007 Aran Islands and Places of Ressurrection

I met Dara Molloy over 20 years ago when we were both at a Céile Dé conference in County Wicklow. I met many great thinkers and spiritual leaders at that conference – many of whom are friends today. That conference gave me a proper introduction to Celtic Spirituality. Dara and his wife were a young couple at the time, living on Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands. Back then, Inis Mór was even more remote than it is today. They had their young son with them. At some point in the conference, I think it was actually a break out session because there were few of us in the room – Dara spoke about living on the island and the hardships of living without modern conveniences (like washing machines). And I recall that one crystal clear moment when he said something that I never forgot. He said, "Inis Mór is my place of resurrection."

 

 

I've spent the last twenty years or so, contemplating that concept and what it means. The clip that you heard from Dara during the intro is his definition of a place of I've heard the story of St. Gobnait and we shared her story in episode one. Just to briefly recap, St. Gobnait was a 6^th century young woman fleeing from some persecutor. She landed in the Aran Islands and set up a monastic community on Inis Oírr (the smallest island). Then she had a vision that she was to go on a journey to find her place of resurrection. She was to journey across Ireland until she found nine white deer grazing. There she would find her place of resurrection. She traveled through the beautiful hills and valleys of west cork and finally found her nine white deer in Ballyvourney. She set up her community there and performed many great works for the local people. They still revere her today especially around her burial site, church ruins and her holy well.

 

 

There so many sacred places in Ireland. And Inis Mór has an abundance. Let's get to the interview with Dara and hear more about the island and places of resurrection.

segment 2 – guest interview

 

Highlights from the Dara Molloy interview

ON PLACES OF RESURRECTION

[The term Places of Resurrection] came from the Celtic monks. The Celtic monks, I think were very creative and imaginative in the way the they understood scripture. And particularly I think they were interested in images and parables and stories and metaphors because that's the approach to spirituality that the Celtic monks have always taken. It's not logical. It's not analytical. They never b