Irish Schools of Herbal Medicine

Our First Irish School of Herbal Medicine

The Wexford school, known as the Mothership, is run by Nikki Darrell (the founder of the Plant Medicine School) and Alex Duffy, her husband, who are assisted by Silja Harms and Tiarnan O’Sullivan.

Our Second Irish School of Herbal Medicine

The Cork School is run by Majella O’Riordan and Siobhan Norton who worked with Nikki for many years before she moved to Wexford.

Our particular focus on native plants and how to use them as medicine is essential to the overall education of herbalists in Ireland. We value experiential learning- how to make the medicines, how to grow and harvest the plants and have a holistic approach to the use of herbs for health maintenance and healing, believing that the most important approach is to treat the person as an individual on all levels rather than treating symptoms.  

We believe that herbs and nature connection are central to staying healthy and keeping well, as well as being the most sustainable and eco-friendly form of medicine when practiced from an eco-centric perspective.

Old-fashioned reductive and medicalised approaches to herbalism don’t perceive this opportunity for true holistic health.

Ireland boasts a long and rich tradition of herbal medicine, handed down for centuries through oral traditions and stories from generation to generation and from teacher to apprentice. There were also prominent herbal teaching centres that collaborated with institutions like Salerno in Italy. This vibrant tradition remains alive in some rural areas but has somewhat receded from the broader population with the rise of urbanisation. Nevertheless, there is renewed interest in sharing knowledge about these plants for food and medicine and their role in biodiversity.

We are proud to maintain and reinforce this rich tradition through our schools. We focus on local plants and their value as medicines for all aspects of health, including human health and the ecosystem, soils, flora, and fauna of this island. 

By employing a variety of practical teaching methods that empower individuals to confidently create a diverse array of their own medicines, along with cultivating and harvesting their own herbs, and combining this with solid theoretical learning about the latest health concepts and the significance of plant medicines in healthcare, we are committed to actively enriching the body of skills and knowledge in this invaluable vocation and ensuring the enduring role of herbal medicine in Ireland.