Stonehouse Forest School, Louth’s first forest school, is preparing to offer a range of courses in 2026, providing new opportunities for children and adults to connect with nature through outdoor learning.
Founded in 2025 by Ciarán Brennan, Stonehouse Forest School aims to immerse participants in the natural environment, helping them to understand biodiversity, appreciate it, protect it and ensure it is preserved for future generations. The school is located on private land at Stonehouse, Dunleer, Co Louth.
The forest school follows an educational approach where learning takes place through hands-on experiences in a woodland setting. Activities such as shelter building, tool use and nature exploration are designed to foster creativity, problem-solving skills and self-confidence. Sessions are child-led, run over a number of weeks, take place in all seasons and focus on developing a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Ciarán said forest school allows children, young people and adults to spend extended periods outdoors exploring, learning and playing in nature. He explained that the philosophy of forest school is to encourage and inspire people of all ages through positive outdoor experiences.
While forest schools are a relatively new concept in Ireland, with the Irish Forest School Association established in 2016, the approach originated in Sweden, Denmark and other European countries in the 1950s.
Ciarán is looking forward to bringing this model of learning to Louth and will run several courses at the start of 2026. These include a one-day adult course on Saturday, January 31, aimed at parents, teachers, community group leaders and anyone with an interest in nature and the outdoors. A Parent and Child course will also run over six weeks from Sunday, January 25 to Sunday, March 1, from 10am to 12 noon.
A qualified forest school leader, Ciarán completed Brigit’s Garden Forest School Leadership Course in 2024 and 2025. He is a member of the Irish Forest School Association and is Garda vetted, Children First compliant and First Aid trained. He has a long-standing interest in environmental protection and advocacy and works as communications manager with the Irish Environmental Network.
Stonehouse Forest School is based within Stonehouse Nature Sanctuary, a small area of land owned by Ciarán that is currently being rewilded. Participants regularly plant native saplings as part of the learning experience.
Ciarán described the sanctuary as a haven for wildlife, including foxes, badgers, pine martens and deer, as well as a wide variety of bird species. Bats are also commonly seen in the area, making it an ideal setting for a forest school.
Plans are also underway to develop an education centre on the site, where participants will be able to learn more about the biodiversity of the sanctuary. Ciarán hopes to link with schools across the county in the future to provide forest school courses for students.
More information on Stonehouse Forest School is available at www.stonehouseforestschool.ie.
