The ancient Camino path of Saint Declan is a journey back in time of over 1,500 years and pre-dates the Camino de Santiago by 400 years. From the moment you step out on this age-old pilgrim path, you are invited to leave your footprints in the land, to enjoy the fun of the adventure and to go deeper into the beauty of the places you pass along the way and the stories they hold.
The pilgrim path has a way of slowing the pulse down and giving our lives the ‘re-boot’ it needs in a world that moves at pace. We find perspective… even peace. You can walk the path as a self guided experience or you book it as an all inclusive Celtic Pilgrim Experience with an old Irish monastic abbey as your base for the 6 day Camino.
Glencairn Abbey breathes life into the pilgrim soul. Each day brings us home… as if for the very first time. There’s something very unique about staying in an Irish Abbey. We hear the bells ring out at 4.15am calling the Sisters to prayer, we share a communal breakfast together, we join the Sisters in prayer in the morning and have chats with them over the few days as we enter a space we may not have known before. There’s something intangible in Glencairn that invites you deeper. Everything lands as it should, gently… kindly. Ethereal chant echoes through the mists of early dawn to awaken us from our slumber. The rising sun casts its crimson glow across this hallowed place. It is then you know you are not alone.
Every day along St Declan’s Way, our visitors can expect something totally different to what has gone before; a country trail along the Golden Vale as we start out, a riverside walk by the Suir the next, a mountain trail over the Knockmealdowns, leaving the dimmed enchantment of Lismore behind as we stroll out alongside the Blackwater the next, a cliff path on our arrival into Ardmore… with the beautiful surrounds of Glencairn Abbey to return to each evening.
St Declan’s Way echoes to the beat of times past. In the stillness of the morning, you hear the quiet murmurings of all who have passed this way before; Saints and kings, visionaries and paupers, farmers and fishermen all have left their imprint on the land. We arrive onto the beach in Ardmore all the better for the journey that has led us there. Here, by the shoreline, our steps merge with those who passed this way before. Beneath the lofty tower, we sense a satisfaction the world does not always offer. It lingers awhile long after the walking is over. We are all custodians of something timeless in our midst. Our ancestors have left an indelible mark on the universe that we need to value now more than ever.
At a time when many reach for the spiritual beyond the walls of old, we should seek out those sacred spaces that have been passed on to us by those who have walked this way before. Pilgrim places draw us deeper into the soul of our people. Our Celtic past has shaped who we have become. We’ve added a unique ingredient to Our Celtic Pilgrim Experience along St Declan’s Way; a little adventure! Under the guidance of local kayaking expert Denis Murray, we give our feet a rest and let our arms do the work on one of the 5 days and enjoy a leisurely voyage down the River Blackwater from Ballyduff in West Waterford into Lismore. The view from beneath the castle is simply breath-taking. It’s amazing to think that it was here along this very river that pilgrims over the centuries made their way to Youghal Harbour before embarking on their voyage to Galicia to walk the Camino de Santiago. The rhythm of this day is very different to all that has gone before. There’s a timeless story here that is still being written.
There is something uniquely enchanting about Lismore that has to be experienced to be believed. We have learned not to rush our time here. Stay, soak in its story, its magic, its beauty. No visit to the town would be complete without a visit to Lismore Castle and Gardens. The Castle retains its mystique, its mesmeric charm; its lofty walls privy to stories that remain untold. The river flows serenely below as if knowingly bowing to the many who have walked its banks before. After our bespoke garden tour, the Butler of the Castle calls out to see us and regales us with stories from people who have stayed in the castle over years.
We’ve been privileged to share this age-old pilgrim path with so many people over the past few years. Each person has their story, each person carries with them their own fair share of joys and worries. Unscripted moments help soothe the stirrings of the mind. It could be a chat along the way, a shared story few will ever hear, the microscopic beauty of the natural world and the spellbinding panoramas that open up before us… each drawing us deeper into the soul of Celtic Ireland.
These are my few musings on our Celtic Camino Experience along St Declan's Way. To find out more, feel free to reach out to us at
info@celticwaysireland.com