The three-day event takes place on 2-4 August over 19 acres of lakelands and has everything from céilís and holistic workshops to gardening and wood turning demos
When you think of a summer festival, you probably don’t imagine crowds of stone cold sober people taking part in ancient ceremonies, learning how to weave willow or taking part in a grief circle.
But you can do all of these things at one particular event this summer – Healing Spirit Festival.
Founded by Gearoid and Lorraine Teevan of Drummany Spirit in 2022, Healing Spirit is a family-friendly, holistic, music, art, talk and wellness festival based in the heart of Cavan’s Lakeland area. Ensuring a safe space for people of all ages, the festival is about joining communities and cultures, elders, musicians, holistic therapists, indigenous cultures and artists of all traditions to seek spiritual enlightenment, harmony and happiness.
Gearóíd has been in recovery for alcohol addiction for 14 years and Lorraine said that the festival means more to her now than ever after coming through a tough year while living with cancer.
Speaking about Healing Spirit, she said: “It is a weekend event, starting on Friday people arrive here to camp and we hold the ancient Sweat Lodge ceremony. We have two different types, Celtic and Temezacal (Mexican influenced). Next morning we have our opening ceremony on the land, it is visually stunning and based on Celtic myths, legends and is performed in both Irish and English. Everyone who is here takes part in this.”
But there are some elements to this festival that you will find at all the bigger ones – it has a fantastic array of musical acts and speakers lined up over two days.
“We have 18 different music acts over two days this year from Liam O’Maonli, The Armagh Rhymers, Bog Bodies, and a lot more,” said Lorraine.
“We have a talk tent with 16 different speakers including Shane Connaguhton, Michael Harding, Dr Dilis Clare. We have a lot of holistic workshops, some conducted in Irish, meditation, yoga, breathwork, loads more, even a grief circle. We also have some beautiful interactive art works on the land that have all been made from recycled material, including Malachy our beautiful l16 foot eagle. We have lots of demonstrations, blacksmiths, wood turning, willow weaving, gardening etc. This year we are also hoping to do sober dating in the forest, a céilí at the cottage and a few more wacky things!”
The festival is organised by a community group and funds go back into developing a community space on the land. For more information, watch the video below or visit healingspiritfestival.com.
