MO'S REWILDING ISLAND RETREAT
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***NEW DATES RELEASED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND***
Forage and Feast with
research herbalist and ethnobotanist ~ Monica Wilde
and author of The Wilderness Cure
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NEW DATES: 28 April - 01 May 2023
(21-24 April retreat fully booked)
If you would like to be on our waiting list or mailing list for future dates, please email us.
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An unforgettable four-day (three-night) experience on the private, off-grid island of Lambay. Walk with the kind and gentle, encyclopaedic knowledge of Monica Wilde, ethnobotanist and research herbalist.
Enjoy mouth-watering food with seasonal, organic produce collected on the island by your own hand and transformed into delicious dishes by Monica and Christine.
Come away with the knowledge and techniques to responsibly and safely forage nutritious and delicious ingredients from the natural environment around you, and transform your understanding of our natural habitat.
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Monica says:
"I am excited and delighted to be the 'resident forager' for this magical and inspirational place, where I host intimate residential weekends - each one a circadial retreat to celebrate a different season and encourage people to re-wild.
For just 10-12 guests, this is an intimate and full immersion in nature to restore the soul and liberate the mind, while staying in the exquisite Lutyens-designed Whitehouse. Your every need is beautifully catered for by the warm and welcoming residential team on Lambay.
Lambay is just a 25-minute boat ride from the mainland, and yet once there it feels like another world. You are collected from the Marina around lunchtime on a Friday (timings are tide dependent); by the time you return on Monday it feels as if you’ve been away forever. Time passes at a different pace on Lambay and you can breathe again!"
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REGISTRATION & COST
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Your all-inclusive retreat package includes €50 for the return boat transfer between Ireland and Lambay (departing from Malahide, just north of Dublin airport). The journey takes 25 minutes by boat and lifejackets are provided.
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Included in rates:
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Lambay boat transfers at beginning and end of your retreat
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Foraging workshops, walks and advice sessions with Monica Wilde
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Luxurious island accommodation for 3 nights / 4 days in the Whitehouse on Lambay
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All locally sourced, seasonal meals prepared by Mo's private island retreat chef: breakfasts, lunches, dinners
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Morning and afternoon refreshments (tea, coffee, cake, fruit)
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Optional wild swim and morning meditation
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Use of island wi-fi, sitting rooms, library, gardens, and local know-how
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Tea/coffee, herbal infusions and soft drinks available all day (self-serve)
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Personal hosting from the resident Baring family throughout your island stay, ​​including an optional private tour of Lambay Castle
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The all inclusive, per person packages are as follows:
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SINGLE OCCUPANCY
€995 ~ super-king room with en suite bathroom and sea views
€945 ~ super-king bedroom with en suite bathroom
€845 ~ super-king bedroom with shared en suite shower room (one between two bedrooms)​
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DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
€1,590 (€795 pp) ~ shared super-king or twin bedroom with private en suite bathroom
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Not included:
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Travel to Ireland and transportation to Malahide Marina from where the Lambay boat departs (boat transfers included)
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Travel Insurance (highly recommended as there will be no refunds for travel changes)
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Extras or mainland expenses
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Deposit:
A 20% deposit is required to secure your space. The balance is due six weeks prior to the retreat. Payment plans are available on request.
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Registration & Further Info:
To register and for questions about Lambay, the region or local travel, please write to millie@islandclub.co
For any other questions about Mo's Rewilding Retreat, please write to monica@monicawilde.com
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SCHEDULE
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The course schedule runs in accordance with the seasonal tides, and the island eco-system's growth and weather patterns. Activities, foraging walks and workshops will be timed to suit nature's whim and will include most, if not all, of the below.
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ACTIVITIES
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Foraging for Seaweeds, Wild Herbs or Mushrooms (seasonal)
Walking
Birdwatching
Re-wilding*
Hilltop or Seashore Meditation
Optional Fishing, Lobster Potting or Hunting (seasonal)
Slideshows
Fireside Discussions (indoors or outdoors)
Games
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*Re-wilding means restoring ourselves to ways of living that give us greater mental and physical health and return a natural balance to our bodies and our relationship with the earth’s ecosystems. Re-wilding teaches us how to return to using all of our senses to discover ways of living in a natural world that many people are disconnected from in their daily lives. For those interested, Monica can also share some Shinrin Yoku techniques that help you to relax in nature.
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Monica has designed the retreat to give you a truly immersive experience of the island’s ecology and the abundance of wild food and herbs growing there. Foraging walks will cover the different habitats on the island. Together, you will visit the seashore for coastal plants, go inland to find wallabies and deer, watch the seabirds that fearlessly breed on the cliffs, and gather food and herbs from the castle’s beautiful organic walled garden and woodland.
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SKILLS
Throughout the weekend, you will have the opportunity to learn various skills that you can take with you and continue to use at home. Learning to safely identify and responsibly collect seasonal ingredients is a key part of this workshop, as well as learning how to prepare and cook the harvest. Masterclasses may include (season-dependent):
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Making Wild Mushroom Paté
De-boning a Wallaby
Monica's Signature Stew with Nettle Dumplings
Making Laverbread from Lambay Seaweed
Preparing Pepper Dulse Butter
Baking Irish Soda Bread with Seasonal Herbs
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DELICIOUS ISLAND FOOD
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Your menu on Lambay will be shaped around the natural seasonal produce available at that time of year, each meal including fresh ingredients foraged and collected by you on the island.
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Starters (Seasonal)
Wild Leek and Nettle Soup with Crusty Bread and Pepper Dulse Butter
Celeriac and Hogweed Soup with Spring Herb and Wild Garlic Bread
Porcini Soup with Horseradish Cream with Seaweed Bread and Truffle Butter
Apple and Cider Potted Mussels with Seaweed Bread and Wild Island Salad
Wild Mushroom Pate with Homemade Spelt and Seed Crackers
Potted Winkles
Cured Sea Trout with Rhubarb with Seaweed Oatcakes and Green Salad
Smoked Haddock and Dulse Tart with New Potatoes and Ground Elder
Fried Laverballs with Celeriac and Wild Carrot Coleslaw
Homemade Wild Herb Hoummous with Carrot & Celery Sticks and Homemade Pitta Bread
Hogweed Tempura with Oarweed Shirodashi Sauce and Scurvygrass ‘Wasabi’
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Main Courses (Seasonal)
Brill with Wild Sorrel Sauce, Creamed Sea Beet & Kale with Nutmeg and Smashed Potatoes
Wallaby Stew with Nettle Dumplings, Celeriac Dauphinoise and Wild Herb Salad
Roast Lemon & Thyme Chicken with Ground Elder & Wild Leek Tabbouleh and Asparagus Spears in Sorrel Butter
Venison Medallions with Haw Pontack, Sorrel & Ground Elder Champ and Buttered Sea Beet
Organic Lambay Beef Steak with Laver & Royal Fernweed Gnocchi and Crispy Hogweed Shoots
Slow Cooked Soy Pork Belly with Stir-fried Sea Beet and Noodles and a Sea Rocket ‘Wasabi’
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Desserts (Seasonal)
Avocado, Chicory and Dandelion Root Coffee Ice Cream
Poached Pears in Ginger and Hogweed Spice
Gorse Flower, Ground Ivy and Seaweed Blancmange
Elderflower Delight
Grilled Lambay Figs in Rosemary Honey
Rose and Elderflower Carragheen Pannacotta
Sea Buckthorn Berry Posset
Fresh Fennel & Rhubarb Oat Crumble
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Tea/Coffee is available throughout the day on a self-service basis. Please inform us in good time of any allergies or dietary requirements. Hypo-allergenic bedding is also available on advanced request.
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LUXURY COSY ACCOMMODATION
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The Whitehouse is your home during your Lambay visit. With its large Dutch-tiled fireplace, south facing sitting room, original furniture, family murals and collections, it is a unique and welcoming house comprised of a shared central section and two wings. There have been no major alterations to the building, so it remains an authentic example of this period of Lutyens’ work.
However, bathrooms have been carefully modernised with conservation in mind and curtains, carpets and new beds were installed in recent years. The heating and hot water systems have also been revamped, providing a level of luxury that does Lutyens’ designs great justice.
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Each bedroom has a super-king bed capable of conversion to two single beds, with mattress protectors, duvets and two pillows per bed. Extra blankets are available should they be desired. Electric blankets are not permitted on the island's off-grid energy supply, however hot bottles are provided in case of cold weather.
The central and upstairs bathrooms have showers; the corner room en suites have bath-shower combinations and the end room luxury en suites have freestanding baths and separate showers.
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Please let us know if you would like to request a particular bedroom.
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For more information on what to do and see while on the island, please visit our On Lambay page.
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BOOTS - There is a large number of Wellington boots in a range of sizes, which you are welcome to borrow during your stay.
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GETTING HERE
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Please make your way to Malahide as soon as you have arrived into Ireland from abroad.
Dublin Airport to Malahide
Malahide is approximately 20 minutes by road from Dublin Airport; a regular size taxi costs approximately €15-20.
Dublin Ferry Port to Malahide
Malahide is approximately 35 minutes by road from Dublin Ferry Port; a regular size taxi costs approximately €30-35.
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Directions to Malahide Town Centre
If you wish to stop off in town for supplies, head for Gibney's of Malahide on New Street, a traditional local pub in the centre of Malahide town. This is well placed between all the most useful shops (Boots, SuperValu, Donnybrook Fair) and restaurants/cafés if you have time for a bite to eat. The Marina Centre is a five minute walk from Gibney's and the town centre.
If heading straight for the Marina, tell your taxi driver to drive through the Marina Village (under the arch) and straight to the end where you will see a giant anchor sculpture by the Marina Centre. Our Lambay boat skipper will meet you outside White’s Laundry at the allotted time.
POLITE NOTICE: It is important that you do not enter the Marina Centre at any time unless accompanied by the Skipper, as it is private property.
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The boat transfers to/from Lambay adhere to the tides and, as such, must depart promptly at the scheduled time.
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For those with flights, we strongly recommend flights that leave a minimum of 4 hours (preferably 6 hours) between your flight arrival/departure times and the scheduled boat transfer time. Please be ready at the Marina 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.
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20kg limit on luggage per person on the boats.
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WEATHER
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The weather on Lambay is generally milder and drier than on the mainland, with plenty of sunshine. However, the island is also open to the elements and can be very windy. Out of the sun this can make it quite chilly! and weather on the island changes fast so you must be prepared for rain and sun.
We suggest bringing plenty of layers and a light water/wind proof jacket to enjoy Lambay outdoors; cosy slippers or socks and a favourite wooly jumper for indoors, where you can warm up by the cosy open fire in the Whitehouse.
