Every person needs to take one day away. A day when one consciously separates the past from the future… Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us… A day away acts as a spring tonic. It can dispel rancour, transform indecision, and renew the spirit.
(Maya Angelou)
It is not always easy to slow down in a world that moves at pace. The key to life is balance. Exertion without rest drains us to the core and dims our coordinates. We heave our way from one target to the next on the treadmill of life and rarely connect to source. We all need to press pause now and again and take a breather from the world. The great outdoors connects us to something deeper that might otherwise pass us by. Dunmore East has a mesmeric way of slowing the pulse right down. We walk in the steps of those who passed this way before – time for us to leave our footprints in the land.
Headland trails, lobster pots, fishing, lunch out in the Bay – Dunmore East is the perfect ‘still zone’ to ease us back to where we belong. The Dunmore East Cliff Walk is perched above the village in silent homage to those who have passed this way for centuries. 200 years ago, young men from neighbouring Portally, Ballymacaw and Rathmoylan walked this very path to excavate boulders of rock from the cliff below as they sculpted the harbour we have today. Here, on the new footbridge beneath the cliff, we come face to face with curious remnants of a bygone time; footsteps, railings, carved rock – the railway line from the cliff to the harbour has all but disappeared. Faint strains echo through the citadel of stone to calm the stirrings of the passer by.
It’s good to ease the pace and feel the ground beneath your feet, to calm the tempest of the mind and soak in the beauty that opens up before you. Energy ripples in symmetry with the dancing of the waves. What we observe leaves lasting imprints; the magical hues of the azure ocean as it laps onto the flat rocks, the languid majesty of the seal as it basks in the sun, the silhouette of Hook Lighthouse as it peers out through misty skies. In observing the waters stretch out to the distant horizon, we sense intuitively the merging of what is near with timeless echoes from afar.
A trip out to sea on return to the harbour completes this experience. Time in ‘The Keltoi Warrior’ is precious time. Brendan takes us on a voyage of discovery, sharing anecdotes on the coves and sea caves, narrowing the lens to absorb the sublime beauty of the miniscule against the towering backdrop of the cliffs. After checking in on the lobster pots and maybe reeling in a mackerel or two, we anchor in at some quiet corner of the Bay. Lunch by the shoreline to the sound of waves lapping against the brow of the boat… it feels so good!
Bless to us,
The earth beneath our feet.
Bless to us,
The path whereon we go.
Bless to us,
The people whom we meet.
You see it’s the unscripted moments that make life worth living – moments that happen in ways we least expect. Often it is the unlikely one we meet along the way who inspires in ways we could never imagine. Our Peace Choir joined us in Dunmore East last weekend. It was great to spend time among friends on this stunning coastal path. Along the way, we met a local man, John Aylward, who stopped to chat awhile and regale us with stories of this space by the sea he had come to love so well. In the field beside us, he pointed out a Mass Rock that people once gathered around during Penal Times. We chatted away for a few minutes, John as curious about our group and where we’d come from as we were of him. We sang a wee song for him – there was something in the time we shared that deserved to be honoured. Sometimes music speaks where words fail!
Our individual story is just one melodic movement in the wider symphony of the universe. No matter how small or insignificant we may appear each one of us is part of something greater than ourselves. This is the mystery of life made simple. We all have a song to sing, a story to tell, a higher purpose to map out. Dunmore East is the gateway to all that matters.
Peace of the ebbing tide to you,
Peace of the finest ground to you,
Peace of the gently setting sun to you,
Peace of the smiling, rising moon to you.
Peace of the night sky to you,
Peace of the morning’s hope to you.
The peace of all peace be to you,
This day, this night, and evermore.
(Gaelic traditional – Peace Prayer)
We are rolling out our Camino Day in Dunmore East over the summer months for groups of 8 or more at €100 per person, to include transfer from the carpark in Dunmore East to our starting point at Ballymacaw Cove, fresh fish and chips from ‘East Pier’ Dunmore East, boat trip with refreshments, and mindful moments led by Phil and Elaine. You gather the group and leave the rest to us. Feel free to contact us directly by email to check available dates for our Camino Day in Dunmore East on info@waterfordcamino.com