No other place like it on earth...

My family's link to Lough Derg goes back many decades. My mother worked on the island in the late 1950s-early 1960s before she married my father. When we were children we were fascinated by the stories she told us about Lough Derg. I personally couldn't wait to go there and so I was delighted to go there for the first time when I turned 14. I went there to pray for my upcoming exams.
It soon became the norm for me to go to Lough Derg every Summer with my mother and/or sisters.
I love the peace on Lough Derg. I love to be given the chance to switch off from the outside world. I feel such a connection with Lough Derg. I feel completely at peace there. There's no other place like it on earth.
I hope to return to Lough Derg again this year to do the three day pilgrimage as I have missed doing it the past two summers as I had bowel cancer. I did manage to do the day retreats instead.
I can't imagine not ever being able to visit Lough Derg at least once a year. It helps me feel fulfilled. If you have never been to Lough Derg, do yourself a favour and go. You won't regret it!

​B McQuaid