Ballycroy, Co. Mayo, Ireland from Saturday June 6 – June 13
Hosted by Patrick Little
“The hamster wheel looks like a ladder – but only from the inside…”
In the wild landscape of County Mayo, Shranamanragh Lodge is a place where
time seems to have stood still. Located on the bank of the River Owenduff, 3km
upstream from where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean, this is the ideal location
to retreat from the outer world of compulsion, stress, and chaos to bring order
and calm to our Inner World.
Combining elements from Zen Buddhism, Twelve Step Recovery, Positive
Intelligence (PQ), and Gestalt Therapy (specifically – chair work), we will “enter
the cave that holds the treasures that we seek….” (Joseph Campbell)
Limited to eight participants, we will each have time and space, supported by
the group, to delve below the surface to identify, embrace, and work with old
reactive patterns that no longer serve our healing, growth, and joy. By
integrating the results of this work, we grow in our capacity to respond with
awareness to whatever stimuli we encounter as we go through our daily lives.
We become the “responsible men of the 21st century”.
Shranamanragh Lodge, which has been the holiday home of our family since 193. This shot was taken from the opposite side of the river
Retreat Programme.
Saturday, June 6
15.00 Arrival
16.00 Walk around the grounds and local vicinity
18.00 Evening meal
19.00 Session 1
Introductions
Why am I here? What do I hope to get from this week? What have I brought to
contribute? Review of retreat programme
21.00 Sunset walk/swim
Sunday, June 7
6.00 Meditation (optional)
7.00 Breakfast
8.00 Session 2
PQ Concepts
Pain is a given, Suffering is optional
Saboteurs, Mind Control, Sage
Self-Assessment, Collective Reflection
11.00 Relaxation, Private Time/Group Time
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Outdoor Activities
18.00 Dinner
19.00 Session 3
Inner Critic, Judge Saboteur
Childhood, Compassion, Grief
Chair Work #1
21.30 Sunset Walk, Open House
This daily schedule will be repeated throughout the week, Monday through
Friday. One day is reserved for an all-day excursion, perhaps to climb Ireland’s
Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick, on the Atlantic Seaboard (Clew Bay)
Afternoon trips may include exploring the river up into the mountains,
swimming and hiking on Achill Island, discovering the rugged beauty of the
North Mayo coast, including the spectacular sea stack at Downpatrick Head.
Daily swims in the river at the Lodge at high tide are very enjoyable.
The topics of the Sessions throughout the week will be as follows:
Session 4, Monday 8.00 – 11.00
Judge Saboteur & Accomplices
Saboteur Life Cycles
Chair Work #2
Session 5, Monday 19.00 – 21.30
3 Further Accomplice Saboteurs
Chair Work #3
Session 6, Tuesday 8.00 – 11.00
3 Further Accomplice Saboteurs
Chair Work #4
Session 7, Tuesday 19.00 – 21.30
3 Further Accomplice Saboteurs
Chair Work #5
Wednesday, June 10: Day Trip (weather dependent). Mountain Climb
Ireland’s Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick, on the southern shore of Clew Bay
Session 8, Thursday 8.00 – 11.00
Sage Perspective
Five Sage Powers
Chair Work #6
Session 9, Thursday 19.00 – 21.30
Sage Perspective
Five Sage Powers
Chair Work #7
Session 10, Friday 8.00 – 11.00
Sage Perspective
Five Sage Powers
Chair Work #8
Session 11, Friday 19.00 – 21.00
PQ Applications
Daily PQ/Emotional Sobriety Practice
Chair Work #9
Session 12, Saturday 8.00 – 11.00
Outro Session, Mental Fitness Plan, Personal Areas of Application
Big Step, Emotional Sobriety Commitment
Depart at noon on Saturday, June 13th, after an early lunch.
Each participant will have the opportunity to do chair work at least once. In this
segment, we will enter into a dialogue with one of our Saboteurs or Sage
Powers. There may be time for two chair work segments in each session.
Experience shows that 30 minutes is often sufficient to complete a chair work
session. Participation is voluntary and the participant selects the topic of the
chair work session.
The morning session will begin with a check-in segment of approx. 30 minutes.
Various topics may arise during our sessions. Sufficient time is available to
allow them to be identified, embraced, deeply felt, worked through, and
integrated. I am available for 1-2-1 sessions with participants in the afternoons
(can be conducted in English or German).
The package includes accommodation (double rooms, single beds), organic
vegan breakfast, lunch & dinner each day, plus refreshments. We will organise
the cooking ourselves by means of a service roster. All fresh meal ingredients
will be delivered to the Lodge throughout the week.
The retreat price of €1,200 plus VAT (where applicable) does not include
transportation to and from the retreat location.
Please signal your intent to participate per email before April 30th to
patrick@soberoasis.org . Places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served
basis. Only eight places are available. Once I have received your email, you will
be asked to complete the booking process. A payment plan option is available
upon request. I look forward to receiving your booking.
Once the slots have been booked, we will establish a WhatsApp Group (or
similar) to enable participants to coordinate travel to and from the location,
pooling of rental cars, etc.
Though digital detox is advised during your stay, high-speed Wi-Fi is available to
those who need it. The retreat language is English.
I am available to support participants (with information, contacts, inspiration,
etc.) who wish to plan an extended stay in Ireland around the time of the
retreat.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
Best wishes,
Patrick in Cologne, March 20, 2026
Sunrise, as seen from the Lodge, over the Nephin Beg Mountains. The two
sources of the Owenduff River lie high up in this isolated mountain range.
Location
Ballycroy is located on the Atlantic seaboard in Co. Mayo, one of the wildest
areas in Western Europe. International access is possible through Dublin
Airport. Further airports worth checking are: Belfast, Knock, and Shannon.
Keem Bay, on Achill Island. Achill, which lies directly opposite Ballycroy, and is
connected to the mainland by a bridge, is a popular destination for arts &
crafts, surfing, spectacular nature trails, and traditional Irish music.
“A week in West Mayo will forever change your view on life…….”
