The Ragged Edge:
A Spiritual Journey to Ireland’s Ancient South

This spiritual tour of Ireland will explore ancient sites dating back to the Bronze Age and the Viking era, along Ireland's southern coast. Guests will trace that ragged, wild edge of the Atlantic Ocean that borders Counties Cork,  Waterford, and Wexford. 

Thresholds to the Otherworld

The journey focuses on the profound concept of the edge: not merely a border that divides, but a powerful liminal space that opens. In tracing this southern littoral, guests will navigate historical and geological fault lines, stepping from the colossal mysteries of the Bronze Age megaliths right into the foundational drama of the Viking era.

We move beyond the typical tourist path to access Ireland's most sacred and sequestered sites—portals to the otherworld where the veil is thin and the whispers of history are clear.

Wisdom, Healing, and Peace

This unique itinerary is crafted to be transformative. It is an invitation to deep introspection and renewal:

• Deep Wisdom: Connect with the ancestral knowledge etched into the land and the stone circles, receiving the silent counsel of millennia.

• Profound Healing: Find solace and strength where the raw, untamed power of the sea meets the enduring resilience of the earth.

• Absolute Peace: Attune yourself to the timeless rhythm of the Atlantic, allowing the grandeur of the landscape to dissolve the noise of the modern world.

Prepare to step into the highest level of your existence, traversing a coastline steeped in legend and power, and departing with a spirit reawakened by the magic of Ireland’s ancient south.

The tour begins in Dublin and moves to the Lough Gur complex in County Limerick, then down to the western part of County Cork, Mizen Head, and the offshore island of Cape Clear. From there, guests will move through County Waterford visiting the 5th-century monastic site in Ardmore, where St. Declan founded his order. His holy well and remnants of the old cathedral are there.  Guests will have a free day in Kinsale, the gourmet capital of Ireland, and will explore other ancient sites in County Waterford that focus on the Viking culture and history. (They were a mystical people). The final day, guests will return to Dublin by way of County Carlow and the Brownshill Dolmen with a final stop at Solas Bhride Center in Kildare.  

Every person who opens themselves to the spiritual gifts that envelop them on a Thin Places tour leaves it with a deeper connection to wisdom, renewed hope, and a lightening of burdens carried in the mind, body, and spirit.

The focus of all our tours is “thin places” or places where the veil between this world and the eternal world is thin… where both worlds are woven together.  And as on all of our tours, you’ll see the unspoiled, hidden places few visitors ever see on other commercial tours. You’ll be traveling within the context of a story while peeping into the ancient past of mystical hills, stone circles, passage tombs, holy wells, monastic ruins, castle ruins, and archeological wonders.  There will be quiet time as well as fun group excursions. This is a spiritual tour you will never forget.

TOUR SPECIFICS

This tour is limited to 15 to 20 people to be flexible and intimate.

Airfare is not included.  Guests must arrange their airfare to and from Dublin International Airport

TOUR START and END
The tour starts and ends in the Dublin City Centre. Guest will depart from our Dublin hotel and travel the entire tour on their private coach.  All transportation to noted sites is included. A free day in Galway is also part of the schedule (no bus on that day).

COST - $3999 + AIR
Cost of $3999 (based on double occupancy) is for the land only. It includes lodging, all breakfasts, four dinners, land transportation, admission costs, and private guides. Posts about some of the sites will appear periodically on the Thin Places blog.  In addition to the cost of the tour, guests would be responsible for airfare, lunches, and dinners that are not included, plus any incidental expenses unrelated to the group tours and accommodations.

Single room supplement is $350 and is due with the registration deposit of $1000. There are a limited number of Single rooms available.

Booking the Tour
Deposit of $1000 (plus $350 single supplement if applicable) per person must be submitted with an online form to hold the spot.  The deposit is refundable for 30 days and also locks in the price.  Due to the unpredictability of the US dollar and the Euro, the cost of the tour may rise before the tour date.  But a deposit locks in the price of the tour.
Tour balance is due 60 days before the tour start.  February 22, 2026.

PRIVATE GUIDES:
Mindie Burgoyne - full-time guide, tour designer, and tour operator.
Justin Moffett - Hill of Uisneach Guide
Michael Gibbons - Archaeologist
Dara Molloy - Inis Mór, Aran Island (Celtic monk)
Courtney Davis - Celtic Artist at the Hill of Tara

Travel Insurance -We suggest that guests purchase travel insurance on their own. Thin Places Mystical Tours does not sell Travel Insurance or represent any travel insurance vendor, though we can make recommendations based on what other guests have used.

Tour is limited to 20 guests.

DISCOUNT FOR THIN PLACES ALUMNI
$50 discount for every Thin Places tour previously traveled.  (max $300)

Day 1, April 23 -  Guests Arrive in Dublin
Guests will likely arrive from the USA or Canada early and will have all day to tour Dublin on their own. We will provide some suggested activities ahead of time. Guests will be able to check into their Dublin hotel by 3 pm. We will meet the group in the hotel lobby at 4 pm and have a welcome cocktail (or mocktail)  hour with a briefing on tour details, handouts, and supplies for the tour. Dinner is on your own, but we will make several dinner venue suggestions - or guests are welcome to dine at the hotel.  Then off to bed for a good night's sleep. 
Overnight at the Leonardo Hotel - Parnell Street, Dublin

Day 2, April 24 - Four Knocks and Loughcrew
Guests will depart early in the morning for two iconic passage tombs in County Meath - the Royal County. Visit Slieve na Calliagh or the Hill of the Hag (aka Loughcrew) with its Neolithic passage tombs and stone circles. This complex dates back 5000 years and is associated with myth, legend, and spiritual power. Cairn T is aligned with the spring and autumn equinox. Sit in the Hag's Chair for a blessing. Guests will also visit Fourknocks, a Neolithic passage tomb complex known for a wide chamber and the largest floor area of any excavated Irish tomb. This is part of the wider Boyne Valley megalithic complex that includes Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth. It is aligned with the Winter Solstice sunrise path toward Newgrange, with a highly spiritual site of feminine energy.
Overnight and Welcome Dinner at Annebrook Hotel in Mullingar. (1 night)

Day 3, April 25 - Hill of Uisneach and Clonmacnoise
Guests will venture out to the spiritual center of Ireland - the axis mundi, where the two worlds are woven together.  The Hill of Uisneagh is where all of the provinces of Ireland come together under one giant boulder known as the Catstone - with a mythical history of being the burial place of the goddess Érui, for whom Ireland is named. Then visit the monastic ruins of Clonmacnoise, the ancient monastery, considered one of the most famous and important early Christian monastic sites in all of Ireland, often referred to as a "Lost City" or a "University of Europe" during the early medieval period on the River Shannon. It was founded by St. Ciarán around 544 AD.
Overnight in Galway (2 nights)

Day 4, April 26 - Inis Mór (Aran Islands)
Guests will catch the morning boat from Galway to Inis Mór (Inishmore), the largest of the three Aran Islands.  It is famous for a unique combination of magnificent archaeological sites, a preserved traditional Irish culture, and a stunning karst landscape. Inis Mór is a Gaeltacht region, meaning the Irish language (Gaeilge) is the primary language spoken by the local population. This place is a photographer's dream. Visit the Church of the Four Comely Saints and Dún Aonghasa, the island's crown jewel and one of the most magnificent prehistoric stone forts in Europe, dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages (around 1100 BC). This enormous semi-circular fort is perched dramatically on the edge of a 100-meter-high cliff.
Overnight in Galway (2 nights)

Day 5, April 27 - Connemara and Omey Island (tour led by Archaeologist, Michael Gibbons
The Connemara region, located in the west of County Galway, is often cited as the place where you can experience the "savage beauty" of Ireland. It is a vast, windswept, and sparsely populated landscape that captures the very essence of the Wild Atlantic Way. Part of this tour will be to Omey Island, best known for its tidal access and the sense of stepping into a quiet, forgotten chapter of Irish history. It is an island twice a day - at low tide. Several ruins exist on the island.  This tour will be led by well-known archaeologist, Michael Gibbons.
Overnight and Dinner in the Leonardo Hotel on Bridge Street in Galway (2 nights)

Day 6 April 28 - Free Day in Galway
This is a free day for guests to explore Galway City or take advantage of several day trip options that operate out of the city.
Overnight and Dinner in the Leonardo Hotel on Bridge Street in Galway (2 nights)

Day 7  April 29 - The Burren
Day seven will be spent visiting the Burren in County Clare on Ireland's west coast. It is arguably one of the most unique and compelling landscapes in the world. Its name comes from the Irish word Boíreann, meaning "a rocky place," which perfectly captures its stark, almost alien beauty. The most defining feature of the Burren is its Karst limestone pavement.  It is designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark due to its extraordinary geological, ecological, and archaeological features. Guests will visit Corcomroe Abbey, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, Kilnaboy Church with its famous carvings and Sheelagh-na-gig, and the High Cross at Kinvarra.
Overnight and Dinner at the Bridgehouse Hotel in Tullamore (2 nights)

Day 8, April 30 -Leap and Charleville Castles - the King Oak
Guests will take a short drive to visit two castles - both privately owned.  They are different in style and date from different time periods, but both are noted as being two of the most haunted sites in all of Ireland.  (though we find their energy to be charming, warm, and welcoming). Leap is a restored 13th-century tower house now owned by musician Sean Ryan (who may play a tune for visitors), and Charleville is a Victorian-era, Gothic-style castle set in an ancient oak forest.  One of the oak trees on the Charleville property - the King Oak - is said to be over 700 years old.
Overnight at the Bridgehouse Hotel in Tullamore (2 nights)

Day 9, May 1st - Beltaine - The Hill of Tara
As the tour comes to a close, we end our nine-day tour of ancient sites at the most iconic site of all - the Hill of Tara.  This is the ancient royal site where Ireland's high kings were crowned. It was a ritual site used for thousands of years, with the bones of the old landscape, including the ancient processional routes, still visible. At Tara, we will meet the Celtic knotwork artist, Courtney Davis, who will offer some insight on the mythical power and energy of the hill, and a little about how he draws on that energy for his artwork. Tara is a site steeped in myth and legend, still offering access to deep wisdom for those who take the time to absorb the energy there.
Overnight and Farewell Dinner at the Ashling Hotel in Dublin

Day 10, May 2nd - Guests Depart for home
The tour has ended. No activities for this day. Guests will head home or pursue additional travel on their own.

The itinerary is subject to change considering weather and availability factors.  

This spiritual tour of Ireland will explore ancient sites dating back to the pre-Bronze Age and the Medieval period. Guests will become travelers along ancient axial roads once traveled by saints, kings, and druids (and a goddess or two). The tour route starts in Ireland's Ancient East, moves to its mythological center, and then on to its Wild Atlantic Way in the West.  On this tour, our guests will become images in that ancient landscape, feeling the subtle and not-so-subtle power of every axis mundi where this physical world meets the spiritual world.