The mermaid asked me to travel with her to Ireland for a retreat of sorts involving poetry, music, history, walking, and well, Ireland. She said she was going with or without me, but I didn’t need any incentive to go back to Ireland. I said yes immediately. She is an admirer of David Whyte the poet, and a few years back, brought me to a poetry event in the city, where he was joined by a trio from Ireland who sang in Irish and recited their own poetry. So, I had some idea of what to expect.
We signed up early, but as the months passed, I expected to get an itinerary of the trips’ events. I would learn that there would be no such itinerary forthcoming, as the organizers of the week forced us to be present in each and every moment rather than anticipating the next move. As someone who needs to know what’s happening every minute, I found this unsettling at first, actually I was half-crazed. As it turned out, they were very right about this approach. Looking back, I would not have changed a single thing.
The week was spent at a beautiful resort called Parknasilla in County Kerry on a finger-like peninsula projecting out to the Atlantic southwest coast of the Emerald Isle. Located south of Killarney National Park on the Ring of Kerry. It also included an excursion to the Dingle peninsula. The scenery is some of the most breathtaking I have ever seen, anywhere. The program was curated by two brothers, Owen and Michael O’Sulleabhain, and their mother, Noirin Ni Riain. They are all accomplished singers and poets and storytellers. They introduced us to fellow poets, musicians, archaeologists and historians of Ireland, bringing us to various historical and mystical locations. As one of the historians noted, so much is unknown about these sites, that the answer to every question is always “maybe, and that’s final!”
There were 24 pilgrims in our cohort, all there with the purpose of renewing their souls. These individuals were searchers, seekers, soul-warriors, who were not afraid to open their hearts to each other in prayer and song. It was an enriching experience to say the least. I learned that poetry can be a very powerful salve. I also learned that people from all over the world like the same things I do, such as the ex-nun from Australia who I found as my drinking companion!
I also learned that a good stretch of the legs can be a great way to talk to people you’ve never met before. Because after the first few miles, you get so tired you say anything about yourself! I also learned that after several miles, ice cream tastes better. And when you are in the lush green hills of Ireland, walking goes by quickly. I guess it’s true what they say about the journey and not the destination. Although at the end of the day, we were typically treated to a gourmet meal and endless glasses of wine. That also helped me enjoy the destination.
Amazingly, the mermaid and I discovered that the road we traveled along the Ring was the very same one that we had traveled almost 17 years ago with our three teenaged kids. Back then, we traveled with Kevin Murphy, our guide, in a van across the country. And here we were again, only this time sans teenagers!
A little bit about this retreat/tour titled a Journey of the Soul. The team does not do this as a “tourist” type tour. They work as poets and musicians and in some cases as professional coaches on leadership, and their mother is a Doctor of Divinity, and a world-renowned singer to boot. They curated the trip, and they did a wonderful job of painting a picture of Ireland that allowed for personal reflection.
The idea of taking time to re-invigorate one’s soul is important. So often, we focus on relaxing our minds and bodies, but our smart watches or Fitbit don’t tell us when our souls need replenishing. Now that would be a good app feature. In addition to telling you your sleep score, it could tell you that your soul is only at 46%, time to fill’er up again! I joke, but I came away feeling refreshed and slightly more knowledgeable about Ireland and our hosts, and about poetry, and about the mermaid, and myself and singing in harmony (definitely got to look more into that), and that sometimes the answers to questions can be “maybe,” and that’s final!
