Beaghmore Stone Circles in County Tyrone – Northern Ireland
THIN PLACES Tour of Northern Ireland
September 5-15, 2013
9 days – 7 Counties – $2120
Tour Northern Ireland guided by writer and author, Mindie Burgoyne. See the unspoiled hidden places few visitors ever see in the pristine, undeveloped parts of the northern counties. You’ll be traveling in the context of a story while experiencing spiritual transformation, visiting thin places – mystical sites where the veil between this world and eternal world is “thin.”
Third annual Thin Places Mystical Tour of Ireland will focus on the north and include sites in Counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Derry and Donegal, with a one-day cruise to Inishmurray, an island in Donegal Bay off the coast of Sligo. Guests will visit the ancient ritual sites of clans, mystics, heroes and people of the Otherworld – Beltany and Beaghmore Stone Circles (Beltany pictured in the website header), sacred hills such as the Navan Fort, sacred burial places such as Downpatrick and Caldragh Cemetery, monastic ruins at Glencolumbkille, Devenish Island, and Ardboe, plus the St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh, Giants Causeway, Dunluce Castle and Slemish Mountain. In the evenings, experience the vibrancy of the Irish culture as you enjoy overnight stays in Donegal Town, Enniskillen, Belfast and the walled City of Derry.
Video below contains a message from tour leader, Mindie Burgoyne inviting you to join the 2013 tour. It also shows sites that will be explored on the 2013 tour.
I went on a Thin Places tour of Western Ireland. My favourite stop was Newgrange because it was like journeying back into an ancient mystery. The best aspect of the tour for me was the beauty of the country and the spiritual adventure that we all embarked upon together to discover it. ~Paula Grover, Ontario Canada – Thin Places Tour of the West 2011
Author and expert on mystical places, Mindie Burgoyne will guide travelers on an nine-day journey to thin places in Northern Ireland from September 5 – 15, 2013. The group will traverse some of the most beautiful and not-often-seen parts of Ireland in the North – this is truly the “hidden Ireland” less affected by development and population growth. Add to that the thrill of visiting sites with powerful spiritual energy and the transformation that often occurs, and this tour can be a life-changing event.
Download the Thin Places 2013 Tour Brochure
Overnights will be in Irish cities including Enniskillen, Derry, Donegal and Belfast. By day guests will experience the spiritual energy of places where the veil between this world and the Otherworld is thin, and in the evenings experience the culture of Northern Ireland’s cities and towns which includes shopping, traditional music, food and most of all the hospitality of the Irish people.
Mystical sites in Ireland have been referred to as “thin places.”
This short video shows places on the tour. Mindie Burgoyne offers commentary on the thin places concept.
Thin places are those places where the veil between the physical world and the eternal world is thin. The two worlds intersect or seem woven together.
Not Affiliated With Any Particular Religion
The tour is not targeted to travelers of any particular religion. All faiths are welcomed. At each sacred site tour guests will learn about its history, learn about its legend of spiritual power, and contemplate what that means in today’s world. Burgoyne will offer hints on how to notice signs and symbols along the way and interpret their meanings, how to journal as a means of continued spiritual growth after the tour is over, and how to sense the mingling of two worlds and how that connection helps the human spirit listen better to the Divine voice.
“These tours are not about piling into a bus and stopping to see some standing stones and abbey ruins,” states Burgoyne. “Our tours are about becoming an image in an ancient landscape and traveling within the context of a story. At the end of our tours, guests feel a spiritual transformation.”
I went on the Thin Places tour that covered the south of Ireland [2011]. My favorite stop was Hoare Abbey because of its beautiful and haunting setting, in the shadow of the Rock of Cashel, evoked such a strong sense of time passing and the lives lived in its now-crumbling walls. I like the tour because we could immerse ourselves in the magical atmosphere of Irish history, spirit, and belief: a combination deeply integrated and intertwined in the people’s character.
~Kathleen R. , Seattle, WA
On March 9, 2012 the New York Times published an article on the thin places concept. Best-selling author Eric Weiner who wrote The Geography of Bliss, wrote and article for the Travel section entitled Where Heaven and Earth Come Closer. Weiner makes a case for travel with purpose and travel with the intent to exercise the spirit as a means to finding happiness.
About the Tour Guide
Mindie Burgoyne, a Maryland author and travel writer, has been traveling to Ireland researching thin places for twenty years. She is the author of several books including Haunted Eastern Shore: Ghostly Tales from East of the Chesapeake published by the History Press, 2009. She has a successful blog on thin places and a travel blog called the Travel Hag. Her writing and photographs have been published by CBS News, National Geographic Television Network, the Vancouver Sun, MDBiz Media and Maryland Tourism website. She is currently writing Thin Places: Irish Gateways to the Otherworld, due to be published in 2013
Read Testimonials from Thin Places Tour Guests
IRELAND TOUR ITINERARY DETAILS
Mindie Burgoyne will be with the tour from start to finish. She is an expert on mystical and sacred sites in Ireland, having researched thin places for over a decade and traveled thousands of miles across Ireland doing conducting the research.
Expert Site Specific Guides will be on site for several of the thin places. These guides will be able to speak specifically about some of the sites on the tour.
COST – $2120
Cost is $2120 (based on double occupancy), and is for the land only. It includes lodging in 3 star hotels, breakfasts, welcome dinner, transportation, admission costs, and some private guides. Scroll through the posts on this blog site to see more about the sites on the tour.
Single room supplement is $455.
Travel Insurance (optional) is $230.
DISCOUNTS
$50 per person for paying by check or money order
$50 for Thin Place Tour alums (those who went on previous thin places tours)
ITINERARY DETAILS – Check the itinerary to see expanded tour details. Space is limited to 25 so reserve your spot soon.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- 10 nights in premiere town-center hotels (3* all w/ private baths)
- Double, Triple & Single Occupancy available
- All hotel taxes/fees
- Airport Transfers to/from city centers while in Ireland
- Transportation via luxury coach between towns & for daily touring
- Traditional full Irish breakfast every morning
- Full time host & guide – Mindie Burgoyne
- Additional Expert Guides for some sites
- Emergency Local Contact available 24/7
- Daily Private Tours of Thin Places to include sights listed below.
Armagh Cathedral – Armagh
St. Patrick’s Chair and Holy Well in Altadevin Wood – Tyrone
Lough Erne – Whites and Devinish Islands – Fermanagh
Boa Island – Caldragh Cemetery – Fermanagh
Inishmurray – Sligo
Glencolumbkille & Donegal Town – Donegal
Slieve League – Donegal
Beltany Stone Circle - Donegal
Grianan of Aileach – Donegal
Inishowen Peninsula – Donegal
Derry town tour – murals – Derry
Columba Cathedral and bog side – Derry
Beaghmore Stone Circle – Tyrone
Tullahogue fort – Tyrone
Ardboe Cross and Abbey – Tyrone
Antrim Coast – including White Park Bay – Giants Causeway and Dunluce Castle – Antrim
Belfast walking tour – Antrim
Slemish Mountain – Antrim
Nendrum monastic site – Down
Downpatrick Cathedral and Gaol Museum – Down
MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY.
$500 per person deposit needed to reserve your spot. Final balance due to be paid by July 15, 2013.
$230 for optional travel insurance.
To book your reservation go to the Reservations page and download the registration form. Tour is being facilitated by Harrigan Holidays.
Still have questions? Email Mindie at mindie@travelhag.com
Download the Thin Places Mystical Tour of Ireland Brochure for 2o13
Nice place for travel some historical things i see in photographs.
Thanks, jack.
Hour trips are very expensive. For a very short distance your covering. The place your showing is no admissions or any Amy Type of coverage. So why so expensive?
Madeline, I’m not quite sure I understand your question other than you think the trip is expensive. The distance we are covering is not short. We are covering 7 counties in the north with over 20 stops including an off-shore island. Many packaged tours in Ireland run a bus around the entire country for a total of 10 to 12 stops. We choose a more intimate tour going deeper into the landscape. The price includes 10 days (not the typical 7) and hotel accommodations in vibrant towns such as Belfast, Derry, Donegal and Inniskillen. We hire three private guides who are local for some of the tour and transportation with two full time guides (me and the coach driver) as well as the boat ride to Inishmurray are also included. There are admissions for some of the sites such as Dunluce Castle, Navan Fort, and Giants Causeway.
The main difference in cost for our tours are the length of stay, private guides, off shore island trip and hotels. Shorter, less expensive trips of more known sites are other type of tour which may be a better choice for some. Our tour goes deeper into the landscape and has a specific theme. Thanks for stopping by the blog and posting a question.
Totally worth every nickel. Highly recommended.