Wild Irish is an initiative for the re-wilding and reclamation of Irish culture.
We create experiences for people to reclaim their native language, sport, ritual and wild food. The context for this reclamation is nature.

Scoil scairte

This is an invitation

To the man or woman who longs to be speaking Irish but never got round to it.

In hundreds of conversations with Irish people about Irish, we have encountered a common theme; there exists a block in our psyche towards speaking Irish.

Be it created by a mediocre teacher, a false belief that it is a 'useless' language or a shame in a lack of proficiency, this block prevents us from using language we spent twelve years studying.

Wild Irish Retreat's mission is to reclaim the Irish language from the classroom. To bring it out into the open. We believe that for the language to live inside you, it must be taught in the doing.

For the wall that blocks the flow of our Irish is the same wall that disconnects us from Nature.

The journey back to native selves is a long one. Come and let us take the first step together.

the hedge school

Seo cuireadh.

Go dtí an té atá ag iarraidh a chuid Gaeilge a usáid ach nár tháinig chuici fós.

din

Más rud é gur tháinig sé ó droch mhúinteoir, creideamh bréagach gur teanga míúsáideach í nó náire ó thaobh caighdeán de; cuireann na constaic seo isteach orainn maidir léi a usáid, cé go bhfuil dhá bhliain déag caite againn í a fhoglaim.

'Sé príomhaidhm an Díseart Fhián Gaelach ná Gaeilge a shaorú ón seomra ranga. Chun í a thógaint amuigh faoin aer úr. Chun beocht an teanga a ligint amach asat; creidimid go gcabhraíonn sé bheith foghlaimthe le linn an obair.

Mar an balla a chuireann bac le sruth on Gaeilge, ná an balla a chuireann bac ar an nasc leis an nádúr.

Is turas fada é an turas filleadh ar ár ndúchas. Tar linn is tógfaimid an céad céim le chéile.

Tá suim agam

ag déanamh éileamh ar ár dhúchais fhiáin

reclaiming our wild roots

An bhfuil mo chuid Gaeilge maith a dhóthain ?

Fáilte roimh réime leathan de caighdéan Gaeilge. ó líofa go bunúsach.

Tá an díseart dírithe ar súid a bhfuil taréis an teanga a fhoghlaim ar scoil is go bhfuil sí suanach (dormant) iontu. Beidh gníomhaí dhá theangach dár ndóigh is beidh iarracht faoi leith aistriúchán beo a dhéanamh ach is lán tumadh Gaeilge atá i gceist so ní bhíodh sé oirúinach do thosaitheoirí áfach sé Gaeilge teanga an deireadh seachtaine.

Is my Irish good enough?

The most common question for all would-be Wild Irish. Our aim is not to learn Irish so much as it is to learn the love of Irish. For when that passion for the language is rekindled, the learning will naturally follow. And so we welcome a broad range of Irish speakers from fluent to basic. The retreat is aimed at those who have learned Irish previously or at school who haven't had a chance to practice it since! All activities will be bilingual and we will translate the important stuff so you will understand all that's happening regardless of your ability. This is however an immersion weekend and retreaters are asked to make the effort to communicate with one another in Irish, no matter how broken. Is fearr Gaeilge briste ná Béarla cliste anseo, so it will not suit absolute beginners.

Thug sibh sos dúinn ón 'breithiúnas' an saol nua-aimsireatha. D'oscail mo croí, thosaigh mé ag gáire mar garsún beag, ag canadh. Ní féidir liom cur trasna i bhfocail cé chomh luachmhar a bhí an taithí sin dom, an faoiseamh a mhothaigh mé agus an meáchain a bhí togtha as mo ghuailainn.

John Selman. Pilot

Bhí mé i mo shuigh in aice leis an fharraige inné, comh sásta is comh ciúin leis an saol agus ansin, tháinig an smaointe - ba chor dom scríobh síos, le haighaidh daoine eile, ceard atá ar shuil leis an wildirishretreats - agus an focail amhain a bhí ag bualadh ar mo chluasa ná an grá - tá sé really and truly about love.

- Fionna Hanley