Hosted Retreat · Celtic Romantasy
County Clare, Ireland · Castle Hotels & the Burren
The Case for Going
The Burren is the landscape that Celtic romantasy already describes — ancient limestone pavement, fairy forts, castle ruins where the veil between worlds feels thin. You've read about it. Now walk it.
If you read LJ Andrews, Jayne Castel, or Karen Marie Moning, you already know this place. The Burren — that vast, lunar limestone pavement on Ireland's Atlantic coast — is where the mythology lives. The fairy forts are real. The stone circles are real. The light at sunset over Galway Bay is exactly what you imagined.
Early & Away is building a retreat for the readers who made Celtic romantasy one of BookTok's most passionate communities. Castle hotels. The Burren on foot. And the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival — because if you're going to read about fated mates, you might as well attend the oldest matchmaking festival in Europe.
Dromoland Castle and Gregans Castle Hotel — the kinds of places that feel like they belong in the books you're reading, because they do.
320 square kilometers of ancient limestone pavement. Wildflowers that shouldn't grow together growing side by side. A landscape that predates human mythology but inspired most of it.
Europe's oldest matchmaking festival has been running for over 160 years. If you're reading about fated mates all year, you should attend the real thing at least once.
This retreat is built specifically for Celtic romantasy and Irish mythology readers. No explaining your TBR. No defending the genre. Everyone here gets it.
The Itinerary
Arrival
Arrive in Dublin. Transfer to County Clare the following morning — the landscape changes as you move west, the hedgerows give way to stone walls, and the Atlantic opens up.
2 Nights
A 16th-century castle on 450 acres of parkland. The kind of place where you half-expect to round a corner and find a character from your current read leaning against the stone. Opening retreat sessions begin here.
4 Nights
The heart of the retreat. Gregans sits at the edge of the Burren with views across Galway Bay. Walk the limestone pavement, visit the fairy forts and holy wells, and settle into the rhythm of a landscape that feels genuinely otherworldly.
Friday
The oldest matchmaking festival in Europe — live music, dancing, and a matchmaker who's been pairing people since before BookTok existed. The retreat's grand finale.
1 Night
Return to Dublin for your final night. Sunday departures.
Retreat Details
| Location | County Clare, Ireland — the Burren, Atlantic coast |
| Dates | September 2027 — exact dates aligned with the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival (TBD) |
| Duration | ~9 nights |
| Hotels | Dromoland Castle (2 nights) · Gregans Castle Hotel (4 nights) · Dublin hotel (2 nights) |
| Audience | Celtic romantasy and Irish mythology readers |
| Genre badges | Celtic Romantasy · Irish Mythology |
| Format | Hosted retreat — group excursions, reading discussions, free time built in |
| Status | Be the first to know — reach out to get early access when booking opens |
Reach out and I'll answer your questions, send you full details, and get you booked.
Get the reading list for this trip.