There is a magic about Ireland which is recognized by people worldwide, maybe because its name means Land of the Goddess Eriu. Be open to magic and it will happen! - our megalithic ancestors knew this and they are inviting you to do the same… The varied landscape of lush green meadows, mountain ranges and spectacular coastline certainly lead one to believe that this land is blessed and stories of fairy folk and leprechauns also reflect the belief that the land has guardians. Our travels will take us back in time and into the realms of myth, legend and deep wisdom as we make a circular journey through the provinces of the Republic of Ireland visiting megalithic sites revered as sacred by Pagans and Christians for thousands of years. We will have time to explore, relax, meditate and conduct ceremony on our mystical journey this August. For further information email here

Magic of Celtic Ireland August 18-28, 2013 (11 days/10 nights) £2155 based on double occupancy Single occupancy supplement: £275 Tour deposit: £450

Payment Details By clicking a button on the left, you will pay through PayPal, using a credit card or PayPal account. If you wish to pay by other means, please e-mail us at info@megalithomania.co.uk. Payment through PayPal is safe and guaranteed with all the normal payment guarantees. On payment, you will be returned to the 'Journeys with Soul' website, and you'll receive immediate e-mail notification of receipt of payment. You will soon after receive an e-mail from us providing full further details about your booking and the tour you have booked for.

Tour Hosts

Hugh Newman has been a megalithomaniac for many years, travelling the world trying to work out what the ancients were up to. He organises the Megalithomania conferences in the UK, US and South Africa and has been to Ireland several times investigating the megalithic sites. His book "Earth Grids: The Secret Patterns of Gaia's Sacred Sites" covers the connections between sites in Ireland and the rest of the world. He has appeared on Ancient Aliens in 3 seasons. www.hughnewman.co.uk

Glenn and Cameron Broughton are dowsers, geomancers, tour guides and have travelled worldwide to hundreds of sacred sites. They have spoken at Megalithomania twice, they run 'Journeys with Soul', organise the 'Earth Spirit Conferences' in Vermont and have a deep understanding of the subtle earth energies at sites around the planet. They run regular tours to Ireland and have been involved with the Emerald Isle for over a decade.

Guest Speakers

Anthony Murphy has featured on Ancient Aliens and is the author of two books: Newgrange: Monument to Immortality
and Island of the Setting Sun: In Search or Ireland's Ancient Astronomers.
Meghan Rice is a Doula practitioner and expert on Sheela-Na-Gigs of Ireland and Britain. Her new DVD is
Sheela-Na-Gigs of Ancient Britain. Both have spoken at Megalithomania. Anthony in 2007 and Meghan in 2012.
Mike Croghan is from the last Croghan family still living on Rathcroghan. He is an archaeologist with an in depth
knowledge of the mythology and spirituality of ancient Ireland.

Tour Highlights Include:

Newgrange: A place that was used for ceremony before Stonehenge was built! It contains intricately carved megalithic spirals, a deep chamber that captures the light of the midinter sunrise, is surrounded by an ancient stone circle and is a geodetic power-spot on a global network of megalithic sites.
Knowth: Some of the finest Neolithic stone carvings in Europe, with an equinox alignment.
Hill of Tara: The traditional center of this province, located by a holy well, megalithic chambers and the seat of the high kings of ancient Ireland.
Fourknocks: An underground chamber where we have private access to connect through ceremony with the ancient energies of this land.
Rath Cruachain: The coronation site of the kings of Connaught. Here we hear from our local guide of Maebh, both queen and goddess, and her epic adventures in this land.
Carrowmore: Ireland’s largest megalithic complex including the spectacular site of Carrowkeel, set high in the Bricklieve Mountains.
Skellig Michael: Includes monastic beehive huts perched seven hundred feet up the hillside exactly where two powerful earth energy currents cross - the Apollo and Athena lines. This is Ireland’s equivalent of Machu Picchu.
The Rock of Cashel: An axis-mundi where kingship was empowered by the land.
Glendalough Round Tower: An atmospheric former monastic community complete with a round tower set in a valley of outstanding natural beauty containing two lakes.

Itinerary: August 18-28, 2013

Day 1: Sunday 18th August

Collection from Dublin airport and drive to hotel base in Kells – (1 hr drive) for 4 nights. Introductions followed by dinner at the hotel

Day 2: Monday 19th August

Visit to Tara the ancient capital of Leinster and the ancient seat of the high kings of Ireland when Tara replaced Uisneach as the seat of power. There is a complex of sites at Tara including Grainne’s (Sun Goddess) Mound, the Mound of Hostages, the Stone of Destiny and Teach Cormaic. Lunch in the café at Tara followed by a visit to the holy well there. Afternoon visit to Fourknocks cairn, an incredible megalithic chamber. We are able to get the key to enter this underground chamber which has wonderful acoustics and is a perfect place for toning and soundwork. Free choice dinner not included

Day 3: Tuesday 20th August

This morning our climb up to the hilltop cairns of Loughcrew is rewarded with panoramic views of seventeen counties. The old name for Loughcrew was Slieve na Caillighe, Gaelic for Mountain of the Witch. We can gain access into Cairn T which has elaborately carved and decorated stones in its inner recesses and the Hag’s Chair set into the northern side of the kerb. Return to Kells for lunch and personal time to see the High Crosses of Kells (ancient carved stone crosses), visit Kells Abbey or the Heritage Centre, view the copy of the fabulous illuminated manuscript The Book of Kells or to have some free time. Dinner at Hotel.

Day 4: Wednesday 21st August

Today we visit the Bru na Boinne visitor center to learn about Newgrange and Knowth cairns, Ireland’s most famous Neolithic sites. We will be guided inside Newgrange known as a passage tomb but also a place of initiation and spiritual rites of passage. It is aligned such that the midwinter solstice sunrise casts a shadow that extends deep inside the passage to the central chambers. Lunch at the visitors centre.

Incredible spiral carvings at Newgrange. Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org

Four provinces of Ireland

Afternoon visit to Knowth (below), a series of unusual mounds/chambers that has the finest Neolithic stone carvings in Europe that decorate most of the kerbstones around the base of the cairn. Free choice dinner not included.

Day 5: Thursday 22nd August

Today we move hotel to Carrick-on-Shannon (2 hrs drive) for 2 nights.
Today we will meet our local guide Mike Croghan for the next two days; hearing the legends and history of Ireland from Irish lips will bring it to life in a very real way. In ancient lore the kingdom of Connacht (or Connaught) was ruled from a ritual center at Cruachain. This large complex of ancient sites allows us to experience the variety of structures from the Neolithic age including the low hill or mound of Rath Cruachain, the coronation site of the kings of Connaught and a male or solar energy site. Our final visit of the day, Oweynagat or the Cave of the Cats is seen as the entrance into the Underworld and a place of the goddess. Dinner at the hotel

Day 6: Friday 23rd August

Today we travel into County Sligo for the day to visit Carrowkeel and Carrowmore. Carrowkeel is set high in the Bricklieve Mountains and offers sensational views of the surrounding landscape.There are fourteen Neolithic cairns, two of which have three side recesses forming a cruciform chamber. Cairn G has a light-box above the entrance, similar to the one at Newgrange, and this admits the light of the setting sun around midsummer and the setting moon around midwinter.

Stone circle at Carrowkeel. Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org

Carrowmore (above) is the largest megalithic complex in Ireland covering more than 1 ½ square miles. There are remains of thirty passage cairns, together forming an oval shape, many of which have a dolmen at their centre. The sacred mountain of Knocknarea, with Maebh’s Cairn on top, is visible to the northwest. We will have the whole day to explore these landscapes that have been revered as sacred for over 5,000 years. Free choice dinner not included

Day 7: Saturday 24th August

Today we have a long drive as we head to County Kerry in the southwest in the province of Munster to our hotel in Killarney (5hrs) for 2 nights. We will stop for lunch en route. Free time to explore Killarney, famed for its unequalled beauty and its busy streets of shops, pubs and restaurants. This is an ideal place to experience ‘the craic’ of listening to traditional Irish music played by locals in one of the town’s many pubs.. Dinner at the hotel

Day 8: Sunday 25th August

Killarney is at the entrance to a peninsula of outstanding natural beauty with Dingle Bay to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and Bantry Bay to the south. At the eastern end near Killarney is Lough Leane and Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, a mountain range containing the highest peak in Ireland. The Ring of Kerry is a circular road around the peninsula allowing us to experience the breathtaking views. Halfway around the 100 mile circuit we will stop to take a local boat over to Skellig Michael eight miles off shore. This small island was an isolated monastic community possibly as early as the 5th century. The cluster of stone beehive huts on this rocky island peak are reached by six hundred slate steps rising from sea level, anarduous climb made worthwhile by the stunning views and the feeling of sheer power of the place. The Apollo & Athena earth energy currents cross at the top. From the boat we also see the atmospheric rocky isle of Little Skellig.
After this long day, dinner is at the hotel!

Skellig Michael. photo credit: Martin Gray - www.sacredsites.com

The Michael/Apollo Ley Line. by Hamish Miller & P.Broadhurst

Day 9: Monday 26th August

Move to Woodenbridge Hotel, Ireland’s oldest inn (5 hrs drive) for 2 nights. This journey takes us across the south of Ireland, a chance to see more of the emerald isle. En-route we visit the Rock of Cashel, the political power centre of the southern half of Ireland and the place where kingship was empowered by the land. Free choice dinner not included

Day 10: Tuesday 22th August

On our last full day we visit the former monastic site of Glendalough which means ‘Glen of the two lakes'. This is a valley of great natural beauty and serenity surrounded by the Wicklow Mountains. There are various buildings from over a thousand year period including a spectacular round tower; an interpretation centre explains this rich history. On our way back we will visit Ireland's oldest working woolen mill at Avoca. We will see the traditional looms in action before browsing their shop and tearooms. Farewell dinner

Day 11: Wednesday 28th August

To Dublin airport (1 ½ hrs) for flights home or private time in Dublin