When I returned to Corofin, Co Clare, in what is now commonly described as the early noughties, my landlord ran courses at a Centre he owned. At his invitation, three of us (Sisters of Mercy), Cecelia Guinane (RIP), Nóirín Long (RIP) and I offered a series of workshops during Advent, Lent and at other significant feasts.
Out of this experience and following on a three-year course on ‘Soul Making’, Nóirín and I decided to offer a residential experience rather than an evening or a day’s workshop. I had a dream of exploring the spiritual nature of the Burren for some time. Having lived in Corofin previously, and having taught a course on The Burren when I worked in the Adult Education Centre, I was aware that there had been intensive study of the geology, flora and fauna, archaeology, agriculture and architecture – both vernacular and modern, of this unique landscape. But there hadn’t been any focus on the spirituality of the Burren.
We offered the first Retreat in 2006. For the first few years, the Retreat lasted five or six days and was attended mostly by female religious, the majority of whom were Sisters of Mercy. They came from the four provinces in Ireland and beyond – from Brisbane to Beaumont, from Stranorlar to Skibbereen, from Kenya to Kilrush. The support from the Mercy Sisters has been wonderful. Not alone did they come on Retreat but a number generously gave up a week of their holidays and made themselves available in case of accidents or emergencies.
Over the years some of our lay friends expressed an interest in the retreats if they were held for a shorter period of time. This we did and we have been running a three-day retreat twice a year for the last number of years (apart from 2020 and 2021). We generally have the first retreat in April/May (May is Burren in Bloom month) and again in September.
Cecelia Guinane’s death in 2020 was a huge blow to Nóirín and myself. She had been so encouraging of the idea and the actual experience, and her wisdom, wit and sound common sense were a huge support to us. Noirin’s death two years later was incredibly difficult. The joint preparation and planning for each retreat had been such a positive experience that it never seemed like work. We got a buzz from finding new places to visit, planning rituals we would do, the reflective questions we would ask and what experience of meditation we would offer each morning. We had just finished the planning for the Autumn Retreat in 2021 when Nóirín became unwell and that was the only year that there was just one facilitator for the Retreat.
The format of the retreat hasn’t changed greatly since the beginning. We begin each day with 30 minutes meditation. Following breakfast (in silence) we leave the Centre at 10 am and return for dinner in the evening. We visit various sites –ancient churches, abbeys, cathedrals, hermitages and monastic communities; megalithic tombs and modern burial places, ring forts as well as holy wells. At each site people are offered the time and space for personal reflection or to participate in an appropriate ritual. We walk on the limestone pavements, the green roads or the famine roads.
In the early years of the Retreats we drew heavily on pre Celtic and Celtic Spirituality when designing the retreat programme. This form of Spirituality seemed suited to so many Burren sites. The solitude of a hermitage, the silence, time for reflection, the awareness of the sacredness of the land, the meditative walking and the communing with nature were experiences that touched people deeply. There were so many unforgettable moments. I have a vivid memory of my friend Fiona singing ‘I arise today’ (The Deer’s Cry by Seán Davey) at St. Patrick’s Well on Abbey Hill, looking out on a stunningly beautiful Galway Bay. I noticed one member of the group sitting there with the tears pouring down her face. We had our humorous moments too. On one occasion after a challenging walk over uneven ground we reached a wedge tomb with some unusual features. We held the ritual for our dead ancestors there and before leaving we sang ‘This is Holy Ground’. The tomb was located far from the sound of passing traffic; the cows completely ignored us, but after we sang the last note of the hymn there was an extraordinary burst of bird song. We weren’t quite sure how to interpret that. Did we give them the courage to start? Were they competing? or worse, were they trying to show us up?!
Since 2015 and the publication of Laudato Si we shifted the focus somewhat. In the fragility of the Burren landscape it is easy to observe ways in which different species rely on one another to thrive. We have encouraged the group to consciously use their senses to experience the material world of the Burren. We have acknowledged that humans do not own the Burren or nature, and also that we are not separate from nature but rather an intrinsic part of it. The Burren Retreat offers such an easy way to connect with nature by being outside, by practising wonder and by giving thanks.
It has been a privilege and a blessing to have led those who came on the retreat to the secret and sacred places of the Burren and to see nature in this surreal landscape as the signature of God (John Bradburne).
One of the noticeable changes over the years is the change in the cohort attending. Nowadays, it’s almost all lay people and the number of men has increased over the last few years. I have been fortunate in having wonderful and gifted lay co-facilitators since Nóirín died. I have also drawn on imaginative locals who have shared their vision for the Burren with us. A number of people keep returning each year and I contacted some of those as I was writing this article. I was curious to know why they kept returning. I conclude with the words of one of the men:
“I have a keen interest in the Burren and have been visiting and exploring there for decades. The retreat team always manages to find secret places and lively people and draws from them glimpses of Celtic spirituality and awareness that find resonance with many. From ‘Fr. Ted’s’ House to Heaney’s Flaggy Shore to famine roads and cultivated gardens to graveyards to ancient ecclesiastical sites, through movement and exploration under the broad Burren sky, the leaders encourage reflection, meditation and seeing behind our day to day experience. I hope to explore the spiritual landscape of the Burren again very soon.”
The next Burren Retreat takes place on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, 4th to 6th May. Booking through Nóirín FCJ Spirituality Centre, Spanish Point, Co Clare. Telephone: 087 906 8576. Email: info@fcjspiritualityhouse.ie
The Autumn Retreat takes place on 6th to 8th September at Red Gates, Corofin, Co Clare. Booking: Des Tully Telephone: 085 161 4951 Email: info@theredgates.com
Mary Lillis RSM
South Central Province
