Visiting Irish Sacred Sites

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A timely discussion on the protection and respect of Irish sacred sites, as in recent times a disturbing trend has emerged: the desecration and deterioration of historic Irish landmarks. This blog post delves into the consequences of such disrespect and the vital role played by visitors to these sacred spaces.

Daimler, speaking from outside of Ireland but with their profound understanding of Irish heritage and spirituality, guides us through responsible practices to ensure these sites endure for future generations. Join us in exploring not only the physical impact of tourism in Ireland, but also the spiritual responsibilities we bear when stepping into these hallowed grounds.

✨A Guest Post by Morgan Daimler

In the last few years there has been a spate of vandalism and damage being dome to Irish historic sites, sadly far too many to even list here, but most notably Loughcrew and Carrowkeel, as well as multiple attacks on the Lia Fáil on the Hill of Tara.

The damage to Carrowkeel has caused the entire site to be closed to the public, at least for the moment, and the famous cairn T at Loughcrew has been closed to the public since 2018 in part due to damage caused or exacerbated by tourists climbing on top of the cairn.

When You Are Visiting…

This is a sad situation and one that is directly caused by people visiting these places in a disrespectful way, but there are also more subtle layers to the conversation. When I’ve visited various sites in Ireland across the years I am always appalled by the amount of rubbish in and around the locations; even where there are clearly marked bins people are throwing their trash into sites like the Mound of Hostages at Tara, or just dropping their garbage on the ground.

There are also issues caused by well meaning people leaving offerings at these locations and unintentionally contributing to the mess, particularly with things that don’t biodegrade or which damage the location. Tourism is damaging historic locations, including spiritual tourism, and unless we’re careful we can also sometimes contribute to the problem.

So, then, what do we as spiritual people visiting sacred sites do?

What To Do at Irish Sacred Sites

One, and perhaps the most obvious, is to be sure you don’t leave any rubbish behind. Follow the same rule that hikers and campers are supposed to use – pack it in and pack it out, or in other words anything that goes in with you goes out with you too.

Two, when possible bring a bag and gloves and do your part to clean up any messes you find. When I visit these sites I try to clean up as much as I can. Sometimes there is an onsite bin you can use to dispose of messes, other times you’ll need to gather it up and throw it away yourself later.

Three, don’t interfere with the site in a way that damages it. If everyone who goes there takes a stone, for example, the whole site will be carried away. This also includes things like burning candles, which gets modern wax into the structure and can cause fire damage – obviously fires in any wider sense aren’t allowed as they can and do damage stones.

Four, be very thoughtful about any offerings you do want to leave. Don’t leave things that aren’t biodegradable and safe for local wildlife, don’t tie plastic or synthetic fibres to trees, don’t push coins into living trees, and generally don’t add things like tumbled stones or crystals to sites. Milk and alcohol can cause fungal infections in trees, so I usually suggest water as an offering.

Five, common sense I’d hope but you don’t climb on top of sacred sites, historical monuments, or sacred trees. Most locations have signs asking people not to climb, yet the internet is full of pictures of people on top of cairns and dolmens. Don’t do anything like that which can actively damage the structure.

Six, if its within your means consider donating to the upkeep of these locations. Some have donation boxes on site, others like Aillwee Cave accept donations online.

Considerations for Irish Sacred Sites

Also it’s worth remembering that not all sites in Ireland are open to the public or on public property, so you need to make sure you have permission to visit certain places. It’s often a good idea to find a local guide to help with this.

You can go to the OPW’s Heritage Ireland website for a list of public locations, hours they’re open for visits, and a list of currently closed locations.

If you want to engage in local folk practices, such as tying cloth on trees, make sure you learn how to do so safely (for the location) and be sure you understand the actual tradition. I regularly see things which were probably well meaning but are harmful as well as being misunderstandings of actual traditions.

The rag tree tradition is a practice found across Ireland and the UK where certain trees, often located near a holy well, have strips of cloth tied to them symbolizing a prayer often for healing. The issue that comes in here is multilayered.

Lora O’Brien explains it well in a piece called ‘Rag Tree Tradition‘… but basically I would say it comes down to three things.

A rag tree is a specific thing, most often near a well, and not just any random tree. Because the rags tied to these trees represent prayers or spells – as the material degrades the purpose is supposed to be accomplished – the idea is that the tree/location has to be associated with that purpose.
Rag trees should only have natural, biodegradable items tied to them. When people tie plastic items to a rag tree they are not only going against the purpose of the tree but also harming it because as the tree grows the plastic item will slowly strangle it.
And building off of both of those, its important to understand why you’re doing it, what its supposed to be doing, and how its supposed to work. These are very intentional practices not just tying things to a tree for fun or because other people do it.

Be a good guest at sacred sites and historic locations. These places have lasted for thousands of years, we should do what we can to take care of them so they can last for thousands more.