Irish Ancestral Wisdom, Spirituality and the Creative Imagination

This week I had the privilege of speaking with Dr Ger Moane about her debut novel Keeper of Stones, a book rooted in Irish mythology, ancestral memory and the sacred landscapes of ancient Ireland. Our conversation invited a deeper reflection on how story, spirituality and psychology intertwine, and how ancestral wisdom continues to inform our personal journeys in the present.

Ger’s work bridges multiple worlds. As a former associate professor of psychology at University College Dublin, she specialised in human development, gender and sexuality. Today, as a writer and shamanic practitioner, she brings that academic depth together with mythic imagination, emotional intelligence and lived spiritual experience. Keeper of Stones has already resonated widely, earning a place on the Irish Times bestseller list and drawing readers into a story that feels both ancient and timely.

One of the themes that emerged during our conversation was the idea that ancestral knowledge is not merely historical or symbolic, it is embodied. It moves through our families, our choices, our identities and even through the creative imagination. Ger and I spoke about how change, transition and grief can become pathways into deeper awareness, and how the loss of loved ones can soften the heart enough to sense the unseen. Many people feel a longing to understand or feel the presence of those who have passed, to recognise that connection doesn’t end when a life does. It was beautiful to explore how psychology, spirituality and ancestral belief all meet here.

The landscapes surrounding Newgrange became another point of reflection. Ger described the land not as scenery, but as witness, holding memory, story and energy across thousands of years. Ancient sites, stone circles and earthworks are part of a continuity of wisdom that still speaks, if we take the time to listen. This way of seeing invites us back into relationship with the land itself, acknowledging that our ancestors understood this connection intuitively.

Our conversation also touched on how story becomes a form of activism, healing and social engagement. Ancestral wisdom becomes relevant when it guides the way we show up in the world. Speaking up for equality, dignity and human rights is not about being right, but about honouring the truth that our humanity is measured by how we treat one another. These are old teachings made new again.

What stayed with me long after we finished recording was the reminder that the worlds of story, spirit and psyche are far from separate. They braid together through lineage, imagination and lived experience. They accompany us through loss and growth, and they offer us a sense of belonging to ourselves, to our land, and to those who came before us.

Listen to the Full Episode

If you are drawn to Irish mythology, ancestral healing, spirituality, grief, psychology, this is a conversation that will nourish you.

🎧 Listen here

Sharon Fitzmaurice
Holistic Wellness Coach, Author & Podcast Host

One of my favourite parts of hosting my podcast is sitting down with incredible guests who share their wisdom, stories, and insights about life’s deeper meaning. In my latest episode, I had the absolute joy of speaking with Caroline Conroy, a woman whose journey reminds us of the magic that happens when we reconnect with the unseen world – the realm of Spirit, the Divine, and our truest selves.

Caroline and I spoke about how, as children, we are naturally open to the world beyond the physical. We sense things others can’t see, we feel energies, we speak to loved ones who have passed. For Caroline, speaking with the “dead” was a daily part of her childhood, something as natural as breathing.

But as so many of us experience, the world gradually taught her to shut that part of herself down – to be “normal,” to fit in, to stop imagining or sensing what others could not.

This part of Caroline’s story deeply resonated with me because I, too, have been “seeing,” “hearing,” and “feeling” the energetic world since I was a child. Like Caroline, I learned to close that door for a time, to quiet what felt too big or too different. But when I began my own journey of spiritual development, I reawakened what I had once forgotten. I embraced the truth of being connected to everything – even the unseen. This connection is now a guiding light in my life, shaping how I see the world and supporting me in helping my clients awaken to their own inner wisdom and knowing.

Caroline eventually found her way back too – back to herself, back to Spirit, back to the unseen guidance that had always been with her. Through her healing journey and holistic practices, she reawakened her intuitive senses and began living in harmony with that deeper truth.

Today, she helps others do the same through Yoga Walks Ireland, guiding her clients to connect with nature through mindful movement, breathwork, and sensory awareness. As she beautifully shared, when we truly anchor ourselves in nature – hearing the wind, feeling the ground beneath our feet, breathing deeply – we don’t just calm our nervous systems, we open the door to the Divine.

This conversation was such a powerful reminder that:
✨ We are not separate from Spirit – we are part of it.
✨ Our intuition is always speaking – we just have to quiet the noise to hear it.
✨ Nature is one of our greatest teachers – showing us how to slow down, to listen, to reconnect.

If you’ve ever felt that whisper inside you, that longing to feel more connected to something greater, this episode is for you.

You can listen to my conversation with Caroline on The Sharon Fitzmaurice Podcast

Sharon Fitzmaurice

Holistic Wellness Coach, Author & Podcast Host