Following Celtic Ways

Let's Celebrate Lughnasa

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:50:19 -0500

Let’s Celebrate Lughnasa

Of the four Celtic Celebrations of Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasa and Samhain, this is probably the most important, the most celebrated where I live.

Lughnasa, Lughnasadh or Lammas is the celebration of the first harvest of grains, fruits, and vegetables. but it will be largely overlooked
today in many countries due to our easy access to most fruits, vegetables and grains all year round.

When I was young, this part of the year was a celebrated time of abundance as we did not have the all year round luxury of imported foods. It is a time when our gardens and farms here in Ireland produce much more than we can eat so as well as a celebration of abundance its the start of the time to manage our harvest so that we survive the winter.

The name Lughnasa has derived from Lugh, or Lug,

Lugh was a man of Tuatha De Dannan legend who became one of the three most important High Kings of Ireland. Lugh is often referred to as an ancient god of light and also known as the "bright and shining one". Todays words of "luminous" and "Illumination" have descended from his name.

Lugh is said to have been a poet, harpist, metal-smith and keen sportsman, especially throwing sports.

Lugh is said to have learned the harp from Dagda and it is said that in ancient times a requirement of becoming a Tuatha De Dannan high king was to be a player of the harp, a harper who’s music could lead people to dance, chant, pray, celebrate, mourn and sleep.

Lugh's sports abilities is said to have aided his famous mythological confrontation with Balor "of the evil eye", leader of the Formorians. Though much smaller than Balor, Lugh accurately threw a spear that knocked Balor's eye out of the back of his head. Some legends say this was a slingshot and not a spear, an Irish David and Goliath story. This is not surprising because The Tribe of Dan were a Cuthite tribe that came from around the Black Sea so the story may well have travelled with them.

There is much that I could write about Lugh, but at this time I find I do find myself celebrating and enjoying the abundance of this time while also aligning thoughts of how to save some of this abundance to sustain good health through winter.

In ancient times this was a time of commencing a process of peace, decisions and treaties that need to be completed for the celebration of Samhain in three month’s time. Maybe this being a time of sports was one way of to transfer the tension of warrior rivalry into the spirit of games rather than bloodshed.

The time of Lughnasa as a cross quarter day between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox should be around August 5^th but many "neo-pagans" choose August 1st. In the Gaelic language Lughnasa, or Lunasa became known as the whole month of August.

The tradition that has survived to this time, in Ireland, is the sports tradition

This is abundantly more popular than harvest celebration tradition.

Legends tell us that Lugh's mother, foster mother, Tailtiu, once the Firbolg Queen to the last Firbolg High King, died around this time when Lugh became High King. The mythological story is that during her time of becoming mother, guide, and even trainer to Lugh, she single handedly cut down the forests of here in the lands that are Co. Sligo and Co. Mayo below Morrigan’s Mountain of Cheis Coarran so that the birth of Bhride could fertilise the land and make its harvests abundant. When Lugh became “chosen” as High King at this time, his step mother passed on due to exhaustion, but her work was complete.

To honour his foster mother Tailtiu Lugh commanded an annual sports contest at this time what is now Teltown, Co. Meath, east of Kells near the R163 to Slane. A henge and flat mound still exists which is said to be where some of the sports were competed from the time of Lugh right up until
the end of the 19th century.

Some of the contests were throwing the hammer and tossing the caber so today's Highland Games probably originated from these Tailtiu games. Also note that the Olympic Games commence at this time every four years at a date that has much more significance than just being a nice time of summer.

Head for the sacred hills

In ancient tradition, Lughnasa celebration was a time of baking and blessing the first bread from the first grains of the first harvest and taking this loaf to the peak of a local “sacred” mountain to be left there in the spirit of thanksgiving to the great spirit that fertilizes the egg of nature.

Since potatoes were introduced to Ireland a few hundred years ago for some the baking of the first loaf has become replaced by the blessing and cooking of the first potatoes. Anyone who has grown potatoes will know that they are grown by raising soil over the seed potatoes, which form
mounds.

Several hills were regarded by ancient people as being mounds that attracted the great spirit to scatter his seeds to fertilise the goddess spirit of nature. In fact, some man made mounds, such as Silbury Hill in England may well have been built to attract the fertility of the great spirit. We have two two mounds north and south of our local Carrowkeel Càirns complex that may also have been built for this purpose.

At Loughnasa these "mounds" were climbed, and still are in some places, where the first bread was blessed, first potatoes cooked on a fire, or a garland wreath placed there to commence the opening of the sports celebration with arrows and/or spears shot towards the sun to attract its attention

Later, at the end of the sports, a ceili of stories, songs and dancing would be shared.

Today, in our part of Ireland, Lughnasa celebrations are largely replaced by what is now called "Garland Sunday" on the last Sunday of July. The most famous celebration is the barefooted pilgrimage up Croagh Patrick mountain in Co. Mayo.

Where I live at Keash the Garland Sunday is famed as it combines most of the elements of Lughnasa. There used to be harvest blessing at St. Kevin's church, followed by a climb up Keash Mountain by the elders, but this stopped after one of the party fately fell down a mountain cliff

The blessing is still led by the priest, followed by sports event also led by the priest, followed by a ceili in the village hall.

From these ancient traditions we can use our imagination to create our own Lughnasa Celebration

First, look at what food we have most abundant, particularly food of grains and nuts that birds will eat. Through mythology the birds are also the carriers of life’s seeds from the sacred mountains to the goddess, like the worker bees to the queen bee, and even regarded as the visible manifestation of the goddess.

Take this food, a loaf of bread, a cake, a nut loaf or whatever suits, climb your local sacred mountain or mound, bless this food with your own thanksgiving and leave it on the hill or mound. Even if the sun is not visible the energy of the sun is still present to warm and fertilise your offering. The birds will later arrive to pass your offering to the nature spirit.

On return to your community consider the tension and rivalry that may have been caused to serve, toil and harvest that abundance. Even if you bought your abundance from a store you may have competed for a parking place to enable your shopping to happen. Consider sporting events or any interaction with people that releases tension and rivalry in the spirit of competition rather than warriorship. Its a time to release pent up emotions and feelings without harming people.

Finally, in the spirit of sport, celebrate through sharing food, stories, song and dance and commence the healing process of unity ready for the Samhain celebration to come.

Here’s wishing you the joy from abundance, relaxation from your toil to create the abundance, uplifting celebrations and the start of warmer unity with those you may have fallen into tension with.

Joy and good spirits through Lughnasa

Shockwave thoughts on fossil fuel

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:53:29 -0500

Phew! Just returned from the petrol/gas station after my first diesel fill up costing €90.

Last month was my first fill costing over €80 after a few years of fill ups costing around €70.

€20 jump, about 22.5% rise in fuel costs within two months is making me think about how to provide future tours with value without raising my prices.

The fast thinking solution is to serve future tours more walking and cycling along with much more relaxing still quiet time and far less minibus travel.

This will actually move Celtic Ways tours towards what I was intending anyway. The best way to experience Ireland is to focus on a small area and totally experience what surrounds us. Fortunately, I live in a part of Ireland that is the most abundant with local ancient sacred sites, alive traditions and endless mythological and legendary tales, along with beautiful views.

A challenge I have had so far is that visitors, especially from North America, are eager to capture as much of ireland as they can, with priority not being on experience of Ireland but of being able to tell friends back home about all of the places they visited. For example, I had one group this summer determined to visit the Blarney Stone, not because they wanted to but because they were worried what their friends might say if they went home and said they never visited there. To their credit, though, they also indulged in remote little known sacred areas and treasured this.

I do not know what I’ll manifest from these thoughts because I am receiving many group requests for “all Ireland” tours during 2009 but at CIE bus tour prices.

CIE is a national government administered transport organisation best known for its tour bus tours. This networks with other government administered or former government administered operations such as Aer Lingus airlines, Failte Ireland who has a huge influence on accommodation and its pricing, and government sponsored visitor’s centres like Bru Na Boinne (Newgrange and Knowth), Cliffs of Moher, Country Life Museum and Bunratty Castle. Also, I am sure their buses get general fuel cost relief, but I cannot confirm that.

This means the syndicate of this network can slash prices and provide low cost tours, which are actually very enjoyable. However, as a couple of our own travellers, former CIE travellers, have told me, the savings on CIE tours are quickly eaten up through them “dumping” you at sites that tempt you to empty your pockets and max your credit cards. This is how the Irish government get their investment money back.

However, it is not how I operate. We provide comprehensive tour packages that require little additional out of pocket expenses plus where we visit provides few temptations to spend more money.

A budget package I am now composing, to suit the new demand is ….

An arrival experience, for a couple of days, Celtic Ways style in Co. Sligo, to “experience” Ireland followed by transfer to a CIE or similar type of tour to get around Ireland and take those snaps to take home for family and friends gatherings.

…….. but for the eco demands

Of course, I will still serve “all Ireland” tours for those serious about the experiential tours we do that do cost more but I would also like to encourage folks to seriously think about taking a vacation in Ireland that is more eco friendly and does use much less fossil fuel.

I believe this is the type of vacation we can serve best, that also provides the best possible experience of Ireland, its spirit and its traditions too.

For your own individual, family and group touring inquiries please write to me from here.

Are Web Sites now obsolete?

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:58:07 -0500

Last year I filled a lot of my Celtic Ways tours bookings through inquiries through my Celtic Ways web site.

This year, I am finding that most inquiries to me start from my blog and social sites placements. Business for me this year is as good, maybe a little better, than last year, but visits to my web site are way, way down.

At first, I thought it was my design, my coding for SEO skills or general text wording that was failing but from talking to others and looking at other stats I see there is a fast shift on how we use the internet today.

Ex Google Employees in Ireland try something different

Yes, some former Google employees in Ireland have set up a competing search engine called Cuil, which interestingly translates from Gaelic into Hazel or Wisdom. Though Irish based this is a world search engine with a mission to be far less discriminating than Google.

Though Google may not admit it, these days they seem to be geared to provide search results that may favour the balance of their Adwords and Adsense paid advertising programs. This means well visited sites generally get top ranking in searches.

Cuil’s mission is to provide searchers with the best content that suits the keyword needs which can mean top listing for good content sites that may have only had a few visitors.

I tried out Cuil’s search with some favourite keywords. First thing I noticed was the extremely simple search screen home page. Then the speed of search is dynamic followed by an unexpected layout of results that is unlike other major search layouts. I like it!

Information from the unexpected

The other main feature I discovered was that barely any of my Cuil search results featured independent web site links. Almost every result was a link to a blog post either engined by the major blog hosters like Blogger and Wordpress or posts on social sites like MySpace, NowPublic and even the short posts on Twitter and Facebook.

Most important, Cuil always sent me to very recent and current links to exactly what I wanted to know and never to sites primarily interested in selling me something before telling me what they really know and supply.

Most of the links from my Cuil searches were to blogs and tweets with links to expanded information which may be more detailed blog posts or pdf files and sometimes to content rich independent web site pages. If I needed to buy something then the links would be there.

To me this was all in wonderful flowing order

Finding what I wanted to know was instant, time saving and then easy to make an inquiry or purchase if I needed to.

Cuil is currently very simple and may even seem dated in its format to some people, but I see that it will have stunning potential. Cuil has already converted my to using it as a preferred search. When they introduce convenient web browser and social site bars I can see this search site becoming a strong leader in preferred keyword search. I can see a very close alliance to Facebook coming soon, for one.

So where do our wonderful web sites fit in?

I may be biased here because I have used online services for almost 30 years, many years before the first graphic browser was coded and distributed, but there is still a large population in Ireland alone that has still never sent or received an email and may never have ever seen a web site on screen. Many businesses here do not have web sites or even a social site page of their own and many businesses still ask, “well why do we need one as we do ok without one because many of our customers are not online anyway”.

When folks do get online first the first time now I notice their first area of exploration is no longer around web sites, but around social sites. I find YouTube is incredibly popular with Irish first time internet users and so is Facebook. Several newbies seem to find MySpace too complicated. I’m not surprised as I do find the MySpace pages that open up with instant audio and visual overpowering and very irritating in the way they freeze computers, and I do have decent broadband plus a decent modern good “horsepower” computer.

So, I feel our trend now is that major social sites are the leaders in online activity, but this is a trend that will also change. I see this as being like the many independent record labels of the 50s who merged into being big record labels like EMI, Decca, Columbia, RCA etc. who could distribute millions of records around the world quickly and we loved being able to get the music easier through these big labels. Then from the 80s onwards when these major labels seemed to churn out “manufactured” music we returned to the independent labels to find the music we really wanted to hear.

Same today.

Millions of people that may have created independent web sites 2 to 4 years ago are now content to have pages on a major like Blogger and MySpace. In the future we will probably thirst for the independents online, but not today.

However, the personal web site is still important and should not be ignored.

I still think a personal web site is as important as a personal home address, but these days I feel we do not need to host as much as we used to on our web sites. Name, who we are, what we do, anything special we can offer visitors, snail addresses and phone numbers seem to be enough, plus links to where people can meet us on social sites.

It is important to keep email addresses off of web sites out of the eyes of spam crawlers but be replaced with scramble coded contact forms.

Video, audio and photo galleries are now best hosted on social sites, rather than on web site hosting space, as more people will contact them there.

So my idea today of the best sequence for web site presence is

1) Get up to date info, photos, video clips and even audio onto social sites like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Picasa etc. and get these linked to

2) your independent web site that clearly shows who you are, how to be contacted, how to be listed as an inquirer and how to buy something.

3) and then for deeper information provided by text, photos, audio and video linked back to the social sites that host these for you.

If you follow those three steps I am certain that those who search through Cuil will find you so easily.

Even now, post an updated YouTube video and you will be listed on Google search instantly, but if you posted that video clip on your independent hosting server it may be listed by Google within 4 to 12 weeks.

I feel that web sites today are no longer our shop windows but are our doors to our back rooms. When we go to a public bathroom we like to recognise which is for men and which is for women by information on the doors.

That’s where I believe our independent web sites are now. They are still incredibly essential but are now wasted if we attempt to dress them as our shop windows. The time has come where blogging and social sites can do this far better for us.

Share Tea at Father Ted's House

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:55:43 -0500

You are now invited to have tea and cake at Father Ted's House, Co. Clare.

Phone Cheryl (Mrs Doyle quit!) 087 921 4694, afternoons only.

Travel to Ireland via Knock Airport

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:18:54 -0500

I am always encouraging our visitors to start and end their visit to Ireland via our local Knock Airport. No scuffling and delays with security and administration. Always a relaxed arrival and departure.

Unfortunately, we still do not have the return of transatlantic flights but we do have a new schedule of excellent inexpensive late afternoon flights from London Gatwick by XL Airlines.

There are excellent budget priced direct flights from all over the world to London Gatwick, a much easier airport to get around than Heathrow, and now you will find most flights connect wonderfully with XL Airlines Gatwick to Knock route, 95 minutes flight.

After your restoring vacation here in North and West Ireland you could depart from Knock to

Gatwick, if you would like some time in London

Bristol, if you would like to go to places like Bath, Avebury and Stonehenge

Glasgow, if you would like some time in Scotland

Liverpool, a city of culture, Beatles etc.

Crete, Bulgaria, and Croatia if you would like a Med or Black Sea diversion

Dublin, yes even fly to Dublin from Knock, though I would recommend you choose the train for that instead.

…… and still get back to Gatwick for your return flight

I’ll assist you with accommodation, transport and car rental as required.

Some helpful links

Knock Airport web site

XL Airlines web site click UK option for Gatwick flights

Celtic Ways web site we’ll help you put it all together

Sea Shanties Dublin

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:45:28 -0500

Just found this out.

Unique line up for a concert of sea shanties at
Hal Willner's Rogue's Gallery, Dublin tomorrow, Friday 18th

Martin Carthy, Lou Reed, Tim Robbins, Shane McGowan and others.

I think its a spin off from the Bill Frissell recording from Seattle.

Darn, cannot get to it as I am booked on other things.

http://tinyurl.com/dubshanties

The Quest We Seek

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:09:04 -0500

Someone forwarded me a link to a Robin Williamson interview in Bath, England, a couple of days ago. He and his wife Bina are performing for a festival there.

This reminded me why he is also an inspiration for what I and even what Claire and I do together

Quotes ......

"It relates so well to our music which is all about getting away from the mass marketed X Factor of the 21st century and re-engaging with a deeply spiritual lifestyle. Getting to the real essence of being human. It's a celebration of being alive - spiritual but without being sectarian.

"We try to work together using the genuine connection of our own marriage to relate to the things we have in common, a poly-cultural thing. It reminds people what they share rather than their differences,"

I wondered whether these songs and stories were from their own imagination, or all based in myth and legend?

"It's a mixture of several things - the mystery and fascination of being here at all. The things people tell us combined with our own experiences but always based on tradition in some way."

"Everything we do now is still based on finding that 'once upon a time' moment in yourself. It's an adventure. The quest for human happiness that is more relevant now than it has ever been."That last quote I have now used to headline my Celtic Ways home page as, to me, it sums up what our tours, performances and workshops are really about.

Bringing Celtic Ways to you

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:35:15 -0500

How can we be more eco friendly with Celtic Ways?

A dilemma I have with our Celtic Ways services is the amount of air travel we encourage as most people who share our tours are from North America and Australia.

I was wondering if it would be more eco friendly to create more shows and bring some Ireland and Celtic Wisdom to the USA and Australia which would mean 2 of us using aeroplanes rather than 100s that come to Ireland to share what we do.

Unfortunately, should that become a pattern that spread and caused thousands to stop using aeroplanes there would be an incredible domino effect of mass unemployment not only from reduced airline services but also on the construction side that is forever expanding runways and airport facilities.

I often wonder if we could bring back passenger boats as they may be more eco friendly than aircraft and create substantial employment opportunities again in shipbuilding, building new seaports etc. It would be much easier to build solar panelled boats than aeroplanes, for one.

However, I do feel that what people discover and recharged from in Ireland, though tradition, celebration and ancestry here can be experienced in their homelands, but may seem to be a little harder.

Healing with the natives

What we discovered when we toured the USA was the incredible amount of beauty in the landscape along with graciousness, kindness and open hearts of many USA people.

We also discovered a lot of ancient tradition and relics of ancient antiquity going back 1000s of years, just like in Ireland but somehow all of this in revered like it is in ireland. Reverence of ancestry and tradition seems to be still there in the hearts of the ancient tribes but maybe there is still some guilt of the “white man” who’s unwise decisions burned the bridges to the wisdom of the natives.

Exchange was too easily replaced with domination that developed into annihilation, but that is all past. Its the present that counts.

At one with tribes

It does seem that sense of purpose has been lost with many tribal people and with many “white man” people yet many have also resurrected to a new sense of purpose.

Its like the plot of the folk drama plays, the straw boys places, the mummers plays where a battle between cultures or old and new takes place and the so called “enemy” is slained but there is not a hero. In comes the medicine man, wise man, shaman, even goddess, and heals the slain person but as the slain person rises he or she becomes one with the one that once slained.

On our visit to the USA I did feel and experience of vibrations where the spirits of tribes and the spirits of white men were opening to being a recognition of being of the same spirit.

The potential of this came across to me as being as valuable as a visit to Ireland. The so called Shamanism of Ireland to me is no different to the tribal shamanisms of North America. The spirit of the present in both is attached to the same ancestry.

To me, its the recognition and embracing of this spirit that will return us to being more eco friendly with our planet.

I think there is one hard truth that we forget to live by

No matter what we do on this earth, including destroying our race, the earth will still live on. After all we have only been “guests” on this planet for the equivalent of a few seconds if we scaled the life of the earth with the lifespan of humans on the earth.

The earth can beautifully respond to our stewardship and it is in our hands to re-create another “garden of eden”, but if we do not, it is no loss to the earth other than her ability to share her love.

Translating that wisdom into a “how to become a perfect eco living citizen” is quite a puzzle with us all wondering who may carry the answer. Sometimes I think its as if we need a new Moses to climb a mountain and come back with a 10 commandments of eco living, but that’s a somewhat daft expectation. However, meditating on the symbolism of that I do find helps me to focus a bit more on what I can do so I offer that to others.

New habits evolve

With what we do with Celtic Ways we’ll look at some steps we can offer that consumes less but enhances our spirit more.

Despite talking about taking Celtic Ways to you in your homeland, we would still love you to come to Ireland still.

Luckily, we are surrounded with all of the elements that make Ireland special within a few miles radius of our base, so I would like to encourage “travel less –experience more”. I am always delighted when folks ask me to cut back the tour itinerary as we travel because to me this is not laziness but a call for more experience.

There is a bit of a peer pressure where folks try to visit as much as they can in Ireland to get the photos and show them back home as a kind of bragging of where they have been. Ask that person what they experienced at each place and the description may tend to be awfully cliched rather than a pouring of honest spirited passion.

Somehow I will change our motto of …

“We go where the tour buses do not go” – which will still be true spiritually, to

“Travel less and experience more”

Eco Links in Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:24:42 -0500

Just signed up for the Blog It utility on Facebook that is said to distribute a blog to some of my blogging accounts with one click. Here goes.

Want to build an eco home with under €20,000 check out this course in November by Cultivate Ireland

Amazing people in East Clare teaching ancient skills for today's eco needs. We'll add them to our tour itineraries

Aug 8th, 9th, 10th, eco, sustainability, healing woods, great music, family fun, Co. Wexford

Learn to build a wind turbine with Hugh Piggott. This year course is near Gort, Co. Clare. €700 for 6 day course,

Nomad shelters. We might do this for future events, yurts, tipis, bell tents its all here.

Yeats & Boyle Festivals 2008

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:07:18 -0500

Almost time for Yeats Festival Sligo 2008

26^th July until 8^th August this year

Wonderful lineup including

Dordan, a wonderful all ladies group who have performed a soothing and entrancing fusion of irish and classical music for over 15 years

Seamus Heaney, perhaps Ireland’s most famous living poet

No Crows, one of our favourite local bands with their stunning fusion of Irish and traditions from around Europe.

There’s a lot, lot more to provide a wonderful week for being in Sligo,

You can discover more here

Claire Roche is not performing a concert in this festival this year, but is providing a performance for the performers and students at their reception gathering on 25^th July.

Also you can check out the new No Crows CD here

And the Boyle Festival is on too!

25^th July until 2^nd August

Phil Coulter and John Carty will be there along with an array of performing arts, including a puppet theatre.

No Crows also here at King House on Sunday 27^th of July

You can discover more here

Claire Roche is performing a live recording at King House on 5^th of August, performing on their beautiful Steinway piano. Claire has never done a public performance of songs on piano so this is a unique night.

To attend this live recording, no charge, please contact me here

If you would like to attend these festivals, especially Boyle which is local to us, please let me Know. I can also arrange accommodation and local guided tours.

Travel time between Yeats and Boyle Festivals is about 30 to 40 minutes

Going On A Social Site Crawl

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:40:35 -0500

For years, even before graphical browsers so I’m going back into the 80s, it was forums and newsgroups and then we had MySpace and quickly followed on by Facebook and Bebo, Yahoo grouped services to become Yahoo 360, Google linked all of its services into a singular log on, YouTube for videos, Flickr and Picasa turned photo albums into social sites and dormant sites like Plaxo re-wrote its code to compete with the best including networking us with our other social sites. Regular web sites like Trip Advisor and Info Hub transformed into active Social sites, and many newspaper and television web sites have taken on the social sites formula.

Suddenly we were out of the pubs and at home chatting and exchanging with people and even making very important business deals with each other.

Now the most successful pubs are those that are part of the virtual social site circuit, as there is still nothing like meeting our “virtual” friends in person. Even successful festivals are emerging from our online social activity.

…… but it can seem like a muddle and overwhelming to the unfamiliar as the online social is a kind of culture.

It seems to be our mature and elder people who find this world overwhelming yet it is they who would gain the most from this new culture. As a fringe senior myself I am amazed how these social sites have contacted me with my past that I thought I had lost such as re-union with lost friends and family, re-connection with memories, passions, honing old skills I thought I had lost and even obtaining some items I would love to have back in my life.

I just looked in my folder and discovered that I am signed into 43 social sites, but home many of these can we be dedicated regulars to, just like we used to be regulars with certain pubs and clubs, and many of us still are.

Anyway, this week I went on a social site crawl and exchanged words, pics and videos at some along the way.

Three social sites got my attention this week.

Plaxo

I have not visited this service for about 3 or 4 years but when a friend invited me to link up with him there I thought I had better visit. When I last visited Plaxo it was merely an address book utility that can be accessed anywhere in the world by PC or mobile phone. I was amazed to find that it is now a corridor to most of the social sites that I am signed up with. Within this corridor there seems to be a passing by and alert system to friends and contacts from these various networks. After visiting and tweaking some info I was amazed who was alerted and contacted me. I think this is going to be a very useful service in the future.

The Pulse service is remarkable for automatically billboarding and broadcasting material we post elsewhere and there are plans to expand this to remarkably integrate video and even live TV and VideoCast feeds.

There is a calendar utility, but I have not ventured into this as I try to keep my Yahoo Upcoming up to date and still struggle with making the most of Eventful which I still find is an awkward program yet potentially full of genius.

Zimbio

A new one for me. I signed up but have not done much with this yet, but does seem very useful.

Recommended to me by writers who found this network circulated their work well, and I can see why. This is a blog circulating network but works best for blogs that are truly features with content.

For one, I know that everything I write in this blog gets an automatic linkage and circulation there and writers also submit their articles directly, including introductory pages to their books.

I look forward to exploring and using Zimbio in the future and sharing with more friends there.

Twitter

I’ve written a separate blog post about this wonderful service.

You can read it here.

Twittering Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:26:53 -0500

I am enjoying using Twitter.

For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter its a quick blogging service where each blog article has a limit of 140 characters, including spaces.

Its a novel idea for us to be able to check out what our pals and network are doing and using it with the discipline of saying what we want to say in a short byte.

In recent years short byte communication has become the shangri-la of communication for many. I have concerned opinions about this trend as I already see damage, but I will leave that discussion for another blog another day.

Twitter seems to be a service more designed for interactive and volume text messaging. It is certainly a wonderful tool for mobiles/cell phones and has gained wonderful publicity from its use that has saved lives.

As a PC/Laptop utility it has some wonderful cross-social-network utilities too. My own Tweets, which is what Twitter short blogs are called, instantly appear on this blog page, and instantly on on other social sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo and Zimbio.

For my own use, I find Twitter has the potential to be one step more than clicking my browser's “favourites” and recording notes. With Twitter I can do both plus broadcast my observations, finds and quick thoughts.

My own valued use of Twitter, though, maybe a bit selfish. I find it is the perfect tool for instantly archiving my discoveries and thoughts throughout the day. I can then go back to my Tweets later as a foundation for creating blogs, writing articles, adding to web pages, discussions through social sites, ideas for tour itineraries and sharing through my newsletters.

While I archive my Tweets are also broadcasting to those of similar interests due to the intant viral propogation my Tweets have into major social networks. I think this is wonderful networking without intrusion.

You can read my most recent Tweets on the right navigation column here and go to my Twitter Tweets at

http://twitter.com/celticways/

Unfortunately, Twitter does have a little Twitch, but its not a major problem.

Each Twitter page features up to 20 Tweets.

I found that when I had published more than 20 Tweets the “Older” button did not activate until I had posted another 21 Tweets and filled another Twitter page. Likewise, the “Older” button will not activate on my second page of Tweets until I have published another 21 Tweets, i.e. 61 Tweets total. Interestingly, this does mean that once your very first Tweet has left the first page nobody will ever read it again.

For your most enthusiastic fans, and for you to refer back to your oldest Tweets there is a back door.

http://summize.com/ type your user name as your keyword, mine being celticways, and then click search.

You’ll be able to access all of your Twitter Tweets as the “Older” button appears and works well.

This backdoor does have a downside that is the reverse of the Twitter gliche. You’ll find that the Summize search will also includes Tweets you have deleted. If you click a title and it says it is not available it just means that Tweet has been deleted so try other Tweets until you find Tweets that work.

I look forward to Twitter tuning up their service to resolve this matter so that the Summize back door is no longer needed.

Despite this temporary gliche I highly recommend you join Twitter yourself and do let me know so that I may click the option to follow your Tweets too. Of course, if you are already using Twitter let me know so I may follow you too.

Frescos of Clare Island Abbey

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:38:34 -0500

One of the most delightful “finds” during our tour visit to Clare Island last Sunday was a remarkable set of ancient 13th or 14th century frescos within the Cistercian Abbey. The abbey is locked up and there are no signs of how to get the key. Asking around I was led to a cottage and the keeper of the key who calls himself Bernie Winters.

This is one of the most remarkable ancient collections I have yet seen in Ireland and it is well worth visiting Clare Island just for these.

Clare Island Music & Dance

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:29:24 -0500

I thought you may like this, some spontaneous music and sean nos dancing during a beautiful sunny Sunday morning by the quay on Clare Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland

Falconry At Ashford Castle

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:32:21 -0500

There are mixed opinions about this but I think this is quite an incredible trusting relationship between men and birds. We had a wonderful afternoon with these birds yesterday.

Turning The Tide through Summer Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:17:38 -0500

Summer Solstice is a big day in Ireland, or should I say June 21st as most of the celebrations tend to fix to that date no matter what the real solstice date is. This year June 21st lands on a Saturday, a time of several major and intense sports matches so dates of celebration during this time have scattered.

The real Summer Solstice, or Midsummer, or Litha (a Saxon name now adopted by modern neo-pagans) date was June 20th this year. It was a beautiful evening and I was kicking myself as I have a backlog of admin to do for upcoming tours, and missed it. Augha Killy Maude mummers of Upper Lough Erne, Fermanagh held their celebrations last night too along with their colourful folk drama guests from Bulgaria.

I was kicking myself even harder the night before on June 19^th, because at the point of sunset the full moon rose. What a sight that may have been at Carrowkeel !!! It was a clear night too. I think that only happens once ever 19 years by Midsummer, and that happening on a clear night must be once in ……… ???????

I thought of compensating myself by catching the full moon setting as that is supposed to light up a cairn on Carrowkeel too, again a phenomena that happens once every 19 years, if the sky is clear. Unfortunately the sky was not clear. It clouded over by moon set.

Summer Solstice does stir a lot of interest, awe and excitement with many but somehow it brings to me a little solemnness. This is a habit I must learn to overcome.

For me the best time of the year is from Beltaine, about May 5^th, until Midsummer of about June 21^st. For me that is truly the fertility time of Summer. In Ireland this seems to be very true. During most years this is when we have our best weather, for one. It is when nature truly accelerates, when flowers become abundant, trees fully bloom and the landscape is whitewashed with the blossoms of hawthorn, elder, apple and rowan trees. I find myself becoming more and more excited by the lengthening of days.

What I also find wonderful is that this is the time that is booked out first by tour groups so I am out and about through most of this season.

Then June 21^st comes, and I do not know why, but for the last 5 or so years it has turned into a cold, windy and wet day. It is today. Add to this the realization that the days are now going to get shorter again, hence my touch of solemnness.

However, this is a time to celebrate, though, even though its not really a celebration day. Midsummer is, by ancient tradition, an observance day. It is a day for keeping a record of being the time of longest daylight. Its a time when farmers of old, and even today, can assess what the yield of the upcoming harvest is going to be, and how well this will take us through the winter.

Today, I find myself doing something similar, though I am currently not working any land. Therefore I am taking stock of how the seeds of ideas planted in spring took “root” from the fertile celebration of Beltaine up to this point. By doing this any solemnness in my spirit soon turns to some joy. It was a darn good time passed !!!

From the emails I am receiving now I am hearing of people who travelled with us during this time are now making great strides with their work, passions and interests. Some are arranging and planning wonderful get-togethers around the time of the next true celebration time, Lunasa, around August 5^th, our first harvest time.

A couple of days ago, my partner, Claire Roche, approached King House in Boyle to use their piano for a recording for her upcoming CD. The conversation became quite lively there and she left not only with the opportunity of a live recording on their wonderful Steinway piano set in a beautiful Georgian room but with an actual concert and live recording on August 5^th, Lunasa time.

It has been a dream of Claire’s for some years to do a concert at King House, Boyle but this goes further than this. This will be the first time that Claire has performed a concert that features her on piano. This is a must attend concert! I’ll speak more of this on a later blog, but it is worth getting a sample of what she will be doing.

Got to Claire’s MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/claireroche

…. and click on the track “Hold On”, which is also downloadable.

This is a demo recording, plus highly compressed for MySpace streaming but it provides an idea of the concert to come, Claire as most of you have not heard her, bluesey, spectacular and awesome unbelievable vocals. There will be songs and harp too. How could there not be.

Also, our Cottage and Two Worlds Theatre coming along fast now, Thatched roof complete, flagstone floors all down, wooden ceilings all up, lime and hemp walls of the kitchen diner all built, wiring all done, plumbing almost there, rockwool outer wall of the theater coming along nicely, lime and hemp interior plastering well under way and the most beautiful stone step entry into the theater, almost like a small Aztec pyramid hugged by a circular wall. That is a mason’s masterpiece. Next year that will be covered in creeping rock plants.

It looks like the move in time will also be around Lunasa, so there will be so, so much for us to celebrate in our own lives and we look forward to sharing this with others.

When we lived by the shore in Scotland we used to become excited by the upcoming spring tides, those low tides that revealed more rockpools and more abundance of food captured in those pools such as oysters, prawns, and sometimes good whiting, crabs and monkfish. It sort of reminds me of now

The tide has turned as the length of nights become longer. I know I have to turn from focusing on the great times since Beltaine to now to embracing how those times have set the abundance of what is to be harvest by August, by Lunasa. With a lot of folks that travelled with us this is the cataloguing and sharing of pictures and videos they created on their journeys here and then using the inspiration from these to create friendships, share ideas and do some incredible things that they may not have had the confidence to do before.

For some, its now a time to catch the wave, get on the board and ride in while we can.

Looking forward to seeing some of you again at first harvest time, Lunasa, early August.

How to sell your music, films and crafts on MySpace

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:53:01 -0500

I wrote this after endless days of visiting MySpace pages of exceptional talent but with pages that made me rush to the X button to close them as fast as I could. Allow me to explain, as you may be surprised at what turns me off MySpace pages.

For social exchange I prefer Facebook to MySpace any time, but I see these two different worlds. Maybe its because I was in music, theatre and film making before the internet was open to the public but I do feel it is important to use internet services as tools to enhance real world physical activity and not become a world unto itself.

From this vision I see and use MySpace as an extension of showcasing work like we do at exhibitions or side stands at conferences and festivals while Facebook is an expression of the bar or the cafe across the road from the showcase.

To what level should we showcase on MySpace?

Now I am not attempting to write this blog as a marketing “guru” but in response to my frustration in visiting pages of many people on MySpace. Most MySpace pages just do not seem to be maximising the potential of MySpace, even and often especially those showing 1000s of “friends”.

What many are doing with their MySpace pages is instead of maximising their potential for attracting clients, fans, customers and contacts they are maximising how many utilities they can use on their MySpace Page. These utilities can cause 1000s of friends to become listed, but are these truly friends, fans or even contacts who actually know who you are?

I do not spend much time on MySpace myself, just a quick visit most days and out. I think that’s really enough for anyone who is truly working their music, theatre, filming and craft well.

Every time I open my MySpace administration page there’s a long list of many “friends” requests but I do not automatically “approve” them but visit their MySpace pages first. This is what I find frustrating. The people are not frustrating but their MySpace pages are. I once thought this was because I was on slow dial up connection but now I have fast broadband I find nothing is really different.

Today, for example, I had a friend invite from a yoga teacher, who seemed like a nice person, probably is, so before clicking “approve” I clicked MySpace page. There i was blasted with a loud embedded YouTube video clip, a scrolling background animation, and text in a zillion different formats …. so I rushed my mouse to the X to close the page. Phew! some yoga teacher!

This is not a finger pointed at yoga and self improvement people or to musicians, film makers and everyone else on MySpace but a question on why do people create MySpace pages like this?

Lately spammers have found their way through my scrambled web site forms with ridiculous “hey, you can’t keep me out, and by the way do you want some viagra” type of crap. Being blasted by video, audio, flashing text, animations etc. before I can even read the title of a MySpace page has the same effect on me as those spammers doing a “pie in the face” through my web site forms.

Before MySpace there were Dynamic Web Sites

Web Designers and Web Marketers are definitely two different people with two different intents. The web designer’s job is an art, a goal to make the most original, most dramatic, most beautiful awesome web sites. The web marketer does not care what the web site looks like as long as it sells services and products. In short, beautiful web sites do not sell the most products, but it does need a “good” web site to sell products and services. “In your face promotions” no longer work.

Marketing is now like training a horse. You cannot often go up and pet a horse and demand acceptance or you might get a bite or kick, but if you go in the same field as the horse and just site down the horse is likely to approach you and be very gentle and friendly with you. This has to be the horse’s idea ……. but if you are holding horse nuts in your palm it goes a long way to encourage that idea.

Designers used to try and turn web sites into TV channels and now this trend seems to be passed onto MySpace. You switch on a TV and it immediately blasts out visual and audio. We expect that because we do not turn on the TV anymore to find something out. We switch on TV as we have decided its time for some entertainment. Nowadays we have already been sold the entertainment through our subscription to dish or cable services.

We have not sold anyone anything to look at our web site or MySpace page so why waste time making it like a TV channel?

Maybe I’m not mainstream with this, but see what you think …

My work, as you may know, is providing entertainment and learning streams for exploring ancient Celtic traditions and celebrations through visiting ancient sacred sites and sharing music, folk drama, poetry, storytelling and ancient crafts. I also encourage and provide services for people to journal these things through writing, photography and video to let these ancient traditions inspire their own creative arts and crafts.

To do this I have set up a set of online tools to accompany my offline activities and clearly define what each of my online tools should do. This is done in the spirit of realizing that a hammer is not much good for sawing wood. DIY people might mumble “idiot” to that idea but its just the same as trying use a web site or home page as a TV channel or even a MySpace page as a web site home page.

I am very happy with my online response as its much easier and much cheaper than what I used to have to do before the internet was made public in the late 1980s and did not really have good tools until 1995.

The link to all that I do offline is my web site, not MySpace

I still believe there’s still nothing out there to replace having your own independent web site hosted by a company that is in the business of hosting web sites and your own personal and individual domain name. Mine is CelticWays.com as you may know.

I like to keep my web site coded simple so search engine spiders can access and understand it easily and folks looking for info can decide in seconds if they have come to the the right place for what they want at that moment.

If folks decide I have info and services they could use then I provide links to in-depth articles, photo galleries, maybe some audio and some video clips. Visitors can then decide what to look at and how long to stay. At each depth there is a call to action, a question to make a decision and a utility to make a further inquiry or place an order.

Fortunately, there are now some nice, often free, services out there we can embed into our web sites to replace and better serve us than previous paid hosting services of similar services

For articles, its worth using a blogging service like Blogger

For photos we can now link and embed Flickr or Picasa

For audio I recently discovered and like Liberated Syndication

For Video clips there’s YouTube, that I still like better than the MySpace video service

Not only are Blogger, Flickr, Picaso, YouTube etc. free and inexpensive but they also help with search engine ranking and positioning. More important, they also act as additional funnels to attract more people to your web site through their own search and friend subscription facilities.

In short, I use my web site as an essential hub to to several services like MySpace, YouTube etc that serve as lead attraction funnels, yet these same services now also act a deeper information providers for the people who come to my web site.

The important thing is that my personal web site is central to all online activity, but my web site is not my business

From my web site people eventually come and see us in Ireland, share what we do, buy some services, buy some products, and everyone had added something to their lives. This is all enjoyed offline, but it took an online journey for them to find, discover and book to join in what we offer offline.

Is your MySpace Page “MeTV” or a genuine personal invitation?

My suggested message here is that I feel it must be very hard to sell your music, films and crafts on MySpace if you try to make it your web site, or even worse, your main media station and player.

I visit and treat MySpace like I treat Exhibitions and side stalls at Conferences and Festivals. I want to see things that I can see and understand in seconds and then take away business cards and literature, and maybe ask one or two questions while I am there. I rarely buy anything at these places. I’m in and I am out. I bet most visitors to MySpace, even if they have pages there, are like this. If a MySpace page is complicated, I’m out of there before reading anything.

I leave messages around MySpace like “this is interesting please email me” or “please visit my web site where I have a contact form”. I only do this when MySpace pages have clear indication of how to get to personal web sites. I click these web page links for a quick visit and leave my contact details on their web site subscription boxes. I might save the web site link in MyFavourites, but that is not so good for the web master.

Your email address gathering box, usually for a newsletter, is still the most valuable thing online you could ever have!

Likewise when I arrive home from exhibitions etc. I start visiting the stand holders web sites, write emails and then might order one or two things based on the quick contact I made at the exhibition.

I cannot seriously consider MySpace as a social site any more.

Facebook is much better for that, and I rarely do real business from Facebook. I use Facebook for fun, mainly with family, established friends and established clients and people I network with. It a great place to share jokes, talk family, share good experiences and even a shoulder to share some challenges, just like a pub or cafe. Yahoo 360 including Yahoo Groups is good for that too, I find.

Meanwhile on MySpace I can say, this is who I am, where I live, what I do, list keywords to attract people that I think may be interested in what I do, and attract people I can help too.

Don’t forget the attitude of “help” as MySpace is a great place to network two ways. We are all both sellers and buyers, not just living to collect money from sales. For money to work it always has to be buying. Even if we stash money in a savings account your bank immediately uses your money to buy and sell things while you are not using it.

However, I do not think MySpace serves us best as a place to do business.

I do find MySpace is much more profitable as a tool to funnel people to our personal web sites, to attract people to our web sites, where business can then take place. If find it is through my web site I feel I am well positioned to build a true network of friends, clients, customers and contacts in a very solid, ethical, personal and even environmental way. This is what has happened for us. We are delighted.

So I invite you to look at your MySpace page again and consider if it is a “MeTV” kind of place or whether it is a “glad you popped by, would you like to look closer at what I do” kind of place that guides people to your web site and invites people into your creative “home”.

On the other foot, if you have a web site but do not have a MySpace page yet, then you are missing out on attracting a chunk of wonderful people to your web site, which I now believe is far more powerful for attracting people than through Google. Note how Google is slowly changing from being a keyword linking and listing site into a video introduction and linking site.

Careful with that intro video, though, if you go that way. It should still not be “MeTV” but some brief simple opening invitation.

When was the last time you opened a TV guide and watched the whole movie before turning on your TV?

I suggest treating your MySpace page as an entry page, like an entry in a TV guide. MySpace is great for showing us what’s out there but do leave the pleasures of your “MeTV” productions to the unique experience of your web site. Even there, also ensure that your web site is also a gateway to your performance and products as your web site can never and should never have the power to replace who you are and what you do either.

Yes, some web sites are now successful broadcasting channels with heavily subscribed audio and video broadcasts but these are an end product.

You’ll sell a lot of music, films and crafts, whatever you do, if your MySpace is simple and funnels people to your web site that has levels starting from simple to more depth. Even all of your web site should serve as a gateway for people to eventually experience you and your products in a way no online service can do.

That’s how you will make real friends, real fans through MySpace.

I feel I have lost a lot of potential good friends on MySpace because they attempt to undress themselves before I can even read their MySpace title. The barrage of audio and visuals make me run for the X button.

Do more of you feel the same as this?

Loughcrew is For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:18:13 -0500

Loughcrew is up for sale, a cool 5.8 million euros.

The Naper family have lived at Loughcrew in Oldcastle, Co Meath since the 16th century which has included taking over stewardship of the large network of the remains of over 50 passage cairns and stone circles the predate both Newgrange and Stonehenge. The preserved cairns, known as Cairn L and Cairn T are perhaps the most famous.

Cairn T is open to the public and is now very popular due to its preservation of one of the best collections of megalithic art in Europe. Inside this cairn are 16 large stones with carved arrangements of sun positions, moon positions, star charts and stories told. During a sunny equinox sunrise a beam of light lights a sun symbol on a stone and then travels through an arc of sun symbols as the sun rises, a spectacular site.

Cairn L was closed to the public about 20 years ago, but is the most spectacular, to me, because of its function. There is not the collection of art as in Cairn T but a free standing quartz standing stone lights up like a torch on a sunny Samhain and Imbolc sunrise. This light is diverted into a mysterious chamber with a large bath-like stone with holes. In Ireland’s National Museum are what limestone balls that once fitted into these holes.

From Cairn L is the source of the Yellow River that runs by Athboy and Hill of Tlachtga into the Boyne. In ancient times at Samhain there was a new fires lighting ceremony that was passed down these rivers to Tlachtga and onto Tara.

Charlie Naper is descended from the same family that have lived there for 400 years. Together, he and his wife Emily have developed quite an enterprise in several small farm, cottage and tourism industries. Now they just want to retire, although its hard to imagine the Napers doing this, but I am sure they have a wonderful new project in mind.

Currently, most famous for them, is their annual Opera Festival. This is quite quirky, outdoors, lots of tents, and a passionate atmosphere. They also have a 200 acre estate farm worked by themselves and a tenant farmer. Through the summer they host their own wonderful farmer’s markets. Also, their estate property hosts bed and breakfast and a range of country craft and self help courses ranging from gold guilding and metal crafts through to yoga and creative writing. The creative writing courses have also evolved into a successful publishing business too.

For some of our tours their wonderful cafe and gift shop is a wonderful sojourn location for after our visit to the Loughcrew Cairns.

It appears the Napers will be very selective about who will buy their property and lands as they also aim to include their profitable enterprises into the package. They wish to sell to someone who will continue and develop these enterprises, especially the Opera Festival, Cafe and Publishing.

The Naper family came to Ireland during the Cromwellian times of the 16th century so there is a strong Anglo Irish culture and tradition within the Loughcrew estate. The days of master-servant have long gone and like all of these estates they have largely dwindled back into the ownership and stewardship of Irish farmers and home owners. Naper’s estate in the 1800s was over 180,000 acres and now dwindled to 200 acres.

Loughcrew is one of the most historic, as well as most beautiful, corners of Meath that drifts over into Westmeath. Loughcrew is named after a local lake but mysteriously the name as been applied to its network of cairns towering from the highest point of its very green hills. I prefer to know this area by its more ancient name of Slieve na Cailleach Bearra, hills of the goddess Bearra. The is a beautiful story hill that links with the Cork and Kerry regions of Gougane Barra, Bearra Peninsula and Bear Island. It was from here, around 200 BC, that High King Ollam Fodhla give this entire land its first name, after his, “Fodhla” though it was not accepted by the Ulster king who preferred Banba and Munster king who preferred Erin. King Fodhla also commenced the first Feis at Tara as a gathering of the regions and clans supported by the bardic harpers of the regions.

Emily Naper says they've "put heart and soul into Loughcrew for a lifetime now and it's time to let someone else take over and continue. It's such a spiritual and healing place, and important to so many, many people, that I know it will go on.

Considering Ireland’s prices, 5.8 million is quite a bargain for what is being offered. the main house, its beautiful 17th century restored gardens that are open to the public with revenue from admission charges, the 200 green acres or greens and farm that include the site of the Opera Festival, an 1840s groom's lodge, a stable lodge, two courtyard apartments that are used with their b&b packages, a number of large outbuildings such as coach-houses and stables and haybarn that are used for indoor farmer’s markets, craft fairs, theatre performances and concerts . Included too are studio, offices, tennis courts with 16th century portico standing guard, and their very lucrative visitor’s centre and cafe.

The current house was built from the 1820s, which is quite typical of Irish country houses to replace an earlier medieval castle. However, with Loughcrew house the medieval building was burned down. Unfortunately, the 18^th century house was largely destroyed by fire in 1964 but was restored when the Napers moved in to continue their family tradition.

As tour operators to the best of ancient sites in Ireland we have a natural concern about who will continue the stewardship there. Already there are challenges because of the rising popularity of Newgrange. Only a maximum of about 400 people a day are allowed to visit the Newgrange cairn yet often between 2000 to 5000 people will turn up in a day at the Bru na Boinne visitor’s centre hoping to get some of the 400 tickets available, most of which are booked out more than 12 months in advance.

This means there is an overspill to Loughcrew, where the cairns are now managed by the OPW office at Bru na Boinne. The Napers do not have ownership of the cairns, even though they are on their estate but are employed as keepers. They have to abide by OPW rules. As the popularity of Loughcrew visiting has grown, so have the rules. Several groups desire time for themselves there for their rituals of meditation, but for much of the year this is neither possible or fair to the many people who wish to visit. There are now restrictions of how long visitors can be present in Cairn T. On quiet winter days this can be two hours but on a warm sunny summer’s day down to around 10 minutes, like at Newgrange. The next overspill is to our own local Carrowkeel Cairns in Co. Sligo and I anticipate some kind of OPW controls arriving there soon due to their rising popularity.

There are now not enough preserved passage cairns to serve their rising popularity as places of silence, meditation and inner restoration.

I have experienced frequent heated clashes with the Napers over access to the Loughcrew Cairns, but their hands are tied with the responsibility of maintaining the OPW rulings. Despite these clashes the Napers have also provided us with wonderful service where they can. I admire and applaud their developments and initiatives in the spirit of country enterprise tradition that brings benefits to their locality.

Like the Napers, I hope their successors will continue good stewardship within local countryside enterprise traditions rather than the modern corporate imagery traditions like the OPW centres at Bru n Boinne and Cliffs of Moher, but this may be too much to expect.

At only 5.6 million euros Loughcrew could be developed into a large profit enterprise with developments within its accommodation services, catering services, publishing and tourism services. As this develops more people will be attracted to visit, and this will ultimately enforce severe controls on access to the Loughcrew Cairn L just like Cairn T is severely controlled today. Unfortunately, this will be essential for the preservation of the remarkable ancient art.

Even with this development I believe it is still possible to maintain a sense of ambiance, healing and creativity rather than the coldness of cooperate imagery. I sincerely pray that Loughcrew’s new owners will develop the Loughcrew Enterprise where profit is balanced with spirit based stewardship.

To Find Out More

Check out Loughcrew’s own beautiful web site

If you are thinking of buying Loughcrew Estate and Enterprises

And, of course, supporting our own smaller but somewhat smaller enterprise to serve our local Carrowkeel Cairns and Keash Caves along with our Ceili Kitchen, Two Worlds Theatre and Labyrinth Garden

May I finish by announcing that this summer's Loughcrew Garden Opera will go ahead, this being “Donizetti's Don Pasqcinguale” performed on Friday and Saturday, June 27th and 28th. www.loughcrew.com

Thoughts Of Beltaine

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:06:21 -0500

Of all of the fire festivals this seems to pass me by without writing about it.

Maybe this is because the signs of transition between Spring to Summer are here and suddenly there’s a lot to do. That is certainly the situation with me this year.

The true time of Beltaine

Most people identify Beltaine with being on May 1^st, aligning it to the Roman calendar but in pre-Christian times this was the midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. This year this will be Monday May 5^th, or to be precise 12:55 pm GMT when the Sun passes 15 degrees Taurus. To align with ancient times the sunrise and sunset of this day would be of celebration.

Most people reading this will probably have a lot more to add, but this year i will keep this article to the basics of Beltaine.

This is a fertility fire festival time, not only a time of mating but a time of creativity too. Around ireland there were sacred places, well they are still there, where couple would meet. At some of these ancient sites there are signs of two circles, almost like a figure of eight, with a central mound, sometimes with remains of an ancient standing stone raising from it.

I am sure the ritual of sea birds were imitated at this time

Both male and female birds walk around in opposite circles in a kind of dance where a sense of bonding is sought. When the spirit connects them the birds become mating partners and if they breed successfully stay mated for life.

In ancient times, boys and girls did the same, circling their individual circles until the spirit connected them to meet where the circle joins. On the mound, the standing stone would have a hole. If both boy and girl put their fingers through the hole together they were bonded to mate. If their mating bore a child the following February, Imbolc, time of Brigid, Bhride, Bride, they would be bonded for life. If no birth came, they were free to mate and find new partners the following Beltaine.

Following the bonding was the ritual of passing between the two fires. Then this ritual was applied to increasing the fertility of more than man such as the passing through of cattle. After all it is the middle of the Taurus season too.

Today all kinds of beautiful rituals have evolved, the maypole, the Morris dancers, the May Queen and the one I like best are the various flower dance rituals. This is time when flowers are abundant in Ireland. Primroses are about to bow goodbye for the year, while bluebells and hawthorn May flowers are starting to appear, along with the rowan blossom, rowan and hawthorn flowers of protection.

Beltaine is worthy for now

A modern thought of this time I feel is worthy is taking the essence of fertility and creativity into other areas, especially for older people who have bred and raised their children. This is a wonderful time to sow the seeds for the creativity of the arts and crafts, a wonderful path for the expression of passion.

This is my favourite time of the year, from now until Litha, Midsummer, which is June 22^nd this year if you want to keep right within the universal sidereal time calendar. A time of warm sun, fresh flowers, colourful birds, clear views, longer days and lovely air. Its truly a “feel good” time.

And my own celebration

Tough choices. I am off to Donegal to pick up some flag stones for our cottage restoration. Weather forecast is awful but should it be ok, I’ll detour to the huge Beltany stone circle near Raphoe in Co. Donegal.

On Sunday, Lough Rynn Castle near Mohill in Co. Leitrim features a concert by Janet Harbison and the Belfast Harp Orchestra.

Monday, with a wonderful forecast, its on tour along the new Turlough O’Carolan Way, and I will share experiences of this journey on a later blog.

Meanwhile, here’s wishing you love and blessings of inspiration that will fire your creativity through this new wonderful summer

John of Celtic Ways

The Thatcher Arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:52:04 -0500

Lots of action during the past two days.

Broadband arrived in our remote part of Ireland, which has automatically changed how we connect with people, of course.

….. and the thatcher arrived for the Roofing of our new Celtic Ways Centre with its “Ceili Hearth” kitchen, “Two Worlds” little theatre and soon its Labyrinth Garden.

Also I am setting in BlogJet that I like to post blogs with so this is a test for now, and I will be editing and expanding this blog post soon to share with you what is happening at our centre.

So here goes ….

X Files : I Want To Believe

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:19:37 -0500

I was delighted to read today that Twentieth Century has confirmed that the title for its second X Files movie “I Want to Believe."

The movie is to be released at the end of July and does team up David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson again as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Chris Carter is still the director and he co-wrote the script with Frank Spotnitz.

In a media interview Chris Carter revealed that the movie will not focus on the familiar alien mythology thread but will feature a stand-alone story based on a struggle between faith and science.

X Files fans may recall that a poster, in Mulder’s office, with the slogan "I Want to Believe" was a permanent fixture of throughout the series.

This is a movie I will be eagerly looking forward to because the juggling of faith and science often becomes a focus on our tours and retreats.

As you may know, we delve into ancient culture of this land now called Ireland and its so called science is in the hands of documents written by monastic scribes recalling times of thousands of years before their scribing along with the suspect carbon dating and other techniques of the forensic archaeologists. I do not say “suspect” as a smear as they do work with the best physical, mechanical and mathematical tools they currently have.

Even so, when I share a story of mythology there is sometimes a call from a traveller “where’s the proof?”. I feel the proof is in our interpretation and how we allow this to guide us.

There was a controversial comment on Ireland’s RTE 1, on the Late Late Show, I did not catch the name of the gentleman who made it, but he remarked on how the first scriptures of the life of Jesus, that we refer to today, was written more than 100 years after his death. He challenged the audience to be able to write a document on events two weeks after they happened and see how accurate they really are.

For Christians, the proof of Jesus, of Christ, is how they interpret the scriptures and allow them to guide them, which I feel is far more important than being able to measure his precise movements and record his exact quotations.

Thinking of this, I am very curious about the plot and content of this upcoming X Files movie, which we must also remember is drama and entertainment.

However, I think we often learn a lot more and achieve more from the effects of good drama than we can ever learn from academic text books.

Iron Age Round House At Brigit's Garden

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:55:33 -0500

The Building Of An Iron Age Dwelling

From April 1^st to 11^th an EU-sponsored group of craftspeople from across Europe will be learning traditional Irish skills at Brigit’s Garden, Co. Galway, by building an Iron Age dwelling. This will be like a Crannóg but on land.

Visitors are welcome to come and watch as they make walls of hazel wattle and a roof of ash poles. The roof will be thatched later through June. This new building will be a wonderful asset to the garden, and will compliment the existing Roundhouse, Hazel function and workshop room and the meditative and experiential wind chamber passage cairn.

Visit Brigit’s Garden With Celtic Ways, during this building

On our special “Harps Around Ireland” tour from April 7^th until April 14^th we will spend most of the day at Brigit’s Garden on Thursday April 10th

Our Itinerary is

April 7^th, Brigid’s Kildare

April 8^th, Glendalough & Singing Harps Concert

April 9^th, travel to Co. Galway

April 10^th Brigit’s Garden

April 11^th Carrowkeel Cairns, Keash Coarran and coast, Co. Sligo

April 12^th Lazier’s Well, O’Carolan’s resting place, Shannon Pot

April 13^th Tara Hill & Dublin

April 14^th home or continuing more of Ireland

8 hotel nights with breakfast
includes 3 nights in the luxury of our local Cromleach Lodge hotel with one of the best hotel views in Ireland, wonderful staff, cozy elegant rooms and superb nutrition food.
8 evening meals
8 days transport and guide
workshop at Brigit’s Garden
workshop in Kildare
concert in Dublin

total cost €1400
or daily rate of €190 per day
if you travel part of the tour
click here for conversion to your currency

Costs may seem higher than some Irish tours and vacations but, from experience, our travellers appreciate the extra value, extra overnight comforts, better pacing and a true experience of the spirit, traditions and hidden beauty of Ireland well away from the tourist boardwalk.

Costs are subject to currency fluctuations
but you can pay with your currency rate at time of payment.

for more information please contact us.

Visit Brigit’s Garden With Celtic Ways, during this building’s thatching.

Seats are still available during the Bard’s Tour Of Ireland in June

Join The Presence Gathering Of Worldwide Traditions, Tomorrow, Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 16:25:14 -0500

Could you please join us for just 10 minutes tomorrow, Sunday March 30th?

Claire Roche and I have concluded our USA performance tour by being present at the Spiritual Director’s International Conference in Washington DC. This has been a wonderful event that we will share in later blogs.

We invite you to gather your friends, family and faith communities around the world to pause for a short time and join us as a worldwide community.

In recognition of the many faith traditions that have been, and still are, represented through Spiritual Directors International we are calling our friends around the world to join us during our closing ritual celebration of the Spiritual Director’s Conference at Washington DC. We will observe ten minutes of prayerful silence to enter into the Presence of the loving kindness and compassion that transforms as faith crosses all traditions.

The exact time of this is between 12:30 to 12:40 pm Eastern Daylight Time tomorrow, Sunday March 30th

We invite you to find out when this time syndicates in your time zone so you may join us using this world clock time service

This gathering of people around the world for this ritual recalls President George Washington’s words assuring religious freedom and respect to a Hebrew Congregation in 1790, “everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid,”

For the first few moments of this ritual, we will invite you to be alone or with others, to find a quiet space and to meditate upon any of these sayings from various faith traditions:

“Become empty of yourself and realize inner silence.” Lao Tzu Tao

“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10 – Judeo/Christian

“Thus, only true Silence is eternal speech, the Heart to Heart talk.” Swami Satyeswarananda Giri – Hindu

“Be silent that the Lord who gave you language may speak.” Jahal – Al – Din Rumi – Islam

“Silence is a privileged entry into the realm of God and into eternal life. For silence is a language that is infinitely deeper, more far reaching, more understanding, more compassionate, and more eternal than any other language.” Meister Eckhart – Christian

“He (the American Indian) believes profoundly in silence – the sign of perfect equilibrium. Silence is the absolute poise or balance of body, mind, and spirit.” Ohiyesa – Native American

“When you pray…you yourself must be silent; let the prayer speak.” Archimandrite Kallistos Ware – Greek Orthodox

“It is as we join with others in a way that only human beings can, in a shared engagement in a common vision, that we find ourselves in the presence of another presence that is the final source of our hopes and intentions, and that undergirds and sustains them.” Rabbi Judith Plaskow – Jewish

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” Thick Nhat Hanh – Buddhist

The final moments are to be mindfully present to the silence of the world community present, and let the prayer pray itself within you.

Again, For the exact time in your time zone please check the world clock at this link

Review from our current USA show tour

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:47:22 -0500

About our show in Urbana IL a couple of days ago

"The harp concert featured Claire Roche (harpist, harper, and singer) and John of Celtic Ways (storyteller). Claire played both folk harp (the large kind that sits on the floor, and is played by a harper) and orchestral harp (the gigantic carved and gilded kind that also sits on the floor, and is played by a harpist). In fact, the grand finale involved playing both at once! Her music was warm and mellow, with a magical ambiance that fills the available space. (Or what space was left between the people: we packed that little store wall-to-wall.) She sang in English and Gaelic. I love the delicate gliding vowels of Irish-flavored English and of Gaelic. Ordinary pronunciation guides don't really do them justice; you have to hear the real thing. So at the first break I scurried forth and bought two of her three CDs, and then later Doug bought the third one. Favorite songs from the performance included "The Rose of Tralee," "The Clergy's Lamentation," "Down by the Salley Gardens," a hymn to Bhride, and "Brian Boru's March." I was also impressed with the elegance of "The Robin's Jaunt," one of the original tunes. Claire even got a roomful of people to sing along with "Molly Malone" and a couple of others; I love the community resonance of group singing. John's performance of Irish myths put me in mind of times long past; his voice really carries the history. If you enjoy Celtic music, follow the links. Also, these folks lead tours of Ireland's mystical places. I haven't had the pleasure of that, but I suspect they do a rare fine job of that too."

Review from “The Wordsmith’s Forge”

We are now in Monterey CA

performing Santa Cruz tomorrow afternoon

Latest dates of tour

Contact us with questions and info, directions etc.