!!!
> 
> Beehive dwellings, still in immaculate condition and dating from 600
AD...a
> open roofed church, walls still fully intact ...graveyards, two of them,
> each with rough hewn stone crosses dating back to 700 AD at least...a
view
> of the Atlantic and of Little Skellig, with the mainland and Puffin
Island
> in the distance.
> 
> What a place. It is a monument to passion and perseverence, and self
> sacrifice. The rocks themselves testify to these things - it is the
hardest
> place to live I have ever seen, and somehow, somewhy, these twelve monks
> made it a home for themselves, for their entire lives. It engenders a
sense
> of awe, and of mystery. In truth, I got the impression that the creators
of
> this place are unknowable, unique individuals with unique passions and
> perspectives. The greatest mystery perhaps is what they learned of God=20
> in such a place, and what they did with that knowledge. I will ask them
> oneday...
> 
> THE HIGH CROSSES AT AHENNY AND KILKIERAN
> Mute testimony to a bygone era - the days of the subsumption of the Old
> Ways of the Celts by Chrsitianity - these crosses are magnificent - up to
4
> metres (12 feet) tall, carved in impossibly intricate knotwork, and still
> standing after 1300 years. They stand alone in two deserted Grave Yards -
I
> guess they are the source of my passion for the High Crosses of Ireland.
> Before the days when scripture scenes were carved into the faces of the
> High Crosses, these monuments are intricately carved with Celtic symbols
> and knotwork, predating the High Crosses in the rest of Ireland by a good
> few years. They are the only real examples dating from the time when
> Ireland was in transition between Christianity and the Old Ways.
> 
> THE ROCK OF CASHEL
> This is a massive monastic fortress situated on a 300ft high limestone
> outcrop overlooking the town of Cashel in Co. Tipperary. Originally
> fortified by pagan Kings it was donated to the Church in the 9th Century
> AD, and became a focal point of the Christianisation of Southern Ireland.
> Destroyed by Cromwell in the 17th Century, it remains uninhabited since
> then. Outstanding are the Round Tower, the Cross of St. Patrick, the 11th
> Century crypt and the ruined churches on the site.
> 
> JERPOINT ABBEY
> A 12th Century Cistercian monastery. Not too much to speak of here - just
> the carving of a Butler Knight on a pillar of the cloister.
> 
> GLENDALOUGH
> This is a monastic settlement founded in the 6th Century AD by St. Kevin,
a
> monk who sought a life of ascetism. He got followed, so the solitary life
> was out, and he ended up establishing a monastic community in what is
> arguably the most beautiful valley in all Ireland. If only I had a
scanner
> so you could see this place... Again, wonderful ruins, speaking of a
> passion that defies modern logic.... a 31 metre (100ft) Round Tower - the
> best preserved in Ireland...ancient churches that remember history and
> mutely communicate something of it to those with ears to hear...
beautiful
> indeed. The rivers are crystal clear, the mountains high and green, the
> trees lush and gentle, and the birds plentiful. Kevin chose his place
well
> - I am envious of him.=20
> 
> THE HIGH CROSS AT MOONE
> Hidden away a good few kilometres from anywhere, down a little side road,
> and down a worn path past a farm, there is a little church, mostly ruins.
> As you step through the side door of the building, you are greeted by the
> tallest High Cross I have ever seen - 7.21 metres tall (25 ft). I am 5ft
8"
> (short, I know), and I barely clear the base of this cross. Carved in
> awesome detail with Scriptural images, it has been rebuilt from the
pieces
> that were found lying in the churchyard.  It is a very lonely Cross -
weird
> to say that, but I got a sense of tremendous loneliness there...I dunno.
> Beyond explanation, I guess.
> 
> 
> Well, other than the Guinness Brewery, which according to most Irishmen
is
> the most sacred of all sites in Ireland, that is about the best I can do
> for you on this trip that I had. I hope I didn't bore the uninterested,
and
> I hope even more that I excited the travellers to get on their horses and
> see Ireland if they haven't already.
> 
> 
> 
> VAUGHAN
> <vaughang@gcl.co.za>
> 
> Go lasa an ghl=F3ir D=E9 cos=E1n as do chuid am at=E1 caite chuig do
> thodhcha=ED, agus go raibh an t-am i l=E1thair gan sc=E1th i l=E1thair A
> =E1illeacht.
> 
> May God's glory light a path from your Past into your Future, and
> may your Present be shadowless in the presence of His beauty.
> 
> Hey , 
 Thanks for taking the time to share all this stuff about your trip. I 'm
really interested in anything having to do with early celtic christiany and
I really enjoyed reading it .Thanks.

                  Blessings,
                     Corrie <><
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