On Saturday, 28th of July, a group of
25 young people and not so young headed for the Sugar
Loaf mountain in Co. Wicklow, led by Fr. Paul, Liam
Holton, James Reid and Gerry O'Shea.We
had planned our trip about two weeks earlier and had
decided that the funds raised from sponsorship would
finance a new candle shrine for Newtown Church and a
donation would be made to St. Peter's Church in Donadea.
The bus collected us at 8.3Oam from Newtown and we arrived
in Wicklow at about 10.3Oam ready to begin our ascent
of the 1,600 ft. mountain. It took about an hour for
everyone to reach the summit, where we took a short
break and took in the beautiful scenery around us.
When we all reached the bottom, we took a well deserved
break and ate our lunch. It was during this lunch that
we first talked with Susan, a friendly girl from Slovakia
who is staying in Kilcock for a few months. She entertained
us with stories and showed us pictures from her country.
We departed Enniskerry at 1 .OOpm. There
we visited the Church of Ireland where a local lady
told us the history of the church. We just had time
for a short prayer service and a look around the grounds
and then we headed for Glencree Reconciliation Centre.
Our guide in Glencree, Nisha Kelly told us all about
the history of the centre; how it was first used, how
it was renovated and what it is used for today. We then
took a short trip to the German Soldier Graveyard, where
German pilots from World War II were buried.
We boarded the bus and headed for Glendalough. Here
we visited St. Kevin's Church, where Sr. Aloysius McVeigh
told us the history of the church and St. Kevin himself.
The church holds two of the ten icons in Ireland, one
of St. Kevin and one of St. Laurence 0' Toole. Sr. Aloysius
created the icon of St. Coca in Kilcock.
By the end of the day, starvation had
set in, and we went in search of McDonalds in Naas.
At about 8.3Opm a bus load of tired but happy young
people headed home from what was a long but very enjoyable
trip.
The following took part in the trip: James Reid, Sarah
Cullen, Hazel Morrin O'Rourke, Kate Cahill, Jane Morrin
O'Rourke, Dianne Ward, Amy Duff, Eilish Holton, Jessica
Reid, Claire Holton, Niamh Mullally, Mimi Morrin O'Rourke,
Philip Mallon, Mairead Holton, Ger O'Shea, Gerry 0'
Shea, Ronan Walsh, Blaire Walsh, Laura Mulligan, Denise
Regan, Michael Nealon, Paul Regan, Michael Regan, Brian
Dillon, Ciaran Tighe, Graham Towell, Liam Holton, Fr.
Paul, Damien Duffy and Susanna Mihaloikova.
