Walking the Ancient Irish Paths
Emphasizing the urgent need for ecological awareness and action inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si', Notre Dame Kylemore is launching three new Laudato Si' Pilgrimages. Led by local archaeologist Michael Gibbons and Notre Dame guest faculty, these journeys invite participants to explore Ireland’s rich spiritual and ecological heritage.
Each pilgrimage will center on a significant site in Ireland.
By engaging the ancient Irish tradition of pilgrimage, we invite collective dialogue on today’s ecological crisis and encourage a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship.
These retreats are perfect for:
- Faculty and students from universities and academic institutions interested in environmental studies, theology, archaeology, and Irish cultural heritage
- Religious groups and spiritual seekers looking to deepen their understanding of ecological spirituality and ancient Christian traditions
- Environmental advocates and conservationists interested in exploring the connection between spirituality and ecological stewardship
- Cultural tourists and history enthusiasts eager to experience Ireland's ancient pilgrimage routes and archaeological sites
- Individuals seeking meaningful travel experiences that combine physical activity, spiritual reflection, and environmental awareness
- Community leaders and educators interested in learning about sustainable practices and environmental responsibility through the lens of spiritual tradition
2026 Program Logistics
Dates
- October 2-4, 2026: Laudato Si’ Pilgrimage Route: Inis Bó Finne (Inishbofin)
Cost
- €650 for participants staying at Kylemore
INCLUDED
- Accommodation in ensuite rooms
- Discussions and hikes with archaeologist Michael Gibbons
- Meals are prepared by our in-house chef
Laudato Si’ Pilgrimage Route: Inis Bó Finne (Inishbofin)
October 2-4, 2026
On our Laudato Si’ pilgrimage to Inis Bó Finne, we will travel through a living Atlantic landscape of stone, wind, and sea. We will take in the island’s early Christian traces and vernacular sacred spaces, walk quiet lanes between fields and shoreline, and pause at the water’s edge for prayer and reflection on integral ecology. In this place, human history, fragile habitats, and the sustaining presence of the ocean meet, inviting simplicity, attentiveness, and gratitude for our common home. The archipelago islands of Inishbofin, Inishshark, Inishgort, and Inishlyon form a compact archipelago off the north-west Connemara coast. Of the four, Inishbofin is the only inhabited island today, and the population has reduced dramatically from a peak of about 1,600 in the 1840s to roughly 160 today.
The island’s strategic position meant it was often contested. The O’Malley clan of Mayo displaced the O’Flahertys of Connemara around 1380. In ancient times the island was ringed with prehistoric forts, and at least one, Dún Gráinne, was refortified during the Middle Ages. On the small islet of Port at the entrance to the sheltered harbour, another fort and hamlet were built in the late 16th century.
During the Cromwellian Wars, these were captured by the English navy and a spectacular fortress was built to command local sea routes and the island’s natural harbour. At this time, the island’s monasteries were closed and the island was used for a period as a prison colony for captured Catholic clergy. The island was again occupied by the forces of King William and Mary during the 1690s, following another defeat of Catholic and Jacobite supporters of the exiled King James.
On this Laudato Si’ pilgrimage, we will explore the ecological and cultural landscape of Inis Bó Finne. Over the weekend, we will consider how environmental change, livelihoods, culture, and governance intersect in island contexts. We will use the island as a “living text” for reflection on biodiversity, coastal resilience, land and sea use, and heritage.
Guiding questions for reflection
- What does integral ecology mean when viewed through an island community’s daily realities?
- Where do we see tensions between conservation, economic needs, and cultural continuity?
- What practices of attention, care, and gratitude become possible when we slow down in a place shaped by wind, sea, and stone?
Laudato Si Speakers
Guest Notre Dame Lecturer, Arun Agrawal
Professor Arun Agrawal, Pulte Family Professor of Development Policy and Inaugural Director of the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative, will deliver the weekend’s keynote on Friday, October 2.
Michael Gibbons
Michael is a member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland with almost 40 years of experience as an archaeologist. He has served a term with Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann – The Folklore of Ireland Council, to which he was nominated by the Minister for Education. Most recently, he carried out survey work on Caher Island, Inishkeas, and Inishglora on behalf of Mayo Co. Council. He was a project archaeologist and promoter during the work to establish a historic trail around the site of the Marconi Station in Clifden (opened in 2016).
Related Articles:
'Exciting find' as ancient burial mound found in Mayo
‘Very exciting’ archaeological discovery made on Mayo/Galway border
Past Speakers
Sr. Damien Marie Savino (2026)
Melchor Visiting Professor
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Concurrent Professor, McGrath Institute for Church Life
Sister Damien Marie Savino, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, currently serves as the Melchor Visiting Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (CEEES) at the University of Notre Dame, with a concurrent appointment in the McGrath Institute for Church Life. She holds a doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering from The Catholic University of America, as well as degrees in theology and soil science. Sister is an international speaker and educator on themes related to science and faith, ecology and theology, technology and faith, ecological restoration, and resilience theory. She was an editor and contributor to Responding to the Global Pandemic as a Systemic Crisis: The Economy of Francesco as a New Paradigm (Angelicum University Press, 2023) and the writer and co-producer of the six-episode documentary series, Creation (Salt and Light Television, 2015). Her new book, Learning the Language of Creation: Catholic Social Teaching and Integral Ecology, is coming out from Liturgical Press in January 2026.
Prof. John Duffy (2025)
John Duffy is Professor of English and the Faculty Director of the Inspired Leadership Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. John has published on the ethics of writing, the 1619 Project, the rhetoric of disability, and the historical development of literacy in cross-cultural contexts. In his recent book, Provocations of Virtue: Rhetoric, Ethics, and the Teaching of Writing, he examines the ethical dimensions of teaching writing in a post-truth world. His monograph, Writing from These Roots, was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Book Award by the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and his book, Provocations of Virtue, received honorable mention for the 2022 MLA Mina P. Shaughnessy Prize. He has published essays in College English, Rhetoric Review, JAC: A Journal of Rhetoric, Culture, and Politics, and elsewhere. John is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and, in 2022, received the Sheedy Excellence in Teaching Award, the highest teaching honor in the College of Arts & Letters. He teaches courses in public speaking, writing, and literature. He is an avid hiker who has completed long-distance hikes in Ireland, Scotland, and the U.S.
Dr. Tyler Coverdale (2025)
Tyler Coverdale is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. His research aims to understand how species interactions are shaped by a rapidly changing world, and in particular how changes in the abundance and diversity of plants affect the structure, function, and resilience of the world’s ecosystems. Research in Dr. Coverdale’s lab spans multiple continents and ecosystems, from New England salt marshes and temperate grasslands to East African savannas. In 2024, he received the Harper Prize from the British Ecological Society, which is given each year to the author of the best paper published in Journal of Ecology. At Notre Dame, he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in ecology and environmental science.
“We would like to thank you and your colleagues for your warm welcome, hospitality and very interesting program. We really enjoyed the opportunity to see ND Ireland from the “inside" and to meet and get to know you and the other participants as well as the students. We will certainly share our experiences with our felllow ND Alums and friends when we return to DC for a visit next month. —Fred and Yasuyo Nugent '67 ND Alum
“I just wanted to send a quick note thanking all of you for inviting me to Kylemore and making my stay so enjoyable. I had a great time meeting folks and seeing the local sites with archaeologist Michael Gibbons. I’m sure there was a ton of work behind the scenes to make it all happen, so thank you! You’ve got a very special place and a very special team of people there, and it was a privilege to drop into it for a long weekend.”—Tyler Coverdale, Speaker, Laudato Si' Pilgrimage, Fall 2025