Last year Celtic Woman ran a contest during the summer to attend the Homecoming DVD recording at the 3Arena in Dublin...
https://www.facebook.com/celticwoman/posts/10155493732992838Win a trip to Ireland to see Celtic Woman perform their 'Voices of Angels' show in the 3Arena, Dublin.
Click the link below to enter - you will receive a bonus entry if you share this message with your friends
- There was no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter the competition
- Competition entrants had to be 18 years old or more on the date of entering the competition
- The prize consisted of a trip to Ireland for two people, to see Celtic Woman perform in the 3Arena, Dublin on 2 September 2017.
- Return flights from the USA to Ireland and two night’s accommodation were covered by Celtic Woman Ltd. The prize was non-transferable.
- The stated that "no cash alternative to the prizes will be offered" ... I mean airline tickets and accommodations cost money, but how do you put a price on a dream come true?
- The winner was be notified by email and/or letter within 14 days of the closing date
- The winner agreed to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material
- The competition ran run every week for four weeks beginning Monday 3 July and ending Monday 31 July 2017
I knew that contest was going to a longshot as there were only 4 winners. But I was kind of heartbroken at the time that I was going to miss yet another Celtic Woman DVD recording. I actually considered booking a trip to Ireland on short notice just to see the DVD recording and a couple of other things, but there wasn't enough time to do research and scramble something together last year. It also would have been difficult financially at that particular time given how many shows I saw out of town last year.
I'm reminded, as I often am, of a quote from Amy Rivard: "
what's yours can't pass you by." It means that what's meant to be will often find a way, sometimes in ways and at times we least expect. Even doors that get slammed in your face may not be closed forever.
Even though I didn't win this contest, it did start a rather important process. It was the first time I actually looked seriously at visiting Ireland. I started thinking about what kinds of things I wanted to see over there and I started longing to go there really badly. That all set the stage for me to be able to put together a 12-day trip on 5 week's notice this year to go see Ireland. If it wasn't for some pre-planning and the burning desire to see Celtic Woman in their home country, I probably wouldn't have even entered the draw this year and then I would have missed out on seeing the incredible DVD recording at Johnstown Castle.
Whether you perceive it as destiny or coincidence, there's no denying that the events in our lives often become intertwined in ways we can only appreciate after the fact. Thinking back on the past few years when I started making a lot of my long-held dreams come true, I'm reminded of another quote from one of Amy Rivard's songs. It's one of the things I wish I had been able to say during my brief interview with PBS at the castle: "pain and sorrow teach us strength and joy." It's some of the hardest times that lead us to appreciate the best things in our lives. Even just a few years ago, I never would have had the confidence or the desire to do some of the amazing things I've done. Over the past few years I've finally realized that even the hardest experiences in my life were worth it, because it's those times that led me to love Celtic Woman so much.
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