About Lake Isle Retreats | Our Story & Mission
Welcoming guests to Upper Lough Erne since 1998.
Hosting retreats since October 2005.
In July 1995, Tim (photo above) went to live as a student monk at the Krishna temple on Inish Rath Island. The still waters of Upper L. Erne, the murmuring of mantras being repeated, and the quiet pace of island life inspired a thought: more people need a space like this. In 1998, Tim thought it would be exciting to start hosting guided tours of the temple, so that's what he did. Manu, the man in charge, encouraged and sponsored the new endeavour.
In 2005, thanks to the guestrooms built by Derek and Gordana, Lake Isle Retreats began hosting retreats on Inish Rath Island. Our first retreat was a vegetarian cookery weekend with 4 guests. One of the four was Tim's mother, and she brought a friend. But we were off to a start!
Others soon joined the retreats journey — Yen, Carmen, Fiona, Chrissie, Elizabeth, Frances, Gavin, Sukhada, Genny, Padma, Lucy, and Evangeline — each bringing generosity and commitment. The retreats began to expand.
As with many historic buildings, the large 19th century house on the island requires ongoing care and massive investment to maintain guest comfort. So in June 2012, we moved to Mandala House at Upper Lough Erne, just across from the island, where retreats continued for 9 years.
Since 2021, we have been based in Bhakti Cottage and rent a neighbouring holistic centre, where retreats continue throughout the year.
Our focus has always been service, creating a genuine space of welcome and spiritual nourishment. In time, we plan to expand and create more facilities for our guests.
Read more about the facilitators.
To look into Tim's easy-to-read and fascinating book, see:
Adventures of an Ordinary Monk
(A book).
THE TEAM
Welcome to our Retreats :-)
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Lake Isle Retreats recommends Govinda's Vegetarian Restaurant, 83 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin and ISKCON Ireland Ltd, 83 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1 - charity no. 6368 (in the Republic of Ireland). |
