IRELAND
Ballymaloe House, County Cork
with Molly McManus & Ann Maxwell
September 21-27, 2025
Join Ann & Molly for an unforgettable yoga retreat in mystical, magical Ireland!
Family owned and run, Ballymaloe House will be your home for 7 lovely days and 6 nights. Tucked into the quiet Cork countryside and complete with farm, pristine gardens, artists residency and a world renowned cookery school, your days will include morning and afternoon yoga classes, farm to table meals, strolling the property, picnicking on the Ballycotton cliffs and more. You’ll enjoy a day trip to Blarney castle with a special dinner out, and have the opportunity to visit the Jameson distillery or enjoy a tour of the grounds of the Ballymaloe Cookery School. This special retreat is an experience of all of the splendors of Ireland and is perfect for single travelers, couples, culinary enthusiasts and everything in between.
Join us as we stroll through the gardens, linger of libations and enjoy each others friendships.
Your retreat week will be at the award-winning Ballymaloe House. Condé Nast Traveller Magazine has acknowledged Ballymaloe House on their Gold List, and it was the only Irish venue on this prestigious list of the World’s top 100 hotels. The McKenna Guide 2018 listed Ballymaloe House as one of Ireland’s 100 Best Restaurants.
Accommodation at Ballymaloe House is simple and elegant. Each room has a private bathroom (many with bathtubs). All accommodations have a calm and relaxing feel. There are paintings and drawings by Irish modern artists such as Pat Scott, Michael Farrell, Louis Le Brocquy and Norah McGuinness throughout the house, as well as examples of Irish studio pottery.
Enjoy afternoon tea in the drawing room by the fire or in the conservatory, which is filled with scented geraniums and winter jasmine and overlooks our gardens and river. The gardens are dotted with benches, where you can sit and read or listen to the sounds of the farm. During our visit, the drawing room will be warm and peaceful—the perfect place to relax after a long walk by the sea and look out at the wild Irish sky.
Yoga classes will be onsite at the “Grainstore,” which was originally built in the 17th century, but converted to host groups and events. Wood floors, quiet and lots of light offer a perfect space for dailiy classes.
During our week, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the grounds of Ballymaloe, a picnic on the Ballycotton cliffs, and a day trip to Blarney castle (with a special dinner out at a surprise restaurant!). We offer an optinal visit to the Ballymaloe cooking school grounds, a visit the Jameson Whiskey distillery, and weahter premitting, we try to offer an early morning sauna and cold dip in the Atlantic! This unique retreat will open your eyes to many of the splendors of Ireland and is perfect for single travelers, couples, culinary enthusiasts and you!
Please plan to meet the group at Ballymaloe House on the start day of your retreat. Rooms will be available between 2 and 4pm. On the last day of your retreat, check out is after breakfast (so there will not be a yoga class on that day).
The closest airport to Ballymaloe House is Cork international (ORK) which is about 30 minutes via taxi or car. The other major airports in Ireland are Dublin (3 hour drive) and Shannon (2 hour drive). We anticipate that some participants will add time before or after the retreat to explore and some may choose to fly into an Dublin or Shannon, rent a car or take other transportation, for example hiring a private driver service to get to Cork and then to our retreat home at Ballymaloe.
There is so much beauty worth exploring if you have any extra time to add. In the past, some have added time in Dublin, while others have ventured from Cork to Killarney, the ring of Kerry, Dingle and other gems. Kinsale is also a lovely village not far from Cork. So, a car rental may be worth it, especially if shared by a friend or two (to share the cost) … but don’t forget – the Irish drive on the left!
We will start gathering participants travel plans well in advance, and certainly if we see many on similar flights arriving to the Cork Airport, we may be able to connect those of you on similar arrivals if you want to hire a taxi bus as a group. For transportation after the retreat (for example back to Cork airport), the receptionist at Ballymaloe can easily assist.
What to pack:
- Cool weather clothing
- Good walking shoes
- A couple of nicer outfits for evenings out
- Yoga clothes
- Adapters for electronics
Your Teachers
Molly McManus, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, AHC, AC, Somatic Educator
Molly is co-owner of Yoga North International SomaYoga Institute and President of the board of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She is a speaker and educator sought for her special areas of interest; the resolution of chronic pain, and the diseases of stress and trauma, and creating systems for whole-being well-being. She has designed programs such as Yoga North ISYI’s Yoga Teacher Training and Accredited Yoga Therapy Program, Nourish Ayurveda, SomaYoga for Chronic Pain Resolution, and Teaching Yoga Therapy for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. Molly participates in continuous training and active engagement in her field.
Molly loves to travel and has enjoyed leading many adventure yoga retreats to locations including the Galapagos, Iceland, India, Nicaragua, France, Ireland, Apostle Islands and the North Woods of Minnesota. She cant wait to co-host this group in Iceland with her business partner Ann Maxwell.
Ann Maxwell, MS, C-IAYT, ERYT 500, AYS, Somatic Educator
Ann holds certification in Hatha Yoga, Yoga for Cancer Survivors and is an experienced teacher trainer and yoga therapist. She gets great satisfaction in supporting the teachers in training to find their niche, grow their skills and become great yoga teachers and therapists. Adventure is in her bones from being a program director at Widjiwagan in Northern Minnesota, a wilderness guide for Adventures in Good Company and Woodswoman, as well as bringing that enthusiasm to Yoga North with advanced training in wilderness settings to adventure yoga vacations! She lives on the edge of Lake Superior in Duluth on Park Point. Ann brings the spirit of adventure and curiosity to her expertise as a yoga instructor and business owner, grounding her ability in the practicality and expertise of the body. Ann is a model of yogic living for her students and brings a sense of wisdom and fun to the daily practice of yoga.
Ireland was amazing! Everything was absolutely wonderful: beautiful land and accommodations, spectacular hosts, delicious food, fun day trips, nourishing classes, fantastic community. It was bittersweet to leave, but I did so feeling completely replenished and full of joy. This was my perfect first solo traveling adventure.
– Kelly S (Ireland retreat participant)
Accommodations
DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM:
Queen / King or 2 twin beds
Last 2 classic rooms
$3995 per person
SINGLE OCCUPANCY ROOM
Last single room
$4795
SUPERIOR DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ROOM:
Last superior room has King bed
$4395 per person
*to reserve, you only need to place your initial $695 deposit. We will confirm your reservation and can split your balance into payments through June 2025
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
- 7 days / 6 nights accommodations at Ballymaloe House
- Classes with your teachers (2 / day on most days)
- Breakfasts lunches and dinners catered by Ballymaloe House
- Walking tour of Ballymaloe
- A day trip to Blarney Castle plus a special dinner out
- Picturesque walk along the Ballycotton cliffs with picnic
- Optional add ons: tour of the famous Jameson Distillery, tour of the world famous Ballymaloe Cookery School
NOT INCLUDED:
- Travel to and from Ballymaloe House
- Optional activities
- Gratuities you might like to offer drivers and guides
- Travel Insurance (highly recommended – see Travel Guard Link)
A $695 deposit will secure your space and we would be happy to try to match you with a roommate if you need one.
Refunds and Cancellations: Refund less deposit ($695) before June 1, 2025. No refunds after June 1, 2025. In case of emergency withdrawal, you may transfer your reservation to a family member as long as you notify One Yoga Global 21+ days in advance. Due to arrangements made with our vacation hosts, there can be no exceptions to this policy.
If you place a deposit, the balance due will be set to charge in equal installments starting the month after deposit through June, 2025, unless other arrangements are made. Participants will be required to sign the application and liability waiver to participate on this trip.
We HIGHLY recommend that you consider purchasing Travel Insurance. Travel insurance companies like Travel Guard and Trawick International offer policies that insure your investment in case you need to cancel (including “cancel for any reason” coverages), coverages for expenses incurred due to to weather & travel delays, personal property loss and emergency travel medical. Please review policies carefully to choose the coverage you need.
We recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance to protect your investment. Trawick International and Travel Guard are two providers that we recommend. Please review policies carefully to ensure they provide the coverage you need.