Whence the Ogham got its name according to sound and matter, who are the father and the mother of the Ogham.
Auraicept na nÉces
Ogham Academy Founder and Instructor Lora O'Brien - the Bio
Lora O'Brien is an author and teacher with a rich personal background in Irish history, folklore, mythology, and cultural heritage.
A modern Draoí, Lora has been consciously following a native Irish spiritual path since 1994, and actively working as a Priest of the Irish Goddess Morrigan since 2004.
As a published freelance writer, journalist, and author since her early twenties, Lora has studied Irish lore, folklore, and Celtic mythology extensively, finally formalising over 20 years of academic work with an MA in Irish Regional History from SETU (2023), and a thesis on the topic of the place of Ogham in Irish cultural identity.
With partner Jon O'Sullivan, Lora is the co-founder of the Irish Pagan School (2017); and is an original founding member of Pagan Life Rites Ireland (2012).
Being the parent of three grown children, and a grandparent of two more who are growing up here in Ireland, Lora personally understands the need for globally accessible education and interesting Irish heritage content, which is academically accurate while fulfilling the deep rooted need for connection and community in a modern context.
Hi, I'm Lora O'Brien
Founder of the
Ogham Academy
In my own words...
"Being raised between a rough suburb of Dublin city, and a rural idyll in East Clare, I often wondered why I never really felt like I belonged in one place or another. So I learned to walk between worlds as a child and teenager, to observe and figure out everything I could about the things that interested me.
This led to self teaching from an early age, apart from what I could access through standard education in Ireland. I wanted to know about things that aren't usually taught in schools.
This lifelong learning has enabled me to carve a path for others to follow, eventually teaching the things I have learned about my native Irish history, heritage, and spiritual traditions."
Family Life...
Lora is a Dublin native, who now lives in County Waterford with her life partner, author and co-founder of the Irish Pagan School Jon O'Sullivan, two of her grown children, alongside a House Panther named Hope, a Calico called Nala, and a Tabby named Mac (all rescue animals, now forming the Toibíns Clann).
She is also often blessed by visits from her daughter and grandchildren who live in Cork, and who are her joy. It's for them that Lora works so hard to keep Irish traditions and a healthy Irish identity alive and well.
(For the kids and grandkids that is, not the cats. But they're important too!)
The father of Ogham is Ogma, the mother of Ogham is the hand or knife of Ogma.
Auraicept na nÉces
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