Discover the ancient mysteries of Inis Cealtra, or Holy Island, located in County Clare, Ireland. This article explores the island's rich history and spiritual significance, from its monastic ruins to its unique cultural heritage. "Round Lough Derg's holy island I went upon the stones, I prayed at all the Stations upon my marrow bones, And there I found an old man, and though, I prayed all-day And that old man beside me, nothing would he say.
" - From “The Pilgrim” by William Butler Yeats. My wife, Lindy, and I have been traveling to Ireland nearly every year since 2007, with three years off thanks to COVID. We’ve stayed in cottages all around the island, so we’ve seen all the well-known tourist attractions like the Cliffs of Moher , the Rock of Cashel, the Ring of Kerry, and others, some more than once.
These and other famous sites should be seen by anyone who travels to Ireland, and most bus tours will include all or at least some of them. If you want to immerse yourself in Ireland’s ancient cultural and historic sites, though, you need to rent a car and get to some of the places the buses never go. To be fair, some of the places I’m talking about are down roads no bus would, or should, ever attempt to go.
On our most recent trip, we visited one of these “roads not (often) taken” places. Actually, at the end of this road, you have to take a boat. The place is called Inis Cealtra (“island of the burials” or "of monastic cells" or possibly just “Church Is.