The Claddagh Retreat

The Irish have a way of making some of the darkest things seem bright. A way to phrase things that find a silver lining in the darkest of clouds. Find optimism in adversity, quality in chaos and quantity in the midst of poverty. They take pride in the heritage of centuries of sublimation and tyranny. The Gaelic folklore and trepidations have given hope and inspiration to generations to overcome the challenges of life and find meaning in life itself. One such tradition was born in the small fishing village of Claddagh, outside the city walls of Galway, Ireland. As the folklore goes, Richard Joyce, a native of Galway and trained as a goldsmith, was taken by the Moors and to be transported to the plantations of the Moorish West Indies as a slave. He had pledged his undying love and loyalty to his hometown maiden, fashioning the ring of values to vow his return. He did return and they were reunited. Hence, the symbol of the hands (friendship and security) embracing the heart (love and compassion) and capped with a crown (loyalty and commitment), has become known as the Irish Wedding Ring or Irish Friendship Ring. The symbol has been a tradition of Irish relationship values with the Sailors of Claddagh and carried throughout the world since the big exodus during the famine of 1847-49. So it is fitting, that the values of the hands, the heart and the crown become the cornerstone for the journey of The Claddagh Retreat.

About THE Claddagh RETREAT
INTRODUCTION

In the past half century, we have witnessed changes in our society which has effected every aspect of our lives. Change from the baby-boom to the baby-bust, from financial success to economic disaster, from world dominance to world competition. Each of these changes has altered the way we communicate and how we relate to one another within our society. The effects of these changes have had no greater impact than on our family life and intimate relations with those we love and care about.

In every walk of life we are seeing a resurgence of energy to recapture effectiveness within our society. In business and society, the focus on quality, safety and productivity, customer satisfaction, environmental quality, healthy living and the focus on the altruistic concerns for the disadvantaged are just a few examples. However, in almost every case, we waited until we had a crisis before we began to respond to these challenges. Through it all, the cries for quality resurgence continues from the fundamental fiber within our society - building quality relationships with one another.

Recent research is showing the continued relationship between the competitive corporate/business stress and resultant marital/relationship breakup. The basic cause of this dilemma is the loss of Value focus within relationships. There is evidence to suggest a direct correlation between this loss of value within relationships and the loss of value focus within corporate cultures. The time has come to put into our relationships with others, our family and significant others, the same focus and emphasis we are placing on quality of products and customer satisfaction. Or, must we wait until we have a "problem" and are in “crisis” before we begin to act.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER"