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Experience Ireland with the Lederachs

September 22 - October 3, 2011

Irish countryside scene

With tour leader John and Naomi Lederach

John and Naomi Lederach from Goshen, Indiana, who have lived and worked in Ireland and have led a number of TourMagination tours there, invite you to join them for this experience in 2011. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because of its many beautiful shades of green. The scenery of this island is fantastic and varied. John and Naomi will share with you the history of Ireland, including the Protestant/Catholic unrest and how the church is working for peace in this country. They will tell of their experiences and how things have changed since the time they lived there. This is a journey that you will remember for years to come so don’t miss out on this opportunity in 2011.

Thursday & Friday, September 22 & 23
Depart from Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, on an overnight flight to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Morning arrival in Belfast. If possible, we will check into our hotel and rest before having a brief walking tour of the city center. We will stay three nights in Belfast.

Saturday, September 24
Travel north via winding coastal roads through the picturesque nine Glens of Antrim and explore the Giant’s Causeway, massive columns of volcanic basalt and learn how they were created as we view a film. At Dunluce Castle, built in the late 16th to early 17th century, we will see a short film on its history before exploring it. We will visit Corrymeela, a faith community, working many years for peace and reconciliation through the very difficult time of “The Troubles.” Volunteers from all over the world work here.

Sunday, September 25
Worship this morning with City Church in Belfast, who has worked in many creative ways with university students and others in the community, including a lively coffee shop, and are very interested in Christian community, discipleship and alternatives to violence. A city tour will include the Titanic Museum and a sculpture honoring C.S. Lewis and his Narnia Tales, Springfield Road Methodist Church and “peace wall” where Lederachs lived for three years, noting changes with the new-found peace. Mennonite and Brethren VSers have worked at Curragh (Irish word meaning “boat with those rowing pulling together”), a place of interface with Catholics and Protestants working for reconciliation.

Monday, September 26
Sculpture of Famine Boat near Sligo
Sculpture of Famine Boat near Sligo
Travel to Derry/Londonderry, the second largest city in Northern Ireland, with city walls dating from 1613. Derry comes from the Irish word “doire” meaning an oak grove. Leaving Northern Ireland, we depart for the Republic of Ireland, visiting the Belleek Pottery Factory which makes translucent, creamy, delicate pottery, to see the crafts people at work. We will travel on to Sligo and Yeats country. See W.B. Yeats’ grave and a well-preserved high cross.

Tuesday, September 27
Kylemore Abbey is a beautiful stop, beside Kylemore Lough, the Irish name meaning “lake of the big woods.” It has a neo-Gothic mansion occupied by an Irish Benedictine community of nuns. The chapel and gardens are open to the public. You will enjoy lovely landscapes in all directions as we travel to Galway and the famous Galway Bay, a natural trading post between the rich country east and the markets of Europe. There is a seaside promenade in Salthill where we will be staying, inviting walks along the water.

Wednesday, September 28
More beautiful scenery as we travel to the Cliffs of Moher, six miles of rough-hewn cliffs that plunge into the Atlantic from heights up to 668 feet. These have been hammered by the ocean into one of Ireland’s most majestic natural features. We may also see puffins, kittiwakes and razorbills on the ledges below. Crossing the River Shannon by ferry at Killmer, we continue through Co. Clare to Tralee, famous for its International Festival, which any woman with even remote Irish connections may enter in hopes of becoming “The Rose of Tralee.”

Thursday, September 29
Travel through Co. Limerick on our way to Dingle, a thriving, colorful fishing port, where we will learn about “Fungie,” the Dingle Dolphin. We will travel around the westernmost part of Ireland where we can see the Blasket Islands, scene of many shipwrecks over the centuries. We will also see oratories, common monastic sites that look like upturned boats or “beehives” and many other prehistoric and early Christian ruins.

Round tower at Glendalough
Round tower at Glendalough
Friday, September 30
We will travel through central Ireland, the Wicklow Mountains which are close to Dublin and “slope down to the sea.” A truly beautiful drive takes us through a landscape of mountainous bog land, woods, vales, lakes and mountain streams to Glendalough, a monastic center founded by St. Kevin 1400 years ago. See the remarkably well-preserved St. Kevin’s Church with its bell tower, the visitor’s center and perhaps walk the labyrinth and meditate in this serene place.

Saturday, October 1
In Dublin today, we will visit Trinity College, founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I, where we will see the Book of Kells, the most priceless manuscript, which is a Latin text of the Four Gospels with illuminated pages dating from about AD 800. A bus tour of the city includes Phoenix Park which covers 1752 acres and has the US Embassy and President’s home. There will be time for shopping on O’Connell and Grafton Streets. Two nights in Dublin.

Sunday, October 2
Worship with Lucan Presbyterian Church, an unusual and inviting church, which is pastored by Trevor Morrow who has visited the Lederachs in Goshen, Indiana. Travel to Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange) where we will see a film before visiting this impressive Stone Age tomb which is surrounded by large stones engraved with geometric patterns and is older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. We will return to Dublin for the night and enjoy our Farewell Dinner as we reminisce about our time together.

Monday, October 3
We will depart Dublin today for North America after a most interesting journey to the Emerald Isle. You will take home lasting memories, new friendships and beautiful photos.


For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance.
 
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