As part of Religious Education class, fifth years today embarked on a pilgrimage and Celtic spiritual journey around West Kerry. The girls started with a moment of quiet in St John’s Church in Tralee, taking note of the impressive architecture and stained-glass windows. From there, the girls set out walking the beginning of the Kerry Camino, the Way of St Brendan, as far as Blennerville. Walking in the morning sunshine with the snow-capped mountains in the distance felt far from pilgrimage! Onwards the girls travelled towards Dingle, stopping at the Tom Crean memorial in Annauscal to learn more about the Antarctic Explorer. The journey continued around Slea Head, with our guide for the day sharing insights on the heritage and history of the Gaeltacht area and the Celtic traditions of old. We visited the Blasket Island Visitor Centre where students learned about the history of the Blasket Islands and the important role that religious devotion played. Finally, we stopped and took a moment to pray in Gallarus Oratory, considered as an early Christian Church and shelter for pilgrims.
Despite the wintery conditions, today was an excellent day for students to consider and appreciate the heritage and history of the West of Ireland, and get a sense of what being on pilgrimage is like.
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