

Oonagh Grove is a living classroom, a part of OBOD's Planting programme, using native Irish trees from Free Tree Ireland.
It is populated with Indigenous herbs, grasses, plants and is dedicated to Peace, Learning & Wellness.
An Live Artifact Inspired by & a part of my Bardic Journey with
OBOD.
(MDel)


The Eight Fold Wheel of the Year


Lunar Festivals
(Quarter Days)
Winter Solstice - Alban Arthan/The Light of Arthur - Grianstad - - 21/22 Dec.
Spring Equinox - Alban Eilir/Light of the Earth - Cónocht an Earraigh - 20th March
Summer Solstice - Alban Hefin/Light of the Shore - Grianstad an tsamhraidh - 20/21/22 June
Authumn Equinox - Alban Elfed/Light of the Water - 21/22/23/24 Sept - Mabon - Cónocht an Fhomhair (These Dates can vary slightly across the years)


Solar/Fire Festivals
(Cross Quarter Days)
Samhuinn - October 31st - Nov 2nd "The time of no time"
Imbolc/Oimelc - Eve of Feb 1st/2nd
Bealtane/Cétshamain - May 1st
Lughnasadh - August 1st

The Irish Oral Tradition of sharing wisdom, old stories, myths, songs & poems, across generations, preserved ideas, culture, knowledge, wisdom & spirituality. Old ways, that offer an insight into life in ancient Ireland across generations, linked to the land we live in.
This oral tradition, its archetypes, stories, songs and poems, gently cradle a reminder for us to celebrate the life we live & freely honour the beauty, mystery and magic of it all.
These cleverly crafted, and imaginative vehicles, are a testament to the intelligence & resilience of the human spirit and our ancestral communities across time & generations.
They are evidence of an ancient people's ability to use creative analogy's & imagination in a purposeful way, that honour's our human need to share, connect and guide each other through this experience called life.
A Druid was identified among the ancient Celts as a member of the 'learned class. It is believed men and women held this role. There are no records or documents handed down from this time or cohort of Celtic society, as they used the spoken word and memory.
We know they held a place in Irish Pre-Christian Celtic society around the 3rd Century bce. Some clues about this group of Celtic society can be found embedded in our Irish landscape, and old ancient references to them, that lie resting in ancient Irish literature, stories, and Poetry and music. It is thought the druids were still active, albeit to a lesser extent, after St. Patricks life time, up to the 7th/8th Century AD....
It is said the name 'Druid' comes from the Celtic word meaning "Knower of the oak tree" (Duir). Research of old Irish Texts and other literature, tells us they worked to keep peace in Celtic societies, and to educate, heal and guide their communities in a structured, nature based manner, in line with the cycle of life, the wheel of the year, guided by mother nature and the sun, moon and stars. Astronomy played a role in Celtic Ireland, and was used to track the seasons, and years, for agricultural and spiritual purposes...
Some of what we know about the Druids has come from the writings of Julius Caesar, Cicero, Tacitus and Pliny the elder, this was at a time when power struggles across lands were prevalent, therefore many call in to question the accuracy of these accounts, making this area of research a very enthralling, mysterious labyrinth of discovery where discernment is necessary and mystery lingers.
A quote often associated with Winston Churchill is very apt when considering this part of our history: "History is written by the victors". Rome became one of the largest Empires in the world, and this by default would have had some impact on the accuracy of some recorded material of the time. The Pre-Christian Law's, developed in part by the Druids and communities they lived in, held enough gravitas to spur St. Patrick on to codify many of them, highlighting the sophisticated legal system that was in place, at this time. This was eventually replaced by the Roman legal system that took over.. (Sources & more info in Course)
St. Brighid - Bríd/Irish, Brigida/Latin, Bridgit: (Born C.451 - Died Feb. 1st 525) - Brighid's Feast Day is the 1st February/Imbolc.
Brighid was a REAL Person, a Woman, a Scholar & a Saint, with a history and a life that has led many to simultaneously view her as a Celtic Goddess or as having these qualities, often with 3 aspects/Triple Goddess, Druid. Brighid kept a "perpetual Fire" or "Flame"/Solas Bhríde burning for Centuries, click orange link or the info location Icon to view source: Tara Celebrations Website
Today, The Brigidine Nuns in Kildare, keep this history alive, in doing so they offer us a glimpse of the culture, power and belief systems in place all those years ago, where fire was seen as the new light of Christianity in a very harsh and often brutal time, in particular for women. Where old ways and beliefs began to merge with new ways and belief structures.
Extract: click here or on the info location icon to view the source of this information.
"Kildare County Council commissioned a sculpture to house the flame in Kildare Town Square in 2005. President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, presided at the lighting of the Perpetual Flame in the Town Square on St. Brigid’s Day 2006. This flame was lit from the flame tended by the Brigidine Sisters in Solas Bhride.The Brigid Light is still guarded and tended in Solas Bhride as it was in Kildare many centuries ago by the Sisters of St Brigid. The flame burns as a beacon of hope, justice" and peace for Ireland and our world."
Many other physical sites lie scattered around this Island, mapping out a tangible tapestry, of Brighid's significance and relevance, in the hearts and minds of many, past & Present.
St. Columba/Latin (Colmcille/Irish) - 6th Century AD. (Born 7 December 521 – Died 9 June 597) was an Irish abbot and missionary credited with spreading Christianity, alongside other significant figures of the time. Some scholars point to his association with the compilation of the Annals. Another Irish Saint with a history & life that fascinates those who choose to explore. The Feast Day of St. Colmcille is the 9th of June. click orange link or on the info location icon to view a great source of information on this Patron Saint: Tara Celebrations Website
St. Patrick - Feast Day 17th March - this day of celebration has spread across the globe. The dates of Patrick's life are uncertain, with conflicting differences in relation to the date of his death, arrival to Ireland and Birth.
There remains to this day debate and disagreement, around many aspects of his life story. The Irish Annals locate his arrival to be around 432 AD. What is recorded and available in relation to his life story, makes for a very interesting exploration of those times. Click the location icon to view a great source of information on this Patron Saint: Tara Celebrations Website

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Ancient Éire Wellness R @ Oonagh Grove is a space where you will find a sense of fellowship, peace, healing warmth & Ancestral wisdom, beneath the Sun, Moon & Stars, carried by the same wind, fire, water & earth that guided and protected our Ancestors.
Through different activities people can explore & access this learning space, gain insights, restorative moments & a sense of the fellowship that existed in Ancient Ireland in an often cruel and harsh environment, fuelled by a legacy of whisperings from those who have gone before us, many, many magical moons ago....


Photos: Traditional 3 legged St. Brigid's Cross
About me:

Máire Bridget Ní Dubhshláinne (Reg. General Nurse), Masters PGD Learning & Teaching Dist.- FE/Educator & Coordinator Nursing Studies
SWIFT/Maynooth University
- OBOD - Bhanfíli/Bard
- Sound Therapist -
- SHAI -
Welcome to Ancient Éire Wellness® . My name is Maria, Máire in Irish.
My background is in Nursing and Education. I grew up living around, listening to, learning from, and loving our ancient Irish/ indigenous traditions. My new venture, is more of an old passion.

My motivation: As a child tall tales and old ancient stories swirled around the classroom, story books & the landscape of my Grandmothers farm in County Kilkenny. Her life force infused giant Christian Mass stone, its nearby natural spring, and it's Oak lined ring fort (Ráth), hinted at ancient ways, holding a kind of living history that could captivate anyone who was open to its flow...
Ancient Éire Wellness at Oonagh Grove - is a portal that holds space for you to connect with Learning & healing experiences, inspired by our Ancestors love & connection with nature, the sun, moon and stars, drawing on the liminality of the elemental powers of Wind, Fire, Water & Earth, to pause & connect with Nature, the Natural world around us. Truly magical....Ancient Éire Wellness aims to carry forward some of this learning & fellowship to those interested....to live well and love life.
Slán,
Máire B. xxx
An Cuallacht De Oonagh, Scéalta Sean, traidisiún agus bealaí.



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