Leaving Knock behind we headed north, heading into Belfast via Sligo and Enniskillen.
Our stop in Sligo was more along the lines of a comfort and coffee stop, and after refueling ourselves we kept moving, stopping just outside the town to view the Celtic Knot in the middle of a plantation of trees. It was a fleeting stop with picturesque views.
The reason we were heading to Enniskillen was in order to visit Devenish Island, which house the runs of a monastery established by St Maloise and a much later Augustinian priory.
To get to the island we needed to board a boat for the short trip, a boat staffed by three local men who were not only very hospitable but also very knowledgeable about both Enniskillen history and what we would find on Devnish Island.
The monastery appears to be incredibly isolate in contemporary times, but our local guides assured us that the surrounding islands, most of which are uninhabited, would have been the home to a population that would have both supported and been supported by the monastery and priory.
As is always the case when visiting such a monastic site, I find it interesting to muse on what life would have been like 'way back then' without the kind of technology that we rely on now. In particular, we no access to the kind of modern boats we have now, how would the monastic residents have got about - indeed, would they have gotten about.
The trip was interesting and a good investment in time - and the opportunity to see the 'blue missile' (the kingfisher) on the trip back was part of that.
After our trip to Devenish Island, we adjourned for a quick lunch break in the town of Enniskillen, with Mum & I finding a very nice cafe where we could have something tasty and quick before climbing back on the bus. Being a Sunday, any crowds that might ordinarily be in the city centre were still at home!
And after lunch, it was back on the bus and straight to Belfast.
Arriving in Belfast, our first stop was to head to St Mary's Church, Chapel Lane to celebrate Mass.
This church, which is in the middle of a 'less than savoury' part of Belfast, was built in 1783, and was the first Catholic church to be built in Belfast. It has its own unique charm, and celebrating Mass in there with our pilgrim group was a delight, particularly since being a Sunday we included more song.
And after Mass, it was off to our hotel, the last such stop before our departure from the pilgrimage.
