Shrines of Ireland
August 15 – 25
$2,995
Join Padre Pio Pilgrimages as we spend 10 days and 9 nights on pilgrimage to Ireland where stunning landscapes blend with deep Christian history, featuring ancient monastic sites like Glendalough, holy mountains such as Croagh Patrick, and famous shrines like Knock. We will also travel popular routes including the St. Patrick’s Way (Tóchar Phádraig), St. Declan’s Way, and the challenging Lough Derg, offering spiritual journeys for penance, reflection, or exploring Ireland’s “Land of Saints and Scholars” heritage. Our trip starts in Shannon with overnight stays in Wateford, Limerick, Westport, Knock, Sligo and Dublin.
August 15
Fly from Cleveland to Shannon, Ireland.
Arrive in Ireland morning of August 16 and visit:
Rock of Cashel
One of Ireland’s most spectacular, most visited sites. The Rock of Cashel contains the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland.
Among the monuments to be found there is a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House. St. Patrick himself came here to convert King Aenghus to Christianity using a 3-leaf clover to describe The Trinity.
We will also visit the Mount Melleray Abbey where a Statue of Blessed Mother began to move in the wind and spoke to several witnesses.
August 17
After an overnight in Waterford, we will visit:
Waterford Crystal Factory & Museum Experience the sheer divinity of fine crystal, as well as the masterful techniques that create such opulent visions of beauty.
Saint Finbarr’s Oratory in Gougane Barra
Gougane Barra is also home to the St. Finbarr’s Oratory, a small church located on an island in the lake. In the autumn, the peacefulness of this spiritual retreat is heightened, offering visitors a quiet space for reflection and a sense of timelessness amidst the changing seasons.
Skellig Michael Island – Monastery Saint Fionian
Founded in the 6th Century this site honors St. Michael. It is of the seven sacred sites along an imaginary line stretching from Ireland to Israel, known as “The Sword of Saint Michael“.
Overnight in Limerick which straddles the River Shannon, the historic core of the city located on King’s Island, bounded by the Shannon and Abbey Rivers. Limerick is at the head of the Shannon Estuary, where the river widens before it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
August 18 & 19
On August 18 we depart Limerick to visit The Cliffs of Mohr, one of Ireland’s favorite visitor experiences, the Cliffs of Moher tower over the rugged West Clare coast. Walk the safe, paved pathways and view the famous Cliffs on Europe’s western frontier and enjoy the spectacular vistas over the Atlantic Ocean and the Aran Islands.
We will overnight for two nights in the city of Westport in County Mayo where we will tour the town. We’ll take a boat ride into the Clew Bay and visit Croagh Patrick by bus to the base of the mountain.
St. Patrick claimed this mountain in western county Mayo and prayed and fasted for 40 days at the peak. It’s about a 3 hour climb and the path while steep at points is either paved, gravel or stairs. If you are not inclined to climb you can stay at base and/or visit another historic island in Clew Bay.
August 20 & 21
Visit the Knock Shrine on the anniversary of an event that would forever have a profound impact on the tiny and relatively unknown town of Knock, Ireland.
We are visiting on the anniversary, August 21, 1879, when…
Around 7:00 p.m. one of the villagers was passing by the church and saw an unusually bright light nearby. When another villager joined her they gazed in amazement at what appeared to be statues on the side of the church.
The night was dark and rainy and yet these images appeared with bright lights as plain as under the noon day sun. Soon, 15 people stood in silence… gazing spellbound at the strange apparition that had appeared at the gable wall of their church. The apparition, consisted of three figures: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint John the Evangelist.
August 22
We will depart Knock to visit:
Venerable Father Patrick Peyton Center
Located in the peaceful village of Attymass, County Mayo, the Father Peyton Centre invites you to explore the inspiring story of Venerable Patrick Peyton—a humble man whose global mission touched millions with his message: “The family that prays together stays together.”
Lough Derg in County Donegal
Like so many sites in Ireland, the history of Saint Patrick’s Purgatory goes back well over 1,000 years. In the Fifth Century, when according to ancient texts, God showed Saint Patrick a pit on the island said to be the entrance to hell. It has been a place of pilgrimage throughout the history of the country. It was written about in 784 AD in the Annals of Ireland and included in a world map printed in 1492.
Following our day on Lough Derg we will overnight near Sligo on 8/22.
August 23 – 25
We will travel to Dublin to spend 2 nights. While in Dublin we will:
- Tour the City, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and visit Trinity College to see the most Holy possession of Ireland “The Book Of Kells.”
- Visit and tour Guiness’ St James Gate Brewery for a tour and tasting of the most famous Irish brewery.
We will also take a small day trip from Dublin to visit:
- The Shrine of Saint Oliver Plunkett in Drogheda, Ireland – the last Catholic martyr to die in England in 1681.
- The Shrine of St. Kevin in Glendalough One of the earliest, and perhaps most important Monastic communities can be found here in Glendalough. The history goes back to the 6th Century, when a young man named Kevin came here looking for a place where he could commune with God without the distractions of his worldly life. He chose a beautiful part of Ireland and lived first in a tree, and then later in a cave in the area. As word of his holy life and knowledge spread he began to attract a following.
August 25 depart for Cleveland or additional week in Medjugorje for $895.
Logistics
August 15 – 25
$2,995
- Deposit $500 due by April 1
- 2nd payment $1,000 due by May 1
- 3rd payment $1,000 due by June 1
- Remaining balance due by July 1
Price includes roundtrip airfare (except for airline seat selection and baggage fees) ground transportation, lodging, breakfast and dinner with wine daily and guides and tips. Upgrade fee for a single room is $895
If you have questions or wish to discuss further, please call, text or e-mail at 216-533-6106 or padrepiopilgrimage@gmail.com
If you want to hold spots, the $500 deposit can be paid by check, credit card, Venmo, Zelle and PayPal and by filling out the form below.
*Additional Week to Medjugorje
We are offering an optional additional week (August 25 – September 2) to visit Medjugorje (where Our Blessed Mother is currently appearing daily since 1981 and recently approved as an official Marian Apparition Pilgrimage Site by the Vatican) for an additional $895, double occupancy.
This includes airfare, ground transportation and transfers, lodging, breakfast and dinner daily, and all tips and guide fees. While there, we will meet some of the visionaries as well as hear talks from priests nuns and lay people who make Medjugorje their home. Click for itinerary.
If you are interested in this option please check the below box in the form that says interest in possibly extending additional week in Medjugorje for $895.