14th March, 2026
As with so many great ideas, Peigin Crowley’s company was born at the kitchen table. A Cork‑based massage therapist and consultant with 30 years experience, she was literally grounded during lockdown in 2020. So she decided to go back to the fundamentals of what our bodies really need, blending oils by hand and packaging up her first orders with the help of her mother and daughters. From these modest beginnings, the business has grown rapidly, with clients – including our guests – recognising the deeply therapeutic benefits of GROUND’s products and its holistic, inclusive ethos.
“We are a dedicated, therapist‑centric spa brand, so our priority is training in wellbeing and sincere massage techniques to help with sleep, anxiety and hormone fluctuations,” says Peigin, explaining how GROUND’s products are specifically designed to be used within the spa setting.
As for “sincere massage”, she is referring to a more empathetic approach in which therapeutic treatments go beyond simple, surface‑level pampering to provide deep physical and psychological benefits. “The massage techniques we develop are advanced, they’re innovative and they’re all focused on lymphatic drainage, vagus‑nerve and nervous‑system regulation,” says Peigin. “So it’s far more detailed and more exacting than a traditional shoulders‑back‑arms‑leg massage. We incorporate things like acupressure and gua sha drainage that give the body a good cleanse, and the nervous system a sense of safety so that it goes into a deep resting and digestive state.”
Of GROUND’s signature products, our therapists are huge fans of the sleep‑enhancing essential oils and muscle recovery balms. “We use a lot of magnesium, which is brilliant for golfers, for detoxing and for muscle repair,” says Peigin. “We also use incredible high‑altitude lavender from a wonderful farm in Provence as a sedative. This is particularly popular among guests who’ve flown in from the US and have jet lag. But of course we cater for everything from pregnancies, menopause and cancer care [the team has recently included a new oncology massage] to children with neurodiversity – we’re a very inclusive brand.”
Peigin says she was lucky that the brand took off straight away and, indeed, GROUND can now be found in many of the world’s leading spas – but there’s something special about working with the Old Course Hotel. “When the hotel got in touch I was absolutely delighted,” she adds. “It’s such an iconic property and Jelena [Adahovska, Kohler Waters Spa manager] has created an incredible offering. But for me, it’s all about the landscape. We’re a very natural brand. So the stunning landscape of St Andrews – the sea, the land – it lends itself beautifully to our brand of aromatherapy.”
