Switch off to enter heaven on earth

Deep in sylvan Laragh, near Glendalough, Co Wicklow, a heritage retreat centre was opened by the National Millennium Committee chairman, Government Chief Whip Seamus Brennan, yesterday and blessed by Cardinal Desmond Connell.

Intended for those in search of silent thought, it contains five cillins (hermitages) near St Kevin's Church. Each cillin is designed to provide one-person, self-catering accommodation and includes a bed, bathroom, small kitchen area, and an open fire supplemented by storage heating.

"Abandon Technology All Who Enter Here" might well be on a sign at the entrance. It is "far from the madding crowd" territory. No mobiles. No radio or TV. No laptops need apply. So that those interested can make optimal use of the silence - for resting, reading and recuperation. For £25 a night.

Mr Brennan remarked on the appropriateness of having cillins in such a place "where heaven and earth seem to meet". Commenting on criticisms of the millennium committee for "not having enough fireworks and champagne, and not having a Dome", he was applauded when he said money should be spent on more worthy things such as the retreat centre.

In all, £6.7 million had been spent on church/Christian and social projects, of which £250,000 went to the Glendalough centre.

Cardinal Connell expressed his deepest gratitude to Mr Brennan for his assistance with the project. He spoke of the importance of prayer, as emphasised by Pope John Paul in his programme for the new millennium. The centre was a sign of that importance.

He remembered that, not so long ago, people visiting Ireland would remark on how the Irish people lived in the presence of God. That had diminished. If there was no prayer in the home, God often had no place in the lives of children as they grew up, he said. And secularism could only be overcome by developing a sense of prayer.

He congratulated the parish priest of St Kevin's, Father Sean O'Toole, for his "vision" in inspiring the project. Father O'Toole said he expected the cillins to "stand for centuries to come as an outstanding memorial to the great jubilee year AD 2000."

Anyone interested in using the cillins should contact Father O'Toole at 040445140.