The 2026 Guide

Hosting a Retreat in Ireland: the planning guide

For yoga and wellness teachers, coaches, companies and creative groups: how to plan a retreat, what a retreat venue in Ireland costs, how to price your ticket, and everything a private Georgian estate in Galway can do for the host.

Updated September 2026

See what it costsAsk us to price your retreat

The Short Answer

where can you host a retreat in Ireland, and what does it cost?

You can host a retreat in Ireland at a private-hire country estate such as Ballinderry Park in East Galway, where the whole 41-acre estate is yours and accommodation is priced per person per night on this page.

Private groups of 15 to 20 who take the whole estate typically spend around three and a half to five thousand euro for two nights of rooms and meals, before sessions, drinks, day trips and extras go on the same invoice and before the host adds their own fee. That is a range, not a package price: the rooms-and-meals versions are computed live further down for your headcount, and every price on this page is read from the same list the booking planner quotes from, so nothing here is out of date.

This is the informational guide. It covers the kinds of retreat people run in Ireland, what each needs from a venue, how to organise one step by step, what a retreat venue costs, how to price a ticket so you actually make money, and sample schedules built from things we genuinely run. If you already know you want the estate, the sales page and the live planner are one click away throughout.

Venue
Ballinderry Park — Georgian house c.1740 on 41 acres, near Ballinasloe, East Galway
Sleeps
Up to 50: Manor House (6 bedrooms, 14), Coach House (4 bedrooms, 12, own bar & kitchen), 3 glamping pods (18)
Hire basis
Exclusive use — one group on the estate at a time
Typical group
15–20 people, 2 nights — around three and a half to five thousand euro for rooms and meals, sessions and extras on top
Getting there
1.5 h Dublin · 45 min Galway city · 1 h Limerick
Free with the house
Hot tub, lake boating, the grounds, Wi-Fi throughout

See the retreat venue page →

Types of Retreat

what each kind of retreat needs from a venue

A retreat is a programme plus a place. The programme is yours; the place has to give it the right room, the right quiet, the right food and a schedule that does not fight it. Here is what each of the retreats people run in Ireland actually needs — and what that looks like at Ballinderry Park.

Yoga retreat

What it needs

A practice space with a wooden floor and natural light, room for mats with space between them, an early-morning slot when nobody else is up, lighter food at the right times, and somewhere to soften afterwards.

At Ballinderry Park

The drawing room in the Manor House is the practice space — tall windows onto the lawn, a wooden floor, the furniture moved out before you arrive. Sunrise practice on the lawn in summer, the hot tub after. Yoga sessions are also on our catalogue if you want a guest teacher for a morning.

Wellness retreat

What it needs

A mix of movement, rest and good food; a house that feels calm rather than clinical; enough bedrooms that people are not sharing unless they choose to; a hot tub or water; and a kitchen that can cook the way your guests eat.

At Ballinderry Park

Ten bedrooms across two houses plus glamping, a chef for every meal with dietary needs handled, the hot tub and the lake free, 41 acres of walks, and the whole place to yourselves.

Meditation & silent retreat

What it needs

Above all, no strangers. A dedicated sitting room, a house where doors close, grounds to walk in silence, and a venue that will keep the noise down — no other guests, no events next door, no bar staff clattering at ten.

At Ballinderry Park

Exclusive use means nobody else is on the estate. The library is the quiet room, the drawing room the sitting room, and a river walk and parkland for walking meditation. Midweek is the quietest time in the west.

Spa & pampering weekend

What it needs

Comfortable rooms, a hot tub, unhurried meals, and treatments that come to the house rather than the group going out to them.

At Ballinderry Park

The hot tub is free with the house, the chef cooks in, and we can connect you with local therapists who travel to the estate — priced on your quote once we know numbers.

Creative & writing retreat

What it needs

Corners to disappear into — a desk, a library, a garden bench — plus one big room for workshops and readings, and evenings with a fire.

At Ballinderry Park

The library with doors that close, the drawing room for workshops, bedrooms with desks, the walled garden, and a bonfire or a whiskey tasting by the fire on the last night.

Company & leadership retreat

What it needs

A working room with a screen and Wi-Fi that holds, working lunches, one activity that gets people out of their chairs, and an evening together in one place.

At Ballinderry Park

Meeting-room setup and a facilitator are catalogue items; working lunches and afternoon tea run to your timetable; Gaelic games, ancient crafts, garden-to-table or a whiskey tasting for the afternoon; the Coach House bar for the evening.

AI & skills retreat (ours)

What it needs

Reliable connectivity, a room that seats everyone at tables, long working days broken by good food, and a group small enough to actually learn.

At Ballinderry Park

We run our own residential AI retreats here — three days, up to 24 people — so we know exactly what a skills retreat needs from the house. Details in the “retreats you can join” section below.

How to Organise a Retreat

eight steps from idea to running it

Most first-time hosts do these in the wrong order — they pick dates, tell their followers, then go looking for a venue and a price. Do it this way round and the numbers work.

  1. 01

    Nail the concept

    Who is it for, what will they leave with, how many nights, how many people. Twelve to twenty is the sweet spot for a first retreat: enough to cover a private house, few enough that everyone gets your attention.

  2. 02

    Pick your dates — midweek if you can

    Weekends book out first and cost more everywhere. Sunday-to-Thursday retreats get quieter houses, weekday accommodation rates and a chef who is not also feeding a wedding. Have two date options before you approach a venue.

  3. 03

    Choose the venue and hold it

    Decide what is non-negotiable: exclusive use, a practice room, catering, single rooms, distance from an airport. Get a written all-in price per guest, then hold the dates with a deposit. Do not sell a single ticket before the venue is confirmed.

  4. 04

    Price your ticket

    Ticket = (the venue’s all-in price per guest + your own costs divided by guests) × your margin. Work it through with real numbers — the calculator below does it with our live prices.

  5. 05

    Plan the catering

    Decide catered, self-catered or a mix. Collect dietary needs when people book, not the week before. Breakfast and dinner catered with a light lunch is the format most retreat hosts settle on.

  6. 06

    Write the schedule

    Anchor each day on meals, then place sessions around them. Leave real gaps — the hot tub, a walk, a nap — because the schedule that looks full on paper is the one guests remember as rushed.

  7. 07

    Market it and take bookings

    Announce with dates, price and a deposit link. Early-bird for the first handful, then full price. Ask people to book in pairs if you are relying on shared rooms.

  8. 08

    Run it

    Send a joining pack the week before (directions, what to bring, arrival time). Arrive the day before if you can. Let the venue handle the house, the food and the extras so you can be present for the group.

Worked example: pricing a ticket for 16 guests, 2 nights

Our side of the sum uses live prices: a midweek stay for sixteen with exclusive use of the estate, a cooked breakfast, a light lunch and a rustic dinner each day, one yoga session each morning and a whiskey tasting on the last night.

Accommodation, whole estate, midweek rate
Catering — breakfast, light lunch and dinner each day
Sessions — two yoga sessions and a whiskey tasting
Our all-in price for the group
Our price per guest
€

per guest — between you and your guests; we never see it.

You keep

for the whole retreat, before your own costs (your time, travel, marketing).

The formula

Ticket price = (venue price per guest + your fixed costs ÷ guests) × (1 + margin)

  • Fixed costs are things that do not change with numbers: a guest teacher, your travel, insurance, the deposit you paid to hold the dates.
  • A 40–60% margin on the venue cost is normal for a hosted retreat; below 30% one cancellation wipes the profit.
  • Sell in pairs where rooms are shared; a single-room supplement is the easiest upsell you have.

What It Costs

what a retreat venue in Ireland costs

Every figure here is read live from the same price list the planner and our quotes use, so it is today’s price, not last year’s. Accommodation is priced for the group by night and includes the whole estate; catering and sessions are per person.

Whole-estate hire, per nightpriced per nightThe published from-rate for the whole 41 acres, both houses and the glamping village to one group, at the smallest group size. The nightly rate rises with the group — next row.
Accommodation for 16, per nightpriced per night for the groupThe nightly rate the planner charges a group of sixteen, before the midweek discount.
Accommodation per person, per nightpriced per person, per nightThe cheapest per-head reading across the group sizes we take.
Cooked breakfastpriced per personContinental breakfast is included with the rooms; the cooked options are per head.
Lunchpriced per personLight lunch (starter + main) or a full lunch.
Dinnerpriced per personRustic, Select or Premium menus from the on-site chef at the long table.
Afternoon teapriced per personUsually on arrival day.
Yoga session with a teacherpriced per personPriced per head for the group; bring your own teacher and there is nothing to pay.
Whiskey tasting · Gaelic games · cheese & winepriced per personThe most-booked evening and afternoon sessions for retreat groups.
Meeting-room setup, per dayflat fee per dayFlat fee for company retreats. A facilitator for the day is a separate flat fee — live figure in the offer section.
Hot tub · lake boating · grounds · Wi-FiFreeIncluded with the house.

Worked totals: 12, 16 and 24 people over 2 and 3 nights

A catered retreat, midweek: exclusive use of the estate, a cooked Irish breakfast, a light lunch and a rustic dinner every day. Add sessions on top. Our price to you, per group and per head.

GuestsNightsOur price for the groupPer person
122
3
162
3
242
3

Includes the whole estate, all rooms, breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Excludes sessions, drinks and your own fee.

Deposit and payment terms

  • A retreat is held with a deposit; the balance falls due before you arrive, on the schedule shown on your quote.
  • Weekend stays have a minimum of ; midweek retreats can be any length from two nights.
  • Midweek (Sunday to Thursday) stays get the weekday accommodation rate automatically in the planner.
  • One invoice to the host for the whole group. What you charge your guests is yours.
Build your retreat & get a priceAsk us to price your retreat

What Ballinderry Park Offers Retreat Hosts

everything on the estate, reverse-engineered for a retreat

This is the full list of what a host can use here — spaces, beds, food, sessions and the free things — with live prices where there is one. Anything on this list can be added in the planner.

Spaces

  • The drawing room

    The practice and workshop space: tall windows, a wooden floor, the furniture moved out. Mats, easels or a circle of chairs.

    Included

  • The library

    The quiet room — doors that close, a fire, one-to-ones.

    Included

  • The dining room

    The long table for every meal, and the conversations after.

    Included

  • Lawn, walled garden, lake and 41 acres

    Outdoor practice, walking meditation, boats on the lake.

    Included

  • Meeting-room setup

    Screen, tables and the room set for a working day.

  • Facilitator for the day

    A professional facilitator to run the working sessions.

Beds

  • The Manor House

    6 bedrooms, sleeps 14. The drawing room, library and dining room are here; the host usually sleeps here.

    Included

  • The Coach House

    4 bedrooms, sleeps 12, its own kitchen and bar — the second, self-catering house across the lawn.

    Included

  • The glamping village

    3 furnished pods sleeping up to 18, for larger groups from late spring to early autumn.

    Included

Food

  • Continental breakfast

    Included with the rooms every morning.

    Included

  • Cooked Irish breakfast

    The full Irish, or the full works.

  • Light lunch

    Starter and main between sessions.

  • Rustic dinner

    A chef-cooked dinner at the long table.

  • Select dinner

    A step up for the last night.

  • Classic afternoon tea

    On arrival day.

  • Self-catering

    The Coach House kitchen is yours if the group wants to cook.

    Included

Sessions & activities

  • Yoga session

    A teacher for a morning session.

  • Gaelic games taster

    A hurling-and-football workout on the lawn.

  • Whiskey tasting

    By the fire, last night.

  • Irish cheese & wine tasting

    An evening session for a wellness or creative group.

  • Ancient crafts workshop

    Heritage crafts on the estate, for the hands.

  • Garden to table

    Pick from the kitchen garden and cook dinner with the chef.

  • Ahascragh distillery tour

    A guided tour and tasting nearby.

  • Day trip to the Cliffs of Moher

    A coach and guide for the free afternoon.

Free with the house

  • The hot tub

    Every evening.

    Included

  • Boats on the lake

    Free.

    Included

  • Wi-Fi throughout

    Both houses and the grounds.

    Included

  • Bonfire

    A bonfire and s’mores on the lawn.

We handle

  • ✓The house, the rooms and the changeovers
  • ✓Every meal you book, dietary needs included
  • ✓The sessions and extras you add — teacher, chef, guide
  • ✓Deposits, one invoice, and the dates held for you
  • ✓Directions, arrival, and being on hand without being in the room

You handle

  • →The programme and the teaching
  • →Your ticket price, your bookings, your guests’ deposits
  • →The joining pack and the dietary list
  • →The schedule — we fit the meals around it
  • →Your own insurance and terms with your guests

Sample Schedules

three retreats, priced live

Each of these is built from things we actually run. The per-person figure is our price to you for that plan at that group size — swap anything in the planner and the price moves with it.

The 2-night yoga retreat

Friday to Sunday · 16 guests

priced live per person

  • Day 1

    Arrive from 3pm, afternoon tea, settle in. Gentle evening practice in the drawing room, rustic dinner at the long table, the hot tub.

  • Day 2

    Sunrise practice on the lawn, cooked breakfast, a workshop, light lunch. Free afternoon — the lake, a walk, a nap. Evening practice, select dinner, a bonfire.

  • Day 3

    Morning practice, breakfast, a closing circle, and home by noon.

Build this in the plannerAsk us to price it

The 3-night company retreat

Monday to Thursday · 20 people

priced live per person

  • Day 1

    Arrive late morning, working lunch, first session in the drawing room with the room set up for it. Dinner and the Coach House bar.

  • Day 2

    Breakfast, a facilitated strategy day, working lunch, afternoon tea. Gaelic games on the lawn at four. Select dinner, whiskey tasting.

  • Day 3

    Breakfast, a lighter session, garden-to-table — the team cooks its own dinner with the chef.

  • Day 4

    Breakfast, a wrap-up, and away by eleven.

Build this in the plannerAsk us to price it

The wellness weekend

Friday to Sunday · 12 guests

priced live per person

  • Day 1

    Arrive, afternoon tea, a slow evening: the hot tub, a rustic dinner, early night.

  • Day 2

    Morning yoga with a teacher, cooked breakfast, a walk on the estate or boats on the lake, light lunch, treatments in the afternoon, cheese and wine by the fire.

  • Day 3

    Yoga, breakfast, and a late checkout.

Build this in the plannerAsk us to price it

Retreats You Can Join

retreats hosted at Ballinderry Park

We host our own retreats here, which is the best possible test of the house. If you are looking to attend rather than host, these are the ones with open seats.

Residential AI retreats

Three days at the estate learning to build with AI, hosted by us: up to 24 people, every meal cooked in, evenings by the fire. Several dates a year, with private cohorts available for companies.

See dates and prices

Hosting your own retreat here? Tell us the dates and the numbers and we will send an all-in price per guest, usually the same day. Enquire about hosting

FAQ

hosting a retreat in Ireland, answered

How much does it cost to hire a retreat venue in Ireland?

At Ballinderry Park a private group of 15 to 20 with exclusive use of the 41-acre estate and every bedroom typically spends around three and a half to five thousand euro for two nights of rooms and meals; sessions, drinks, day trips and extras go on top of that. Accommodation is priced for the group per night with catering and sessions per person, and the live figures and worked totals for your headcount are in the cost section of this page.

How many people can a retreat venue in Ireland take?

Ballinderry Park sleeps up to 50: the Manor House (6 bedrooms, 14 guests), the Coach House (4 bedrooms, 12 guests, its own kitchen and bar) and a glamping village of three pods for up to 18 more. Most hosted retreats run at 12 to 24 people.

Is the venue exclusively ours?

Yes. Ballinderry Park is hired on an exclusive-use basis — one group on the estate at a time, no other guests, no events next door. For a silent or meditation retreat that is the single most important thing to ask any venue.

Is there a yoga or practice space?

The drawing room in the Manor House is the practice space: tall windows on the lawn, a wooden floor, furniture moved out before you arrive. The library is the quiet room and the lawn is the outdoor space. Bring your own mats and props or tell us what you need.

Can you cater for dietary requirements?

Yes. The on-site chef cooks vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergen-aware menus as standard; we collect the dietary list from the host before arrival. You can also self-cater from the Coach House kitchen, or mix the two.

How quiet is it?

Very. The estate is 41 acres of parkland near Ballinasloe with nobody else on it during your stay. Midweek is quieter still. There is no bar staff or public traffic — the Coach House bar is yours to run, or to leave closed.

Is there Wi-Fi and AV for sessions?

Free Wi-Fi runs through both houses and the grounds. A meeting-room setup with a screen is a catalogue item priced on your quote, as is a facilitator for company days. We host our own residential AI retreats here, so the connectivity is tested.

What is the minimum stay for a retreat?

Midweek retreats can be any length from two nights. Weekend stays carry the venue’s weekend minimum, shown live in the payment terms above. Three to four nights is where most hosted retreats settle.

What deposit do you take, and when is the balance due?

The dates are held with a deposit — the live percentage is shown in the payment terms on this page — and the balance is due before arrival on the schedule printed on your quote. One invoice goes to the host; what you charge your guests is entirely yours.

Can we bring dogs?

Yes, by arrangement. Ballinderry Park is dog-friendly and a dog package is on the catalogue; tell us when you enquire so we can allocate the right rooms.

How far is it from Dublin and Galway?

About 1.5 hours from Dublin and Dublin Airport on the M6, 45 minutes from Galway city, an hour from Limerick and Shannon Airport. A minibus for airport transfers and day trips is on the catalogue.

How do I price a retreat ticket?

Take the venue’s all-in price per guest, add your fixed costs divided by the number of guests, and multiply by your margin — most hosts aim for 40–60% on the venue cost. The worked example on this page runs the sum with live prices for 16 guests over two nights.

ready to host it here?

Send us the dates, the numbers and the kind of retreat and we will come back with an all-in price per guest — or build it yourself in the live planner and see the figure now.

Build your retreat & get a priceEmail us the plan

+353 85 190 3914·hello@ballinderrypark.com