Witchcraft in Ireland
From ancient Druids to more modern Draíodóra, this Course explores the history and practice of Witchcraft in Ireland.
Enroll in Course
Our Course tutor is an Irish person with strong experience in our history, heritage, archaeology, mythology, and Irish Spirituality. You could call her Pagan, Witch, Druid, Priestess or Shaman, and you wouldn’t be wrong, though the only title she definitively goes by is Draoí – a user of magic.
Witchcraft: the practice of and belief in magical skills and abilities exercised by solitary practitioners and groups.
This is a broad term that varies a lot between different cultures and societies, so it can be difficult to define with precision. In Ireland though, we have a long and interesting history with magic, and those who use it.
From ancient Druids to more modern Draíodóra, but with a primary focus on those women who were called witches, we’ll explore the history and practice of Witchcraft in Ireland over the course an hour in this online class, and then take a Guided Journey to meet and visit with one very famous and powerful Irish Witch – Biddy Early, in her cottage in County Clare.
Taking this course, you'll learn about:
- Standard Definitions of Magic, Witchcraft, and Irish Witchcraft
- Irish Terminology for Witches
- The History of Witchcraft in Ireland
- The Practice of Witchcraft in Ireland - Who, What, Why, Where and When?
The class includes 2 hours and 20 minutes of Teaching Presentation, then a separate Guided Journey to connect to an Irish Witchcraft ancestor directly – using Lora’s native Irish Otherworld Journeying method. This Class, and the Guided Journey, are suitable for beginners, as well as those with more experience in other traditions.
Our Guided Journey will bring you back in time, to the cottage in County Clare of perhaps our most famous Irish Witch, Biddy Early, to see what she'd be willing to share with you personally...
The Curriculum includes:
- -- Class Presentation Slides
- -- Class Video
- -- Class Audio
- -- Class Chat Log/Resources
- -- Guided Journey Video
- -- Guided Journey Audio (for you to repeat the Journey)
- [Bonus Irish Magic Resources] - Video, Audio and PDF Download
- [Bonus Irish Pagan Resources] - Video and Audio
Enroll now to explore Witchcraft in Ireland, with Irish Draoí, Lora O'Brien.
"If you are interested in Irish spirituality, magic, and culture, there is no more authentic and knowledgeable source to be found than Lora. Her classes and books are accessible, rich with learning, and often fun too."
- Morpheus Ravenna (Author and Teacher, USA)
Your Instructor
Lora is a modern Draoí – a practitioner and priest of indigenous Irish magic and spirituality. She has been consciously following a spiritual path exploring her native Irish traditions for 30 years, dedicated specifically to the Irish Goddess Mórrígan in 2004, and is the author of seven books on Irish history, mythology, folklore, witchcraft, Pagan practice and priesthood. Her eighth book, on the Mórrígan, will be published by Llewellyn (2025). She professionally developed and managed one of Ireland's most important sacred sites - Cruachán/Rathcroghan - for a decade, and is a co-founder and legal celebrant with Pagan Life Rites Ireland. With her partner, Jon O'Sullivan, she is the co-founder of the Irish Pagan School, and together they create a vast amount of community service content for the Irish Pagan School Blog, YouTube Channel, and Podcast. Lora founded the Ogham Academy in 2022, and has a Masters Degree in Irish Regional History (2023) on the topic of Ogham and Irish Identity. (Pronouns: She/They)
Frequently Asked Questions
"Lora's work is well written expert material about her home and culture that only only one born to it can have. She teaches in ways that engages and invites the participant into a deep relationship with the material. Direct and to the point, while sharing how she built the conclusions drawn. I would encourage anyone wanting to build a strong relationship with pagan Ireland look at her work first."
- Kathleen Genia Gray (USA).