UPDATE: PLACES FOR SUMMER 2019 RETREATS ARE GOING FAST - APPLY NOW TO SECURE YOUR SPOT OR BE ADDED TO THE WAIT LIST. Thanks!
From our host Gareth Higgins: We're delighted to announce dates and guests for our two summer 2019 Ireland summer retreats. We'll be sharing eight days and nights in Northern Ireland, experiencing the landscape, community, story, challenge and wonder of the place. Joined in June by my friends the distinguished activist and writer John Dear (June 12th-20th), and in July by the beloved author and poet Kathleen Norris (July 3rd-11th), I expect these trips will be rich times indeed. We've hosted these retreats for five years now, and our guests have included singer-songwriters David Wilcox and David LaMotte, spiritual director Karen Moore, and writers Brian McLaren and Eric Elnes, and now over 150 travelers, mostly from the US, in search of rest, wisdom, renewal and fuel for the journey.
GET ALL THE DETAILS BELOW
Extensive information and application forms are now available:
Click here to learn about the June retreat with Gareth Higgins and John Dear
or
Click here for the July retreat with Gareth and Kathleen Norris.
READY TO APPLY?
Click here for the application form, which includes all kinds of lovely logistical details.
Or just contact us with any questions. Places are limited, and will fill up - so we’re ready to hear from you soon!
WHO IS WELCOME?
Everyone - adults of all ages, all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, introverts, extroverts, seasoned retreat participants, and first-timers alike. There’s no requirement to be a “religious” person - these retreats are an invitation to deepen the spiritual journey, and to engage with the needs of the world, but you don’t need to be “religious” to participate. All we ask is that you commit to be a member of the temporary community formed by the retreat; that you bring an open heart; that you respect the different paths that other retreat participants have taken; and make your decision based on your desire to participate in a gathering that will stretch your mind, feed your soul, and involve your body in a bit of walking (though not too much!).
ENDORSEMENTS
"Few memories bring as deep and wide a smile to my face as the Ireland Retreat. It's a pilgrimage, a field trip, an experiential learning adventure, a community, a vacation, and a full immersion in Ireland's history, poetry, and beauty all in one. Gareth Higgins is a master storyteller and more: you'll come home with stories of your own to tell and savor. Really, you should go!" - Brian D. McLaren, Author and Activist, Florida
“Ireland Retreats, led by Gareth Higgins, are the best way I know how to do the three things I expect from travel abroad: (a) get to know local people who are vitally engaged with the culture (in this case, the peace movement); (b) become more deeply immersed in the country’s rich history; and (c) experience the natural beauty distinctive to the area. On the Ireland Retreat you experience all these things and you have a great time, get to know interesting people in your group, and get to know yourself better as well.” - Eric Elnes, Ph.D., Pastor, Nebraska.
“This retreat time in Northern Ireland has nurtured me, changed me and brought me much joy. Please give yourself the gift of this never to be forgotten experience.” - Karen Moore, Inn-keeper, North Carolina
“Gareth is a warm and insightful guide on both the geographical journey through his homeland of Northern Ireland, and the soul journey that is woven into it. He also has a knack for assembling cohorts of fellow travelers and local friends who will enrich both adventures. I can’t recommend this trip highly enough.” - David LaMotte, Musician, Writer & Activist, North Carolina
“Sure, there’s beautiful views that will inspire you to fill your camera with images, and there’s beautiful walks that will fill your lungs with air. But the ideas that stir your imagination will inspire interesting conversations that fill your mind with beautiful questions, and all together, the Ireland adventure will fill your heart with hope.” - David Wilcox, Musician, North Carolina
“We've had the extraordinary gift to be on retreat with Gareth in northern Ireland. The experience of taking time away from our demanding lives to sink into their amazing stories, music, and meaningful conversation, has brought both healing and an incredible new energy toward deeper purpose in our lives.” - Francie Calfo & Trent Jones, California