GreenDragon

I am thinking of perhaps, some day, in a couple years, of running small tours to Ireland with a Mystical/magical/mythical theme. I would concentrate on one or two larger tourist destinations (like Newgrange/Tara or Clonmacnoise) and then go to smaller, out-of-the-way, nontouristy spots, like local sacred wells, smaller stone circles, tombs, abbeys, etc.

Any one have any advice on the above? I would love suggestions as to what you would want to see, what to watch out for, what to plan for, etc. I've never done anything like this, so perhaps I'm a prime eejit for thinking of doing so, but hey, why not try?

I love Ireland and want to share it's magic with others.

njsusan

Hi Christy-I think a night in a pub with a Shanachie would be fun.
Susan

Good Luck!

jaja

If you're going to concentrate on magic, then please avoid the Christian sites.

tuscanlifeedit

I don't know much about magical or mystical but it sounds like fun. We love abbeys, ruins, stone circles, and all that sort of thing. Could you throw in a famous ghost or wizard or faerie?

I don't know anything about Irish mythology aside from that saint guy and snakes, but it would be a fun focus for a tour, I think. Does this mythology have dragons?

Ackislander

This is going to sound snarky without being meant to. I offer it to help you with your business planning.

The only thing worse than this to me would be a trip with Dan Brown enthusiasts to Rosslyn Chapel.

These sites have enough historical and archaeological significance that cluttering them up with a lot of myth 'n' mystery would be tedious at best and, in the case of Christian sites, offensive.

Americans (I include myself) are incredibly ignorant of Irish history and culture and I would pay for a tour focused on the real milestones of Ireland's contributions to Europe and the world, not mysticism, little people, or wild boyos fighting the English before settling down in the pub for a pint and a song.

GreenDragon

No worries, Ackislander, I understand. I consider the mythological history of Ireland to be part of it's true history - the various migrations of people, the legends that probably had some grain of truth to them in the mists of time. I love to teach, and consider the history of Ireland to be a rich tapestry I'd like to share. I'm not going to have a tour with leprechaun sightings or Ghost sightings at Leap Castle.

Jaja, it's not just magic, it's myth and legend, history and magic. And I don't mean magic in a Satanic sense - I mean the magic of belief, which is very much within the Christian realm. Every religion has its mysteries and miracles. I would try to give equal honor to different belief systems.

Susan, excellent suggestion! A true storyteller night or two would be a fantastic addition.

I would love to include, for instance, a trip to Croagh Patrick, and some background on him, his life and times, the things he did to spread Christianity through Ireland. I would like to teach as well as tour. Saint Brigit, who took on the mantle of the Goddess Brigit, would be another point. There's a lovely sacred well dedicated to her near Kildare I'd love to include. Perhaps a tour of Glencolmcille, where St. Columba got his start, and the stations that are set up on the cliffs nearby.

I appreciate all the suggestions, as well as the horrific reactions from some I do want to cut down on the cheesiness here. I went on a tour in 1996 to Britain with a similar theme. Some parts were great, some were very cheesy. I hope to learn from that, as well.

persimmondeb

Cheesy or not, many people would probably enjoy it. And while there are wholly Christian sites, and wholly pagan ones, a lot of them are kind of intertwined.

I wouldn't take such a tour (I like the east, and post-Tudor history, for the most part), but that doesn't mean that it's not a good idea, and like most things I am sure there are respectful ways to do it, and silly ones.

I'm personally very fond of Cashel, but it's not particularly off the beaten track. We visited a very fine round tower with a ruined church with an ogham stone in the church, but I am having a hard time remembering where it was. Somewhere on the south coast between Cork and Graiguenamanagh, which could cover a lot of territory.

historytraveler

I think it's a great thematic approach to tour-type trips. I suggest you try to include some experts such as historians to add authenticity and give validity to your tours. A storyteller is another excellent idea. By providing qualified experts you prevent the kind of Dan Brown fanatical fantasy that Ackislander referred to. Ireland, as you well know, has a rich history of legends and mythlogy and mysticism was an integral part of that history. Most visitors to Ireland's ancient sites are not particularly knowledgeable in this regard.

Here are a few organizations/people that might help.

American Society of Medieval Irish Studies
Four Courts Press www.four-courts-press.ie A plethora of good books on everything Irish

Niall Brady, Discovery Programme. Ireland
Terry Berry, Trinity College, Univ. of Dublin
Kieran O'Conner, National University of Ireland-Galway
Thomas Finan, St. Louis Univ.
Joseph Falaky Nagy, Univ. of California-Los Angles
Mary A. Valatine, Appalachian State Univ.

I don't have websites or emails at hand but, if you are interetsed, I'll try to locate them. The people I've listed are all university professors, and I'm certain they would be willing to guide you in locating specific material or , perhaps, even giving short talks.

Regarding jaja's remark about magic and Christian sites, in Irish history they were not necessarily exclusive.

GreenDragon

persimmondeb, I agree - they are mostly intertwined. I remember being at St. Brigid's Well, and having a lovely conversation with a Franciscan Monk who was there as well, about the pagan aspects of modern celtic Christianity.

historytraveler, that is a fantastic list of resources, thank you! I'll also be working with some other contacts I have in Ireland, including Boyne Valley Tours, Thin Places of Ireland, Montague Irish Heritage Services, Medievalists.net, etc.

I've always had a keen interest in history in general, and Ireland in particular. If I could, I think it would be very cool to do a progressive tour - start with ancient sites, and work our way towards more modern ones, but that may be difficult. We'll see.

I'll give a try to locating those folks when I'm ready for more meat on the plans - again, thank you!

persimmondeb

The round tower et al might have been at Tramore. It's a little fuzzy, to be honest. We stopped at a lot of ruins.

GreenDragon

So have we al, persimmondeb I remember seeing an Ogham stone in Cork, but it was around the end of the Ring of Beara, on a hill behind someone's farmhouse, not in a church ruin...

persimmondeb

I THINK the church had some carved friezes as well (Adam & Eve etcetera, very early) but I might be conflating it with another ruined church. I'm pretty sure it's a fairly well regarded example. It was also surrounded by an Anglican graveyard, clearly still in use. Neither of these narrow it down as much as one might like.

Irishwhistler90

It would be fun! You could have a variation between places with mythical history and places that are just magical! Newgrange and Tara would definitely be a must and it would also be neat to explain about the original provinces Ulaid, Connacht etc. It would also be amazing to visit an area where all the locals speak Irish instead of English ( would sound quite magical in my opinion ). Iron-age villages/remains would add to the magic, as well as journeying into the mist covered mountains. The giant's causeway is definitey mythical enough to make the list.... Hope it all goes well

TwistedTreesCdn

Love your idea, Green Dragon.

Here in my town, the local funeral home (I kid you not), host a *Gossip in the Graveyard* tour, with local voluntary historian actors, who do it for fun, and dress up as their characters, as they look down upon their graves and spill some history to the folks and reflect on their lives.

It's a sellout every time!

GreenDragon

I think creative ways of passing on the stories of our ancestors are wonderful Irishwhistler, I plan on making the Aran Islands a stop, and that is definitely in the Gealtacht region (they speak Irish as their main language).

historytraveler

Here are a few websites for the references I suggested in my earlier post.

Thomas Finan, Associate Professor at St. Louis Univ. www.slu.edu/x19396.xml

Terry Barry, Associate Professor Medieval History, Trinity College, Dublin www.tcd.ie/history/staff/tbarry.php

Niall Brady at the Discovery Programme, Irish Archaeology www.discoveryprogramme.ie

American Society of Irish Medieval Studies www.irishmedievalist.wordpress.com

For Irish Myths and Legends with good links to Irish music

www.mythicalireland.com

http.library.thinkquest.org/coo5417/

Melissa5

<b>GreenDragon:</b> I encourage you to do small-group mystical magical tours! I "know" you from the forums and I KNOW you'd be excellent at doing this!

I avoid large tour groups but have taken some small-group tours. Even better, best of all in my opinion, are small group private tours...where I have hired a private guide just for our family group. They usually charged by the hour.

My advice to you is not to use up every second of time with a prepared speech... This is what even the best guides tend to do...they talk your ear off, and although its wonderfully fascinating, they just need to shut up for a minute or two and suggest that its time to soak up the magic! (Excuse me for being so blunt but I know you will understand what I mean!)

I think a mystical magical tour should begin with a little prep info in advance...then move your small group to the special site and don't talk at first...tell them in advance the first thing they can do is just to soak it all in! Then when they have had a chance to enjoy the site and experience their own gut reactions...then you do your talk...then leave time for questions and time for private contemplation.

I would ABSOLUTELY sign up for your tour if it was a small group! I would love it even more if it could be a private tour...where I could just hire you by the hour, knowing what your specialty is.

Wishing you magical moments!

Melissa5

GreenDragon: I personally am fascinated by writers, fantasy, poetry, and inspiring literature. So as a writer and reader, I'd love a mystical magical tour that focused on that. It would be really special to go on a small group experience to someplace that tourists can't normally go...such as to have tea with an Irish fantasy writer for example as part of the tour!

historytraveler

GreenDragon, You seem to be getting a number of suggestions so I'll throw in my opinion too. I have done small group tours with a strong historical approach and included several noted historians to provide the information that I was not qualified to address. I am somewhat experieced in organizing and directing the kind of tours you're proposing.

I think you may have a problem if you limit your tours to too narrow a topic range. I am also a bit apprehensive about the combining of both mystical and magical as the main theme. In dealing with Irish history, I believe one would be better advised to approach the idea of magical in terms of a noun rather than an adjective. The differences are subtle but the terms do have a different nuance. Using the word magic rather than magical as a topic sounds less like a kids adventure and more appropriate for mature and at least somewhat educated adults. I do agree than Ireland is magical but one should, IMO, use some caution in its application. Mystical is another word that I'm afraid is not really understood in terms of Irish history, but I suspect you are fully aware of that.

I also think you have a good handle on the process. From my experience I can say I loved doing it, and wish you all the best.

Irishwhistler90

I see your point historytraveler, the words magical and mystical do scream "tacky tourist thing" or "that's for the grandkids". I think that I would give it a tag line somewhat akin to "Become immersed in myth, legend and song as you explore Ireland and its history-rich shores in the friendly small-group environment offered by Green Dragon Tours, a magical experience that will never be forgotten." etc. It would be wonderful to include beautiful handbooks telling briefly the tales of Ireland's vast mythological history and explaining the sites in relation to the legends etc. There is just so much you could do with this tour!! It's quite exciting!