Irish Trip Offers New Perspectives
My husband and I took an amazing trip to Ireland in September. We played a short tour with a Cleveland band, performed five shows in this country rich in history and music. We traveled from Dublin across the southern part of Ireland, to the west coast, and back to Dublin. We were able to immerse ourselves in the culture through our interactions at the show venues, staying at bed and breakfasts, and visiting many sites across the country.
It’s no secret that Ireland has a rich history of Catholicism; and although this was not a religious pilgrimage, we were able to visit several Catholic sites, churches and monastic cities built hundreds of years ago – many that exist as preserved areas of stone buildings. I found the ancient structures interesting and sacred, and was interested in this different, long history of a part of Catholicism that shaped the country. It varied from the relatively short history in the U.S.
One monastic city we visited is Clonmacnoise (pronounced phonetically) in County Offaly, founded by St. Ciaran in the sixth century. The settlement grew and became well-known throughout the world as a place of study, trade, politics and religion. The monastery rooted the focus of the settlement on religion, and many lay people also lived in the monastic city. Residential and most other buildings were made of wood and have not survived; but a cathedral, seven churches, two towers, three high crosses, and several tombstones – all made of stone – remain for visitors to see today.
I was amazed by the perseverance of the city throughout the centuries despite several raids and attacks. The religious and lay people who survived the attacks rebuilt time and time again to continue doing God’s work in a variety of ways, until Clonmacnoise began declining in the 1200s and was completely destroyed in 1552. It has remained as a pilgrimage site and has been visited by many throughout the years.
As I walked through the quiet, peaceful ruins on a cloudy, windy day, I tried to imagine the churches in all their glory and the people who lived on the grounds. I was part of history in a new way that day. It was comforting and humbling knowing that a commitment to Christ bound Clonmacnoise together, through the many Masses celebrated, hands that worked, conversations that flowed, and the art and culture that emerged there. I left with a sense of that, although I was in a different country in the ruins of a monastic city, I was part of humanity and part of Christ’s followers. I am proudly part of a universal church with a rich history and a bright, ever persevering future.
