Visiting Ireland: The Emerald Isle

"...the Irish saved civilization."       Thomas Cahill

"If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples; even though some of them still look down on me."

                                                         Saint Patrick, 5th century

After reading Thomas Cahill's fascinating book "How the Irish Saved Civilization", I was excited to visit Ireland. In Cahill's book I was surprised to learn that St. Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, was not Irish. Rather, as a teenager he was kidnapped by marauding Irish raiders and forced into slavery as a shepherd in remote Ireland where he was bitterly isolated and spent months at a time alone in the hills. It was during that time that Patrick began seeking a relationship with his heavenly Father.

Six years later Patrick escaped his captors, which is an amazing story in itself. However, despite his harsh treatment and the fact that the Irish of his day (fifth century) were violent, pagan, and barbaric, and human sacrifice was commonplace, Patrick felt God's call to return to Ireland as a missionary. He wrote: "I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved -- whatever may come my way."

Cahill's book is more than about Patrick only. It is a brief history of the dark ages, after Rome fell and the barbarians ransacked the European continent...and learning, scholarship, and culture nearly disappeared. However, the monks and scribes of Patrick's unconquered Ireland preserved the West's written treasury, from the Greek and Roman classics to Jewish and Christian works, which would have otherwise been lost. With the return of stability to Europe, these Irish scholars moved into the continent, evangelizing and bringing learning wherever they went. An amazing story and worth a read!

Recently (mid to late August) I visited Ireland with my family, to attend a destination wedding of my step-daughter Sarah and my new son-in-law, Colin. Below are a few photos of the beautiful land and its beautiful and friendly people. Enjoy!

The Cliffs of Moher, rising more than 700 ft. above the ocean, south of Doolin.

You can't visit Ireland without visiting a pub! We grabbed lunch at a famous Doolin pub and it was a great experience!

A beautiful view of a valley on the Ring of Kerry near sunset, northeast of Sneem.

My family (left to right) Colin, me, Jannis, Josh, Lindsey, Sarah, and Erin, at Ross Castle in Killarney National Park.

Josh in Killarney on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in August!

Fuchsia (fuchsia magellacina) flower, known in in Gaelic as ´Deora De´ ( the tears of God). This flower was common along roadsides in County Kerry.

Skelling Michael (right) and Little Skellig (left) islands. This was one of the highlights of our trip! Little Skelling is home to 70,000 Gannets, making it the 2nd largest colony of that bird species in the world; the white on Little Skelling is guano. Skelling Michael is home to a Christian monastery established sometime between the 6th and 8th century and abandoned in the 12th century. The sea was rough on our boat ride out, and several of our group got sick!

More than 600 harrowing steps lead to the monastery, which sits at more than 600 feet above sea level. A misstep during this climb (or descent) could easily lead to serious injury or death. There were no guard rails!

The groom, Colin Smith, giving a friendly wave outside one of the "beehive cells", where the monks resided. The stones are laid with no mortar and yet they still shed water after ~1500 years!

A view of Little Skelling Island from a window in one of the oratories on Skelling Michael.

Driving in Ireland is not for the faint of heart! The roads are narrow and car insurance is high...most credit cards won't cover rental car insurance in Ireland. In fairness, this scene may be a bit extreme even for Ireland. It was on the north side of Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula. Note that driving is on the left side of the road, which takes some adjustment!

My daughter Erin poses beside an "erin" gift store in Sneem, Ireland. Erin is a Gaelic word for Ireland.

Panoramic view of a ring stone fort, Cahergall, near Cahersiveen, on the north side of the Ring of Kerry.

Jannis and me giving a friendly wave to our group, who were up on the wall of Cahergall stone fort.
(Photo courtesy of Lindsey Myers)

My daughter Erin and me at a beach on the west side of the Dingle peninsula.

Beautiful and typical view of the western Irish countryside, here on Valentia Island.

Jannis emerging from our abode, Westcove Farmhouse. We had our own private courtyard!

A view of the cove out of our bedroom window. We could hear sheep and a resident goose every morning and evening!

The bride and groom, Sarah and Colin at their wedding on a beautiful Irish afternoon (August 19, 2014). Sister Lindsey stands to the left. I had the honor of officiating their ceremony! (Photo courtesy of Allison Gerli)

The sun shines through an opening in the tower of Ballinskelligs Priory, where the monks settled after abandoning the monastery at Skelling Michael Island. Although the priory is in ruins I was encouraged by words from the prophet Isaiah:  "For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:19. God isn't finished with Ireland or any of the world. The world needs more "St. Patricks" through which God will move to change the nations. Who knows, maybe God is calling you!