Finally the day had arrived of our first HAWL course outside the UK.  It was time to head to Cork for the first Irish HAWL course. As it happened it was also our fiftieth HAWL course. What a way to celebrate. 

We have been running courses since 2001 and the word had been getting round. I guess it was only a matter of time before we went abroad. We had run one international course in Cirencester a short while ago, where students came form around the globe for an intensive residential training. It was partly because of this that we were now in Cork.

Pat was a farmer on the residential course. His farm was conveniently located very close to the airport and was to be used as part of the teaching. Pat had been getting great results with the homeopathy and other farmers wanted to know more. 

We had held an introductory evening talk a few weeks previously. As a result of this we now had a waiting list for the HAWL course. However this one was going to be slightly different. In Ireland it is important to get the vet involved in the use of homeopathy on the farm. In the UK, while veterinary involvement is encouraged, it is also ok for farmers to make their own choices about remedies that they use. 

Not to be daunted by this challenge, the first Irish HAWL course would involve teaching farmers and vets.  The vets who were on the course did have a bit of a head start, as they all had their regular veterinary homeopathy training. None the less, the HAWL course is very much Farm Homeopathy, so it would be really useful for the Irish homeopathic vets to get a farmers eye view for a few days. 

As part of the Day One training we routinely go and practice homeopathic observation skills with the farmers. We usually choose a venue where we have a teaching room close by to the farm with livestock. In Cork we were still going to be able to achieve this. 

The hotel conference room, which was just the other side of the carpark to the airport itself, also happened to look out over Pat’s farm. So our observation exercise was just a short walk across his field and into the cow barn. 

Pat had kindly gathered a collection of cows that all had slightly different characteristics. Students followed the instructions for the exercise and we walked back to the hotel for the tea break and further teaching. 

The exercise allows the farmers to raise their observation skills up from the high level that farmers generally have, to the homeopathic level. Everyone is trained to go that little bit further with what they look for. This will help them have a better understanding of the animals make up and also to help them choice more appropriate remedies for a given problem. 

All in all the day went really well. I was further privileged to be invited to the Irish homeopathic vet meeting the following day. Tom Farrington, who also lives near Cork, was giving an excellent presentation on remedies for heart problems.

The time came for the flight back and as the plane took off I looked down over the fields. I am a sure I caught a glimpse of one of Pat’s cows glancing up at me and nodding goodbye, before she went back to munching grass. Or perhaps it was just a trick of the light. 

To find out detail of forth coming HAWL courses, check out the website.

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