The Boy's Youth Club of ICCI successfully completed this year’s Summer Youth Road Trip 2023 for boys titled:
“Ireland Top to Bottom”
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“Great”, “Unique”, “Inspiring”, “friendship bounding”, “Enjoyable”, “So much Fun without hurting anybody”, “Helpful”, “Adventures”, “Best Ever” just few of the feedback comments about our trip.
There was one bus, group of friends taking a road trip for 4 Days, exploring many interesting places in Ireland, reaching the Most Northern points of Ireland and the most Southern, sleeping in Masjids and meeting many Muslim Communities across Ireland.
It all began on Friday 28th July, 7am when we set off and our first stop was a place with a very important significance for the Muslims in Ireland. Drogheda is the town where in year 1847 the Ottoman Sultan Abdl Majeed sent ships carrying grain and food to the island helping the people in Ireland in the period of the Great Famine.
From there the plan was to reach the Top of Ireland, the most northern part of Ireland “Malin Head” and we did it. We reached our destination and discovered one beautiful place in the very north of Ireland. A stunning canyon with unique scenery. We also discovered nice beach beside the Malin Head quay. Needless to say that we spend some quality time there too.
Our next stop was Letterkenny. Brother Ayub and Dr. Kamran a members of the Donegal Islamic Community Centre, welcomed us into their small and cosy Mosque. We had a great reminder by the imam and were also invited to tasty iftar. The night was nice and short and the last day of our journey arrived.
Bandoran, a Holyday spot in the West Coast played a host for our next unforgettable surfing experience. The waves were big, the surf were fast and the feeling riding the waves was great alhamdulaillah.
The Road Trip continued to small town of Ballyhaunis where the first purposely build mosque as a mosque was established back in year 1988. The “Al-Kausar” Mosquе build and established by the late brother the businessman Sher Mohammed Rafique who started Halal Meats in Ballyhaunis (may Allah have mercy on him), surprised us with its unique and charming design. There was other mosques in Ireland at that time, however they were all existing buildings converted as mosques. It is part of the interesting history of Muslim presence in Ireland. Again we were warmly welcomed by Brother Abdulrahman Rafiq (a nephew of the late brother Muhammed Rafiq), who narrated the story behind the Mosque and looked after us with a tasty pizza.
From there the journey took us to Limerick’s Al Furqan Mosque where we were very nicely surprised to find a gym in the mosque. The boys played a little game and tried out their power on all the equipment and between themselves. The host Sheikh Abdullah warmly welcomed us at salah Fajr and gave as short reminder and information on the Muslim community in Limerick. We had a good night sleep and the next day we continued for our big day in Killarney Park and reaching the Mizzen Head on the South.
From there we continued to Killarney. We found small and beautiful town and likewise we found the new and charming Mosque of Killarney. The hosts Mr Iqbal and his team were very glad to receive us and were very caring for our overnight stay in the Mosque. We were invited for a tasty shawarma dinner and a nice place for stay over. The imam enlightened our night with a humble reminder after the salah Maghrib and we had a deep discussion till late…
The next day we set off running to Killarney National Park where the beauty and the surroundings were so touching and fulfilling – the Tork Waterfall, the Killarney Castle, the Lake and more and more…
We continued our journey and our next stop was quay close to Baltimore where the boys practiced some very professional jumps and dives in the water before our final leg to Dublin.
Everyone shared very positive feedback of the journey and their experience.
We would like to thank Allah for giving us this Road Trip and to thank all the people who went out of their way to welcome us and look after us. We felt the very warm welcome and care for us, as well as happiness in the eyes of our hosts to see us, and interact with us everywhere we went. May Allah reward them abundantly for their efforts!
It was great journey and we will do it next year again inshaallah!
~ Zahri
