Ireland: Day 3

On day 3, we visited Annesley Garden and Arboretum. It was absolutely beautiful. There were flowers, fountains, stone walls with iron gates, exotic trees and bushes. Then we went past Castlewellan and stopped to take pictures. It's a relatively new castle, only a couple hundred years old. After snapping a few shots of the castle, we went to a maze in Castlewellan Park. I had never been to a maze like this before, so it was a lot of fun. In the center of the maze there is a staircase that leads up to a bridge high above the maze, and the view is incredible. There is also an old bell on the bridge with historical value to the Castlewellan Park grounds. After dinner, we were able to visit some ministries in Ireland. First we visited the Oasis, a great coffee bar out in the countryside, used as an outreach. Then we spent some time with the youth in Newcastle that is currently participating in a two-week program called Fused, where all the local churches and groups unite their youth for fellowship. I really enjoyed the beauty of Annesley Garden and Castlewellan Park, but its most awesome to see some of the ministries that God is planting in Northern Ireland.