2 Day Residential Course: Friday 17th October & Saturday 18th October 2025
Gardens have always been places where people sought meaning. From Eden to Gethsemane, from Powerscourt to Altamont, something of these places resonated with people’s souls as they yearned to connect to more. Styles of gardens have changed down the millennia, as have the lifestyles of those who created and gardened them, but what has remained constant has been the human desire for wholeness, holiness and connection. As much as we have created and cultivated gardens, they have had their effects on us, as the life of the garden and that of the soul become intertwined. In other words, our souls have been gardened. If our planet has any chance of surviving and thriving we must cultivate this connection to the natural world and be open to all that the future holds for us.
Join us for a wonderful two days where we explore these concepts through a mix of talks and reflection, guided tours (The National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh and the An Tairseach organic gardens) and contemplative time as you immerse yourself in the peaceful retreat space which An Tairseach offers.
Price includes all talks, tea/coffee, all meals catered (day 1: lunch/dinner) (day 2: breakfast/lunch), accommodation for the overnight stay and entrance cost for guided tour in The National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh.
Details
DATES
October 17-18, 2025
TIME
9:30 am
LOCATION
An Tairseach Ecology Centre
CATEGORY
Residential
FEE
€240 Residential / €170 Non-Residential
About David White
David White began his love affair with gardening when he sowed apple pips in a yogurt pot on his warm windowsill at home as a young child. Later as an adult he trained and worked at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin where he was introduced to the complex and intriguing world of plants and their ecologies. Now as a spiritual director and Church of Ireland priest based in Dublin’s Rathgar he has written a book, ‘The Gardened Soul: The Emotional Connection to More’ (Wipf and Stock Publishers) to put a shape on some of his contemplation in the garden.