An immersive weekend of poetry, landscape & stories in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht

With Annemarie Ní Churreáin

25th - 27th Feb 2022

The Song House is delighted to present a special weekend retreat for writers of poetry at all levels. Hosted by Donegal poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin, the programme will feature poetry workshops, readings and one-to-one feedback sessions. Unfolding over two nights and three days, this retreat will offer poets a space to explore, reflect, share, dream and(re)connect with your creative voice in the lap of Errigal Mountain, and among the echoes and shadows of the ancient mythological gods. Solas, meaning ‘light’, is the theme for this weekend and we’ll be illuminating page, space and imagination through language, literature and community.

Connection, Community and brotherhood weekend in Donegal

With Niall Graham and Robin Botley

18th - 20th March 2022

"No man is an Island.” John Donne

This event has been postponed. Please get in touch to express your interest and we will add you to a waiting list.

What we will explore on this Introduction to Menswork weekend:

• Communication skills: The power of words and agreements.
• Understanding the masculine archetypes and how they affect your life: Lover, Warrior, Magician, King are some, and we will explore their qualities.
• Finding your ‘blind spot’/ Shadow, and how does it impact your life?
• What is initiation and rites of passage? Why and when are these events necessary and of value?
• The importance of Elders and Mentors in society.
• Purpose and Mission: The importance of having a focus and direction for men.

With Lucy O’Hagan

Follow the path of your ancestors and learn how to gather and process wild foods and medicines from coast to forest, river to field and all the hedgerows along the edges.

Join ethnobotanist and ancestral skills teacher Lucy O’Hagan on this 5 day journey to explore our inner and outer nature. We will rewild our minds and bodies as we explore a new environment from which to harvest nature’s bounty each day. You will learn how to safely identify and sustainably forage from a range of plants, trees, fungi, seaweed & lichens. Autumn is perhaps one of the most exciting times to be a forager. The abundance is overwhelming as the fruits of the year ripen, the nuts fall to the forest floor, the roots swell with medicine and the fungi burst through the carpeted woodland. Our ancestors surely would have filled their stores in preparation for the long winter ahead. So too you will fill your basket and process plants into salve, syrup, vinegar and pickles to take away with you.

Contact Lucy - at wildawake.ie for booking and further info.

With Lucy O’Hagan and Candy Verney

22-24 April 2022

Singing and Foraging go hand in hand and heart in heart

This previously full event has just had two last minute cancellations! contact info@thesonghouseireland.com if you would like to join.

As you learn how to safely identify, sustainably harvest, process and preserve nature’s bounty, you will be encouraged to explore your own voice in giving thanks to the land and collectively rising up together with the rising tree sap.

Foraging and singing together can enhance strong inner and collective resilience, boost our immune systems and forge strong connections with the land, ourselves and with each other.

This offering is open to all levels, no experience is necessary.

Towards maximising our unique potential

With Margaret Hannon

30th April

The focus of this workshop will be on acting from our full bodies; Remembering that we go all the way down to our toes, that we are 3-D, that we even extend beyond our physical bodies. Sometimes we go on stage and all of a sudden we are talking heads encumbered by our bodies. This happens to almost everyone. So what do we do about it?

The Song House is proud to present to you beautiful evening of music, with 2 Choirs: The Pan European Choir and Cór an Chroí Choir local community choir (both led by Candy Verney) and additional music from local musicians Isabel Ní Chuireáin, Andrew Roddy and Howard Chu.

As a response to the prospect of the UK leaving Europe, Candy, along with her friend and colleague Lindsey Williams, launched the Pan-European choir. We meet in person twice a year for a three to six day residential in different singers’ cities around Europe, and we welcome experienced singers from all over Europe.

Cór an Chroí is a lovely choir based at the Song House, Falcarragh, Co Donegal has been going since 2017. We sing weekly on Tuesday evenings, and perform at local festivals and events. Repertoire- all sorts, with an emphasis on Irish songs in Irish and English.

Ionad Naomh Fionan Falcarragh
Saturday 28th May 5.30pm

No entry fee, with donations going towards Unicef's Ukraine Appeal and Cloughaneely Food bank.

Singing Holiday on Ireland's Beautiful Wild Atlantic Way

With Sarah Garden

26th August - 2nd September 2022

The experience of Singing on the Wild Side is far more than just a singing holiday. We sing every morning in the gorgeous large sunny singing room, with its beautiful acoustic, that looks out onto Muckish mountain. By the end of the week you will find yourself rested, rejuvenated and restored to your centred & grounded self, with a repertoire of up to 12 harmony songs – and that’s just the beginning…

Exploring our experiences of womanhood through song, ceremony and sharing our stories

15th - 18th September 2022

With Joanie Bones

Joanie will be sharing songs from her project THE SHAME // THE LIGHT and other women's songs, holding space so that together we can give voice to our experiences and creating beautiful ceremony to help us on our way through our lives as women. Expect some tears and much belly laughter as we finally get to put aside generations of separation and come together to share our depths and light with each other.

Shamanic Pilgrimage

With Andrew Steed

The Song House is delighted to welcome Andrew Steed and his fellow Pilgrims to Donegal during September 2022. Andrew is a shamanic healer, a transformation facilitator and a frequent traveller & guide into the realms of the lessor known, mystical & magical aspects of self, land and love. He is devoted to creating opportunities for individuals & groups to gather and experience the power of song, story, myth, ceremony and pilgrimage – so that they can ultimately, live more connected and compassion filled lives. This pilgrimage is full – please click on the link to Andrews website for other opportunities.

In an ever shifting world, what are we belonging ourselves to?

With Jenny O'Hare and Niall Graham

14th - 16th October 2022

As humans, we have a deep desire to belong; be that to place, to a people, or simply to ourselves. Much of what has traditionally offered us this belonging is now shifting rapidly. In such a landscape, how is it that we can root ourselves in lives of meaning?

You are invited to a deeply experiential weekend in which we will explore the thread of Belonging through relationship to self, place, community and culture.

An immersive weekend of poetry, landscape & stories in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht

With Annemarie Ní Churreáin

21st - 23rd October 2022

Following the sold-out success of the first Solas Writing Retreat Weekend led by Donegal poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin, The Song House is delighted to present a second retreat for writers of poetry at all levels. This retreat will offer poets a space to explore, reflect, share and(re)connect with your creative voice in the lap of Errigal & Muckish Mountain, and among the echoes and shadows of Lugh Lámfada and other mythological ghosts.

Unfolding over two nights and three days, and led by Annemarie Ní Churreáin, the programme will feature poetry workshops, readings and one-to-one feedback sessions. ‘Dreamtime’ is the theme for this weekend and poets are invited to submit a poem in advance of the weekend for group editing over the course of the weekend.

Remembering the Way

With Death Doula Alexandra Derwen and apprentice Death Doula Tanya Bryan

The premise of the “community of grief” is that Grief itself is a force for community cohesion and repair; whatever our personal stories of loss it is in the shared circle space that the potential for alchemy and amplification of the healing process takes place. If you feel moved and called to this work then you belong there; we do ask that people come with open hearts ready to participate with curiosity and courage; but most importantly just bring your broken human selves and the circle itself will hold you.

In an ever shifting world, what are we belonging ourselves to?

With Jenny O'Hare and Niall Graham

10th - 12th February 2023

As humans, we have a deep desire to belong; be that to place, to a people, or simply to ourselves. Much of what has traditionally offered us this belonging is now shifting rapidly. In such a landscape, how is it that we can root ourselves in lives of meaning?

You are invited to a deeply experiential weekend in which we will explore the thread of Belonging through relationship to self, place, community and culture.

A week of immersive choral singing and voice work, surrounded by mountains and the Wild Atlantic Way – for singers with some experience of singing in choirs

Friday 30th June – Friday 7th July 2023

With Candy Verney and Sophie Grimmer

Would you like to develop your voice further?

Have you sung in choirs for a while, and now you feel the need to deepen the quality of the sound?

Would you like to sing more challenging repertoire?

Would you like to immerse yourself in the beauty of the human voice, and have fun too?

This promises to be a very stimulating and restorative course, with a high professional input from both teachers. Candy’s background is in community choir leadership. Sophie’s background is in opera performance, singing teaching and voice pedagogy research. Between us we can draw on extensive experience in diverse complementary fields to offer an immersive week of choral music and personal voice work
Over the week, our own little community will build, sharing profound musical experiences and challenges, seeding new friendships, exploring the natural vibrant beauty surrounding us. So if you want to challenge your singing self, have a sense of adventure, meeting other interesting folk and returning home feeling refreshed, invigorated and in tune, then join us here.

Singing Holiday on Ireland's Beautiful Wild Atlantic Way - Event Full

With Sarah Garden

Friday 18th to Friday 25th August 2023

This event has now reached full capacity. Sign up to our newsletter for info on future holidays.

The experience of Singing on the Wild Side is far more than just a singing holiday. We sing every morning in the gorgeous large sunny singing room, with its beautiful acoustic, that looks out onto Muckish mountain. By the end of the week you will find yourself rested, rejuvenated and restored to your centred & grounded self, with a repertoire of up to 12 harmony songs – and that’s just the beginning…

Our repertoire will be wide and varied. We normally have one or two songs that challenge us, including an original song specially arranged by Candy, then a mixture of Irish songs, world music, rounds, and improvisation.
We also do our best to introduce singers to the rich local Gaelic culture. You may find yourself moved to tears singing in the ruins of Ray church, or listening to a local singer singing in the ancient sean-nós style. You will have the afternoons to explore the beaches, mountains, rivers and historic sites that abound in the area. We also offer guided walks, kayaking, poetry and music evenings.