Sabbaticals - An Tairseach

4 week October Sabbatical

Sunday 4th October - Friday 30th October 2026

At the heart of the Christian faith is a radical claim: God chose to fully enter the human experience. Through the Incarnation, all of our embodied life on earth, its joys, struggles, grief, wonder, is intimately known. The human body is not incidental to our faith; it is very ground of our faith.

Pope Francis in Laudato Si' tells us that care for creation and care for the human person are inseparable. At An Tairseach we believe that healing begins when we return, together, to the sacred ground of our own embodied lives.

In Laudato Si', Pope Francis calls us to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor as one. This is Integral Ecology that weaves together care for creation, care for one another and care for the self.

Now, in his first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV deepens this invitation, insisting that in an age of artificial intelligence and rapid technological change, the irreducible dignity of the human person must be safeguarded — not despite our embodied, creaturely nature, but precisely through it.

It is in this spirit that An Tairseach, the Dominican Ecology Centre in Co. Wicklow, is delighted to announce its first month-long October Sabbatical — an invitation to stop, to return to the body and to encounter the sacred at the threshold where self, community and the living Earth meet.

This four-week immersion is designed for those who are carrying the weight of ministry, vocation, or service. This programme is for those who need space to be tended rather than to tend and be reinvigorated in the process.

Set & Setting:
An Tairseach is a 70-acre Organic Farm and Ecology Centre in Wicklow Town, Ireland, set on a backdrop of the stunning Wicklow Mountains and Irish Sea. Founded in the tradition of the Dominican Sisters, we are committed to the integration of ecology, spirituality and justice, rooted in the teachings of Laudato Si,' Magnifica Humanitas and the Celtic Christian heritage of Ireland.

Our 4-week October Sabbatical will be a transformational, therapeutic experience allowing each guest to rest, heal and immerse themselves in the beautiful surroundings of Co. Wicklow.

The Sabbatical is facilitated by Mel O'Driscoll and Taylor Marie Daniels, drawing on body-based contemplative practices that integrate the wisdom of the Somatic Experiencing tradition with the deep wells of Celtic Christian spirituality.
Together, we will hold a therapeutic healing space grounded in contemplative prayer, ritual, scripture, and the rhythms of the land.
Each week is structured around a contemplative rhythm of stillness, learning and movement. Teachings will deepen experience as we visit sacred sites in the surrounding landscape each week.

The programme includes:
Teachings rooted in Laudato Si', Magnifica Humanitas, and Somatic Experiencing rooted in Scriptural teaching on the body and incarnation.
Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching.
Daily somatic (body-based) practice, ritual and contemplative prayer.
Small group sharing and personal reflection time.
1:1 integration session to support the slow, joyful work of carrying what has been discovered back into your daily life.
Time to enjoy the natural beauty of our farm and Co. Wicklow.
Weekly pilgrimages to holy places in the Wicklow landscape (e.g. Glendalough).

In this programme we will teach, facilitate and engage with the Somatic Experiencing methodology developed by Peter Levine. Though a traditionally secular approach to body-based healing, in this programme we will ground all the principals we use in scripture, to highlight God’s purpose for the human body.

This Sabbatical is particularly suited to:
Those in active ministry, pastoral work or religious life seeking renewal
Educators, healthcare workers and those in caring professions
Lay leaders, artists, teachers and seekers drawn to transformational spirituality
Anyone who has been waiting for permission to stop
People with Irish ancestry who are seeking to reconnect to their heritage

Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas reminds us that the human person cannot be reduced to data, efficiency or productivity. Technology no matter how powerful, will never have the final word on what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God.

Our October Sabbatical is, in its own modest way, a lived response to that conviction: an act of faith that the body still knows something the algorithm does not, and that the Earth, if we are still enough to listen, still speaks.

Enquire Now →

Learn more

For anyone interested in meeting the facilitators and learning more about what to expect over the four weeks, Mel & Taylor have recorded a video, please click here to hear more.

10 week Spring Sabbatical

Sunday 28th February - Friday 7th May 2027

Join us as we explore Spirituality in the context of an evolving Universe, an endangered Earth, and the Christian tradition.

Our Spring Sabbatical Programme is grounded in three pillars that nurture life and vitality: study, community, and practice. Guided by An Tairseach staff and guest lecturers, participants will explore themes based on the Universe Story, evolutionary theology, ecology, cosmology, and Christian theology.

Become familiar with our evolution over 14 billion years as discovered by contemporary science. Explore its implications for understanding our place in the universe. Explore the theological implications of this new cosmology.

We’ll be led by the philosophies of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Brian Swimme & Thomas Berry and theology of Laudato Si to engage in the dialogue between faith and science as a living, participatory process that supports the flourishing of Earth and all life.

Drawing on Celtic Christian tradition and other earth-rooted wisdoms, the programme includes visits to sacred sites such as Glendalough and Newgrange and engaging with creative and contemplative practices.

To apply, please contact the Ecology Centre: info@antairseach.ie

Enquire Now →

Sabbatical Programme FAQs

We’ve compiled answers to some common questions about our Sabbatical Programme. If you’re curious about the details or need more information, read on!

Good to know

HOW DO I APPLY?
Please contact us at info@antairseach.ie for application and reference forms.

ARE ALL MEALS PROVIDED?
No, one meal per day is provided. This is served at 12.30pm on Monday to Friday (excluding Irish bank holidays). We use fresh produce from our organic farm and the food is beautifully prepared by a trained chef who never fails to please. There is always a hot main course and desert with tea/coffee.

ARE THERE SELF-CATERING FACILITIES?
Yes, you will either have a shared kitchen with a few others or a self contained kitchen within your room.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Please enquiry directly with us about the cost of the Sabbatical. The cost includes your accommodation, all workshops and talks, entrance fees to places of interest included in the programme and the main meal served in the day.

The fee does not include the food you wish to buy for your breakfast, evening meal and weekends or refreshments while out on excursions.

ARE THERE ANY BURSARIES AVAILABLE?
Yes, we sometimes have bursaries available for people who are genuine in their desire to participate and do not have the funds. We ask for a small report from those receiving the bursary as well as a commitment to share what they have learnt with others. Please enquire at info@antairseach.ie for more information.

I LIVE NEARBY, CAN I APPLY AS A NON-RESIDENT STUDENT?
Yes, we would welcome your application and if successful, you would be offered the programme at a reduced fee. Please enquiry directly about this.

DO YOU HAVE ACCOMMODATION ON-SITE?
Yes, we have capacity for 18 students to stay in single rooms on site on the beautiful grounds of An Tairseach. If the accommodation is full, we sometimes rent a house in a nearby town and accommodate a further 3 to 5 students who travel in and out each day. You will be contacted and asked if this is something you would like to consider should this become necessary.

IF I AM COMING FROM ABROAD, HOW DO I GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO AN TAIRSEACH?
Wexford bus company 740a route is a direct bus from Dublin Airport to Wicklow Town. The link to bus times is here: Wexford Bus

Stay on the bus until the last stop (The Grand Hotel). We are a 10 minute walk from the bus stop which is uphill. If you have heavy bags we can arrange to collect you from the bus stop.

WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE IN IRELAND?
For many international students, Ireland is cold! Over the course of the Spring Programme there is a change of seasons and some beautiful sunny but cool days with crisp blue skies. There are also days of constant rain and dampness! An Tairseach is a large building and while we do our best to keep you warm, we are an Ecology Centre and do not overheat the building. Please make sure you bring plenty of layers, warm clothes and waterproof clothing and footwear for the outdoors.

Facilties

An Tairseach's Ecology Centre has lecture rooms, a meditation room, an art room, the chapel, a library, a kitchen and dining room, therapeutic treatment rooms, common rooms and administrative offices. Guest accommodation is in single en-suite rooms with shared or self-contained self-catering facilities.

Explore Accommodation →

Environment

We are situated along the scenic coastline of County Wicklow and a five-minute walk Wicklow Town, where you’ll find an array of shops, cafes, and cultural spots.

The tranquil Vartry River flows nearby, inviting peaceful walks and nature-watching. Wicklow Town also boasts a swimming pool and a range of other sports facilities. For breathtaking natural beauty, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains are only a half-hour drive away.

What We Do →