Category Archives: Sacred Sites

The seventh annual Bloom festival takes place in the Phoenix Park from Thursday 30th May to Monday 3rd June.  It’s a family friendly event, packed with all kinds of demonstrations and workshops, as well as the beautiful show gardens.

Bloom in the Park

Victoria’s Way the Indian Sculpture Park  just outside Roundwood Co. Wicklow is open daily until 20th September 2013.  Brilliant value for money, with an entrance fee of only €2 the Park contains many fascinating sculptures.  Victor, the owner spent many years in India and the park is clearly a labour of love on his part, and is a testimony to what one man can achieve, if they have the vision and determination to carry it through.

Indian Sculpture Park Photographs

Myself and a friend visited Ireland’s Eye yesterday.  The island has a fascinating history, with a church, called Cill Mac Nessan, being built here circa 700 AD by three sons of Nessan.  There they worked on a manuscript copy of the Four Gospels called the Garland of Howth, which is currently in Trinity College Dublin.

There are many different seabirds nesting here, peregrines, shags, gulls, gannets, puffins and cormorants among others.  The birds can get quite protective of their eggs and young in nesting season, so if you do visit the island in May or June, be careful to watch out for nests and not to go too close.

The Martello Tower was built in 1803 on the orders of the Duke of York and is one of three Martello Towers that were built in Howth to repel any possible Napoleonic invasions.

Ireland’s Eye Ferries is a family business that have been operating tours to the island since the 1940’s.  Ken is the third generation of the Doyle family to operate the boat tours, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.  The Ferries operate 7 days a week, from the slipway just to the left of the East Pier.  It’s great value, €15 for Landing on the Island, you can stay as long as you like until the last boat of the day is leaving, €10 for a Trip around the Island where you don’t disembark and €20 for the Murder Mystery Tour, which takes place at 6 pm and you follow in the footsteps of William Burke Kirwan, who was convicted of murdering his wife on Ireland’s Eye in 1852.

Ireland’s Eye Photographs

Trinity College Dublin have made the entire Book of Kells free to view online.  The medieval illuminated manuscript is famous worldwide and attracts a huge number of visitors every year.   Trinity College’s Online Book of Kells

I attended Coolmine Therapeutic Community’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations today at Coolmine Lodge.  The Guest of Honour was President Michael D. Higgins who spoke very eloquently about the work that Coolmine TC has done over the last 40 years, and continues to do today, helping people recovering from addiction to rebuild their lives.

The weather stayed beautiful for us and we had a great day, culminating in the graduation of the most recent clients to successfully complete Coolmine’s programme.   The atmosphere is always wonderful at the graduation events, and it’s an honour to be invited and be a small part of something that is such a milestone in people’s lives. Special guest speaker for the graduation was Mr. Rowdy Yates, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Stirling.

Unfortunately Coolmine TC has been hit very hard by funding cuts over the last number of years, and they recently launched a fundraising campaign, Friends of Coolmine to help keep services viable.  Any donations, no matter how small, are gratefully received.  You can read more about Coolmine and the services they provide on their website.

Treasa (sacredsites.ie) and Pauline McKeown, CEO of Coolmine TC

Treasa, Vincent and some friends went on the Gravedigger Ghost Tour on Saturday evening. We thoroughly enjoyed it, Shane our tour guide was extremely entertaining and knowledgeable about the history of medieval Dublin. The tour visits St. Audoen’s Church, Bully’s Acre and Kilmainham Gaol, then Glasnevin Cemetery and Kavanagh’s Pub, known locally as The Gravediggers, where you get a drink.  Price €25 a head, including a ticket for a Haunted Walking Tour of Dublin to be taken at a later date.   Please note entry into and tours of the above heritage sites are not included in this tour. We had great fun, highly recommended 🙂 Here’s some pictures of the tour.

Gravediggers Ghost Tour Pictures

My new meditation is now available from CDbaby.com as an mp3 download.

Getting great reviews of my new meditation.  Thanks everyone that’s taken the time to give me feedback, delighted with it. 🙂

“I love hearing your CD on a daily basis. It has become a part of my daily routine. A great way to unwind after a hard day at work and great way to get grounded and “re-charge” my batteries. Highly recommend the CD for anyone looking to get centered again.”

Rick Cordeiro     Actor, Toronto, Canada.

“I LOVED your cd!!!!  The hoarseness in your voice gave it an ancient sound which helped a deep connection with Uisneach!  Then as the meditation started your voice lightened and was very mythical and very very soothing.  I feel into a deepness about 40 mins in and came out the last 5 mins of harp music.  You have done a fantastic job and transported me to a time and space of olde Ireland.  Excellent!!!  Loved it!”

Caroline Campbell Anderson

“I actually had the pleasure of hearing this cd before its release,I cannot recommend it enough, I found the experience extremely relaxing and calming (not easy for me!)  Treasa’s voice throughout the meditation is clear, lyrical and conducive to an all round feeling of peace. I actually found the re-birthing ceremony very emotional and extremely cathartic, I felt both relaxed & refreshed after listening, this meditation is a truly enhancing experience,and I would highly recommend it. Well done Treasa and congratulations”

Amanda O’Rourke Hogan

‘it is amazing, brilliant, you have an enchanting voice, the cd is magical and a lovely Celtic vibe, thank you so much I really enjoyed it’

Rochelle McMahon Doyle

‘You managed to transport me to a place long forgotten or unknown by most, the exquisite harp was a perfect accompaniment to your soothing guided meditation, I don’t recall being so relaxed and grounded in a long time, powerful , peaceful bliss , can’t wait for the next one Treasa…. , can I preorder ??’

Mark Duffy

‘I have listened to this Guided Meditation recorded by Treasa Kerrigan a few times over the past number of weeks and each time it puts me in to that altered Theta state of consciousness. Its amazing the way in which Treasa can guide you through the natural geography of Uisneach creating an Otherworldly feeling.
Shes weaves a soft enchanting voice with a beautiful harp soundtrack. Casting a Sacred invocation of Divine protection using light and directional energies Treasa helps you create Sacred space where you feel safe and alive. You will visualize the world she takes you to and in this way Treasa uses techniques she has developed to build a separate reality.
I particularly enjoy her use of fire in this CD as it is very close to Spiritual Alchemy and a practice Shaman’s employ and achieve powerful results. Her knowledge of Uisneach and Myth making is Magickal, I found myself wondering where I had been after completing the journey through the CD. You can buy it on line from Sacred Sites or if you are in the tea rooms on the Hill of Tara its available in the shop.
So give yourself a break from the psycho babble in this world and travel with Treasa on this Guided Meditation but remember to bring an Intention with you, a past to leave behind and a future to create.’

Tom Swinburne
‘The Meditation CD, Uisneach is a welcome and unique blend of calming beautiful harp music and empowering visualisations that take you to ancient Ireland’s mythical past. The guided meditations relax and connect you to the richness of our spiritual past bringing it alive for us today. Thank you, x’

Peter Kavanagh

Treasa Kerrigan certainly has the voice for leading meditation. Her soft yet sultry tones instantly put the mind and body at ease as you are transported back in time and space to the Hill of Uisneach, the navel of Ireland to meet with the ancient Gods and experience a rebirthing ceremony in circle at the top of the Hill.

Firstly Treasa talks us through some of the history of the Hill and the main characters associated with it such as Eiru, Lugh, the Dagda and Brigid before leading into the ascension of Uisneach and the exquisite circle opening. For anyone new to Celtic Spirituality or Paganism or indeed those who have been practicing for some time, Treasa’s circle opening is particularly beautiful. As you continue through the meditation you gather Ash wood, the wood of the world tree to build a great fire at the top of the hill, in order to let go of anything that needs to be let go of. There is an honoring and recognition of the past and how it has brought us to this point for all that has happened to us in our lives shapes who we are at this moment. In the same way there is an honoring of both the present and future with an acknowledgement that neither past, present nor future can control us unless we allow them to.

We are then taken to the ‘Cat Stone’ often thought to be a portal into the Otherworld, where we journey into the womb of Eiru, held there safe and secure waiting to be reborn. When we here the sound of Faery music we are called out of the womb into a beautiful dawn of a new morning and a new life, filled with the light of the Sun. There is great thanksgiving to the Gods and the Sidhe as the circle is closed with the blessing ‘Mile Buiochas agus gra agus beannachtai’ , ‘many thanks and love and blessings’, before we are brought back into our bodies once more.

I found this meditation to be extremely enjoyable, relaxing and very useful and would highly recommend it and I look forward to immersing myself in Treasa’s other guided meditation which takes us to the Hill of Tara.

Gemma McGowan

With Uisneach, Sacred Sites of Ireland have created a unique guided meditation. It allows you to journey into the world of ancient Ireland, of Celtic Gods and Godesses, folks, and sacred lands. You are guided through a powerful fire ceremony and a beautiful, gentle re-birthing ceremony. Listening to the rich and soft voice accompanied by gentle harp tunes brings you into a state of deep relaxation and enables you to connect with the primal energies of nature and lore. The length of this meditation has the same effect on me like a power nap in the afternoon – I feel refreshed, reconnected, focused, well balanced and grounded. Having listened to many guided meditations, I can highly recommended Uisneach. Thank you, Sacred Sites of Ireland, for your wonderful work.

Ursula Hakman

I’m delighted to announce that I will be launching my new CD, a Guided Meditation from Uisneach at the Uisneach Inn on Saturday 4th May, as part of this year’s Festival of the Fires Gathering. I will be on the indoor stage at around 4pm. 🙂

You can read more about Uisneach here

Its that time of year again, the annual Dublin Bay Prawn Festival is on in Howth 26th – 28th April.  Always a fun, action-packed weekend, with great food and entertainment.  Howth is famous for it’s seafood, and with the local restaurants offering special menus for the festival and entertainment on in Howth’s many pubs, its an ideal time to visit this beautiful location.

Howth is easily accessed by DART and bus.  There is free car parking available but it tends to get snapped up early, so you’re better off using public transport.

Dublin Bay Prawn Festival Event Guide

Photographs of Howth