Store Hours
Our online shop is always open, the store in Glenealy will reopen Saturday 11th February 2012 for POTATO DAY (11am - 2pm)
As we write this, the weather has become very autumnal. Our last WWOOFers have left, tents have been packed away, gaps in fences patched to keep out the deer, and things tied down and stored away. One last hardy camper is coming with his son for some quality time outdoors and some events will continue over the winter, but the general activity level is much reduced while we build up our reserves for the next season.
Samhain/Halloween marks the start of winter. The word Samhain is derived from old Irish for the time of this festival and is still used in modern Irish to refer to the month of November. The word might be a linguistic inversion of the Irish-language term samhradh (summer) so that Samhain means "summer's end." As it is also the end of harvest, the last stack of the grain crop was left in the now wintery field as the Cailach the witch. She represented the land as hag making the cycle of the year complete and a transition into rest.
We would like to invite you to our last open day of the year on the Halloween Bank Holiday Monday 29th October, to celebrate our first years end. Do bring along some colcannon or a bairin breac if you like. Maybe add some items to your brack for foretelling the future. You might like to make up your own as the traditional ones were--a pea (or rag) meant poverty, a bean meant wealth, a religious medal meant the finder may enter a convent or seminary, a ring meant marriage, and a stick meant that the person who received this in their slice of cake would be beaten by the marriage partner.
We will be there from 12 O'Clock on into the evening so dress up, drop in, bob for apples and enjoy the bonfire or walk in the darkened woods and tell a scary story!
If you cant make it then hopefully we'll see you at a course, volunteer, or open day in 2008. You might like to consider supporting us with a Christmas gift by adopting a tree or becoming/renewing membership or being a friend of Carraig Dulra.
Up-coming courses in 2008:
The Bushcraft/Primitive Living Skills proved to be very popular and was fully booked on the last session. Because we've had enquiries from people who wanted to attend but couldn't, we are offering it again on January 26-27. The cost is 160 including meals. For full details see: http://www.dulra.org/bushcraft_jan08
We also have a two day living willow/fedge course on 15-16 March
http://www.dulra.org/living_willow
The very popular Garden Complete (through The Organic Centre) starting again next season, along with new courses in partnership with the Organic Centre, such as Introduction to Community Gardening.
We also hope to offer permaculture and accessible alternative technologies courses.
We are also running some very interesting team building days, as Suzie has experience in this area, and we are using our natural setting to full advantage on these.
As always if you have a group interested in a particular area get in touch as we have a list of tutors and can run courses or days to cater for most interests.
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you...
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. (John Muir)
Mike & Suzie
