By Lily Hulatt, Group Trips Administrator for RTC

Exploring Beautiful Wicklow & Druids Glen

For my first in-person Group Trip adventure as Group Trips Administrator for Rory's Travel Club, I couldn't have picked a better trip. Having done Yoga classes on and off for 7 years, I have never given a retreat serious thought until I started organising the one for Druids Glen for our Group Trips members. 

So, once I packed up the car with a Yoga Mat, some snacks, blankets, and my mother into the passenger seat, we set off to Wicklow which I haven't been to since I was a small child. The sun thankfully decided to return to Ireland which meant the Wicklow mountains were stunning, as were the grounds of Druids Glen once we arrived and checked in.

The rooms were stunning! They were really spacious, with two king sized beds and comfy armchairs to snuggle up next to a Juliet balcony. We had a wonderful look over the Golf course and grounds so it felt very special to share the experience with my mum. The hotel staff were also super accommodating and helpful with providing additional details and bookings for the Garden Bar and Restaurant.

The site of Druids Glen is fairly large, with a golf course and gorgeous woodland trail walks for guests to relax and enjoy some wildlife away from Dublin. The hotel also has a pool, spa, and gym so I spent each morning of my stay having a swim, checking out the jacuzzi, and braving the sauna. It was a fabulous hotel to stay in and my mum also really enjoyed it for the spontaneous treat it was!

The Yoga Sessions

Around 33 members met in the James Joyce Ballroom in the hotel later that night for our first Yoga Session. Our Sessions were ran by the fantastic instructor Claudia, with Dawn covering our intermediate class on the Monday. They really knew how to make sure to adjust their classes for every level, lead the breathing focus sessions with practised ease, and were really great about injuries and suggesting alternatives to the moves.

We had around 4-6 sessions throughout the retreat, all held in the spacious Ballroom which had an excellent and comfortable carpet to lie on and relax during the Nidra sessions. Claudia also gave us an additional, lovely surprise with goodie bags for each member that was filled with items from branded partners for the retreat:

1. Blanco Niño Ireland
2. GGG Activewear
3. Away with Nature
4. Good4You
5. Ardú Reformer Pilates
6. Naze Ireland
7. Tae Tea
8. Yoga Fest Ireland
9. Spiritual but Badass

It was a great treat to have the goodie bags, which were worth around €25+!

Members were also able to leave the hotel in between sessions and explore Greystones, Bray, Beyond the Trees Avondale, and the Avoca shop in Kilmacanoge. Claudia and I also worked to provide updates on the Whatsapp Group for the members when the weather interrupted our outdoor session and also to suggest things to do and see around the hotel.

We had great, positive feedback from our members on the hotel, the Yoga sessions, and the goodie bags and I was able to chat with members on future Group Trips I was organising as well as getting ideas for new ones!

Final Thoughts

It was a great and memorable first Group Trip for me and for some of the members who had never been on a Group Trip either. It was great to meet members from all over Ireland, from Galway, Wexford, Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin and more. By the end of the retreat, there was a real buzz as members had time to get to know each other, relax, and start planning their next Group Trip together, which I considered a great job well done.

I really hope to get to meet the members again in another Group Trip - and also to get more yoga/fitness retreats for our members in amazing 5* hotels like Druids Glen.

For more on yoga sessions & yoga retreats by Claudia and Dawn, please check out https://www.schoolofyogaireland.com/.