I grew up in an industrial town in England, and yearned for the fresh
green beauty of Connemara until I returned for good in 1994. I studied
History and Folklore for my Masters degree in Galway and taught at
second and third level for a number of years. Then I was drawn back to
the outdoors and began to study herbal medicine which also brought
me to appreciate the plant spirits. I believe that everything is imbued
with spirit including animals, plants, trees, rocks, mountains, springs
and the land. I speak to the land here and am developing a relationship
that is mutually beneficial. Caring for the land and putting my
attention on it encourages growth and happiness for all. I am married to Lol, who works with me here at Danu’s Irish
Herb Garden, building infrastructure and sheds and doing maintenance
work, whilst I plant trees, sow seeds and grow the plants. We keep
chickens and we have our two dogs, Jazz and Broc and our three cats,
Milly, Pippy and Jim.
I am a teacher, a herbalist and a kinesiologist and I have named my
garden after the Irish Mother Goddess, Danu. Danu’s Irish Herb
Garden is a garden of Healing, Magic, Plant Wisdom, Herbal Medicine
and practical living.
Since I was a child I have felt a deep desire to be at one with Nature and
I loved to be running wild in the countryside. At the age of eleven I
started growing my own flower garden - at the time we did not even
have a garden! My urge to connect with the natural world has been with
me throughout my life and led me to shamanic experiences with many
plant allies.
On my journey through life I became a teacher, with a huge interest in
History and Folklore. After returning to Ireland and working as a
teacher I then opened a health shop which allowed me to indulge my
other passion in health and healing. I then closed my shop and began to
work in my garden creating herb beds, vegetable beds and growing
flowers and shrubs and trees - all in honour of the Goddess Danu and
the Goddess Brigid.
Being a teacher, (with a love of history and folklore) and being a
herbalist I could feel how both of my favourite interests could come
together. Loving to teach and loving the plants, I have been guided to
combine both and I share my knowledge and my passion via my herbal
medicine courses and The Wise Woman Way training course.
It can be argued that herbal medicine is a radical way to personal
empowerment and health on all levels – physical, mental, emotional
and spiritual. This is what I believe. Working with plants also enables
us to connect more closely with the Planet, our Mother Earth, en route
to good health.
Terri Conroy B.A (Hons) H.Dip (Ed) M. Phil, Dip AK.
