The Gift

THE GIFT is a new documentary capturing the work of three extraordinary Irish women Zen meditation teachers and offering a unique perspective on the profound shifts taking place in Ireland’s cultural and spiritual landscape.

_______________________

Under a sprawling walnut tree in the walled garden of the Dominican Retreat Centre in Tallaght, on a sunny afternoon in July 2023, a significant historical event in Irish spiritually took place that you will not have read about in the mainstream media.

Mary McGrane – a native of County Cavan, a Catholic, a retired civil servant, a mother and a grandmother – became the first Irish Zen lay teacher to be trained and installed by an Irish teacher on the island of Ireland.  Mary’s installation as a Zen teacher is deeply connected to the parallel journeys of her two teachers and their meditation communities including:

Miriam Healy, a prison chaplain at Wheatfield Prison and a Roshi (Zen master) leading meditation groups in prison and in Tallaght.

And Mary Laheen, a Zen lay teacher, leading meditation groups in Dublin’s north inner city and in natural settings around the country.

With echoes of spirituality, heritage, history and culture THE GIFT will offer its own unique perspective on these challenging and pivotal times.