When I was in Dublin I visited a small indie bookshop called The Winding Stair. I was just looking up their website to share and discovered there is a restaurant upstairs! Up the winding stairs. How did I miss that??? Probably because it was my first day in Ireland (thus no sleep!) and I was enthralled by all the books. We spent a pretty penny in that shop. You can now order books online from them. They have a unique selection.
I picked up this title because, well, those ancient paths call to me. That’s probably why one of our hikes in central Ohio had to be this place.
A note about these quotes. Spellchecker corrected the spelling to American English and I didn’t go back to change them since there were so many.
“Each quest is a journey based on instinct and follows the example of honorable ancestors who have gone before us. Pilgrimage fulfills a fundamental desire to transcend the woes of the world and focus on our essential spirit. Never before have so many needed it.”
~From the introduction of Ireland’s Pilgrim Paths by Darach MacDonald.
I enjoyed this book. It’s a travelogue with the added bits of history and spiritual insights. I’ve been to many of the places the author visited for this book, so it was cool to read about them in the way he experienced them. He’s Irish, raised Catholic, and walked paths in ways the average tourist never would or never even would know how to. His connection to nature on these paths is inspirational. I read it with a highlighter. Here are some my highlights:
p. 69: (Quoting someone he met on one of his pilgrimages) “‘It is important that we continue to observe these acts of devotion and go to our holy places,’ he says quietly, ‘These saints sought out isolated places to live their lives in prayer. They followed the example of Christ, who sought out similar places on mountains and in the wilderness to seek spiritual guidance. We all need that…especially now.'”
p. 88 (Speaking about St. Patrick encompassing pagan monuments) “…by simply inscribing them with the cross of Christianity ensured an easy and fervent transition to the new religion with no loss of face. For that reason, the Celtic cross, which is such an iconic symbol of Christianity in Ireland, incorporates the circle of the sun with the cross of Christ. Yet the patron missionary was not ambivalent on where the new belief should rest. While embracing the sun, he did so in the name of Christ alone.”
p. 93 “…all alone now on a deserted mountain top and I feel that I am truly in the shadow of Patrick, who wrestled with his demons and found peace here.”
p. 127 “…I tune in to the radio on my mobile phone. Immediately, I realize my error and put it away, deciding to listen more intently to the day unfolding around…I am left with my thoughts on the pilgrim path of north Offaly, and I marvel at the attractiveness of a landscape I have never before considered.”
p. 150 “More recent scholarship has sifted through the political chaff and winnowed out some kernels of truth, as well as plausible explanations of why accounts of Brigid’s life in these three sources incorporate clear elements that echo pagan beliefs and traditions in a Christian context. Rather than being deceptions designed to fool people into false belief, the merging of Christian interpretation with pagan tradition created a continuum in the expressions of the spiritual life of the people.”
And in the conclusion:
“I have seen the resilience of faith, the healing power of humor and fellowship and the strength of fundamental hope based on real and lasting values, which were honed through generations before hope died in so many hearts, minds, and souls.”
I learned something about a photo I took in Ireland. Before reading this, I had no idea what it was.
p. 12 “…waymaker signs put there by the Heritage Council of Ireland. The waymakers have a distinctive yellow logo–a medieval pilgrim with staff.”
There were a few places where the details tending to bog down a bit, but even so hearing about threatening dogs and livestock, bad weather, mismarked guideposts, and other misadventures kept the story real in my mind. I wish there had been a table of contents so the reader can locate the sites visited. Overall, this was entertaining and enlightening and I’m glad I picked it up in the little Irish shop.
Cindy,
Thank you for the book review. I wish I would have wandered in that bookshop too!
Patti Jo