Who are W.E.? — Wild Eala

W.E. are here to support eachother to connect with nature, our indigenous ways, community and Self.

W.E. have roots and wings. The roots of Wild Eala is a 16 acre rewilding and regenerative initiative on the shore of the Blessington Lakes that welcomes those who value nature and connection. Our wings are the support we offer to other groups and initatives in Ireland and Brazil who share our vision.

Wild Eala farm is a place to sink our hands into the earth, walk barefoot on the land, celebrate in community and explore and inspire eachother on topics such as regenerative farming, biodiversity, our indigenous trees and ways, herbal healing and self-discovery. The triple spiral that underpins Wild Eala is : Nature - Presence - Community.

Eala is the Irish word for swan and the land gets its name from its ancient alignment with the swan constellation, which is celebrated by 9 standing stones representing the 9 stars of the constellation.

We try and listen and co-create with the land each step of the way. This is an emergent, joy-filled, fun approach to land stewardship. You are very welcome to join in.

Bébhinn, the initial guardian of the land, fell in love with the lakes area in 2002, when she married her late husband Al in Lacken Church. She and her sons bought the land in 2014 and walked it for months, getting to know it. Involved with both the St. Kevin’s Way pilgrimage to Glendalough and Brigid’s Way to Kildare, she was delighted to note that the land is right in the middle of these two sacred places, balancing the masculine and feminine.

While walking the land, in one fleeting moment, she saw the image of a swan in the sky change into a constellation of stars and descend onto the land. She called the land Wild Eala in honour of this moment of inspiration. Eala is the Irish word for swan.

With the help of Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland, she later discovered that the land lies on an ancient energy line that aligns with the tail star of the Cygnus or Swan constellation, as it rose over the horizon at the time Newgrange was built 5000 years ago. This line connects it with several sacred temples, stones and henges such as the standing stone at Huntingbrook Garden, the passage tomb of Fourknocks and the Baltray Standing Stones.

The Cygnus Enigma, which explores this alignment, was researched by Anthony Murphy of Mythical Ireland. Click on this link for more information -

https://mythicalireland.com/astronomy/the-cygnus-enigma/

The alignment was exactly plotted onto Wild Eala by a professional surveyor in 2020 and nine standing stones were placed along the alignment, mirroring the nine stars and form of the swan constellation onto the land.

The stones came from the valley with the help of a local farmer, who also loves a good stone, and were set them in place with the help of two very patient men who are members of the oldest local families.

In 2014, we planted the first tier of a forest garden on 2 acres (fruit, nut and nitrogen fixing trees) inspired by Michael Crawford’s approach. The fruit trees are now producing a wonderful harvest.

In 2017, a group of Brazilian friends on a sacred tour of Ireland planted a circle of birch and elm trees on the land with an oak tree in the middle. A Rumi poem which captures the spirit of Wild Eala was engraved on stones around the oak tree, carved by the talented sculptor Séighean Ó Draoi. We are leaving 13 acres for rewilding. As Mary Reynolds would say, ‘this is our ark’. We planted yellow rattle seeds in 2020 to help this process along and are protecting jay-seeded oak saplings that are appearing on the land.

In 2021, we planted over 1000 native trees on a hectare of land. The townsland is called Oaklands or Fearann Dara and four beautiful, huge oaks are all that remain of the original forest on the land. We are replanting part of the Oak forest that stood here as recently as 60 years ago.

In 2021, we also started preparing our first vegetable patches and Liz Tiernan of Sweet Wild Soul started offering forest school sessions for kids. In 2022, a small community group came together to create the beds in our first polytunnel and prepare our first open air veg patches using a regenerative, synthopic agriculture approach, inspired by Ernst Götsch in Brazil and Hazel and Davi’s farm in Wicklow. In 2023, this group expanded and a herbal hedgeschool also started up, including the planting of a community herb garden next to our Sile na Gig Brigid’s Well at the Summer Solstice. The space is also been used and cared for by a local homeschool network. Shaman Ash, with support from Yvonne Skelly of Lake Shore Wellness Centre, started up monthly full moon fire ceremonies and regular sweatlodges. This fits in with our indigenous tradition of the sweathouses, a stone one of which is just up the road in Valleymount. Mushroom events, family constellation events, biography workshops are also held at Wild Eala. W.E. strive to operate as much as possible on a basis of in-kind support as payment or optional donation basis.

In 2023, our Wings part of Wild Eala began supporting a project with the Guarani indigenous people in South Brazil with the Avaxi Ete project, which supports two communities to continue their traditional blessing, planting and harvesting of their sacred ancestral seeds of corn, sweet potato and watermelon. We hope to spread our wings more and more.