Celtic Ways Tales

Hello Everyone I have not completed August News yet. I'll make it September New instead, next week. For now, this is the second weekend of National Heritage Week in Ireland. A reminder of our second event, tomorrow. Picnic at Hugh's Well and Sweat House From time to time, groups of us have enjoyed picnics here at this delightful picnic spot with a beautiful view over Lough Allen, Co. Leitrim. This is happening tomorrow at 3 pm, being the Sunday afternoon of  31st August 2015 Again, this is not a walking event but a relaxing event We meet up at the picnic spot, which has a small car park. If the car park fills there are other roadside parking options. We will explore the ancient sweat house by here in a beautiful bubbling stream location, and explore the iron reach holy well surrounded by old mature holly trees. Again, here we share our favourite poems, stories and share a picnic. The current long range forecast as I write this is a co...

Hello Everyone I was hoping to get a full August News out to you, but its is not completely written up for you yet. In this upcoming news is information on upcoming Claire Roche and Woodland Bard concerts in September, Bards In The Woods events for the rest of this month and through September, Concert Window live online concerts we will resume soon from September. Our USA tour through late March and early April next year and retreat tours we are hosting in Ireland in 2015. However, this weekend in the start of National Heritage Week in Ireland. It started today with a huge drumming launch at the Hill Of Tara. There are over 1600 events listed around the country, most of them FREE of charge, and we are hosts for 2 of them. This is the news I wish to get to you now. Both events are Sunday Bards In The Woods events, but different to our usual woodland events, Isle Of Innisfree No, we are not going onto the island, but at the point closest to it on the mainland. This is happen...

The celebrant at my son and new daughter in-law's wedding started off offering that we share the union of Avalon and Holly in the presence of God, Goddess, or whatever you choose to call the Presence Of Love. I have always been uncomfortable with both the God and Goddess words, and even 'Great Spirit', but this celebrant's words reminded me how I feel the 'Presence Of Love' is the core that forever builds, nourishes and constantly transforms our Tree Of Life.

It was quite a clear day, July 31st Both the pyramid shape of The Reek, Croagh Patrick, and the dome shape of Nephin could be seen, though not clearly in that pic. Also looking over past Ben Bulben, Slieve League and parts of SW Donegal were coming into view too, but perhaps not clear on this pic. I thought this would be a regular Cairn G and Cairn K visit, but turned out to be a lot more adventure during this visit. Cairn G, is very familiar to many people due to it's lightbox. Sad to see a recent epidemic of graffiti here. and it is now like this on many of the stones in this cairn. Treasa, who was with me, was not highly impressed with this cairn, compared to where she has visited before, and was looking forward to visiting more to find the gems here.. Several people visiting Cairn G actually find this to be a bit of a cozy place. Me? Well I'm interested in here due to its amazing age, and mystery of purpose, but really not much more. I ...

The walk to Céis caves is local to me, just a couple of km away. Despite my deepest passions being of the trees and water springs I enjoy adventures here because it is not made by humans and has an incredible root to many mythology stories told. I have a passion in talking of the Morrigan as a Mór na Cú, from here, because these stories take on inspiration, reminder and celebration related to our annual cycles, our seasons, our light to dark and back to light again, and perhaps helps to unclutter our meaning of life, living and being. Of course there are battle, warrior, death and hero stories from here. There are stories of 'don't mess with the hag or cailleach' stories. Most famous are perhaps the birth of Cormac mac Airt, return of Diarmuid and Grainne, the Fianna caught up in the web of the Three Hags, the deeds of Goll the Sidhe Blacksmith, and Coarran The Harper, a multitude of pig, boar, cattle, goat, wolf, fox, otter, hare, and raven stories, and ...