Photo: The Burren by Grace Wells

The Land here is otherworldly—-”The Burren and Cliffs of Moher Global UNESCO Geopark”

Writing Workshops

(scroll down for Arts Track)

Workshop 1: Not Distance, but Depth with Grace Wells

When we visit a special place, we have the chance to sink down into its depths and explore what it reveals within ourselves. This meditative day-long workshop will bring participants to a number of sacred and cultural sites across North Clare. We’ll begin where time began with a visit to Polnabrone dolmen, before working our way across the Burren, exploring both the places where paganism and Celtic Christianity meet in both the rocks, wells, sacred and historical buildings.  Join Grace on a poetic voyage to some of her favourite locations in the area, for a day in which to deepen into spirit-of-place, and to more fully understand that beautiful Irish word: ‘Dinnseanchas’, which invites us to consider the many stories a place is telling. With a visit to the local crafting Hazel Mountain Chocolate, and an afternoon lunch and writing stop in charming Ennistymon, this will be a carefully curated day of adventures that will bring us deeply into the landscape and story, and deeply into our selves. 

Itinerary:

• Begin at Polnabrone Dolmen with an hour to write. This is such an iconic site, and really the start of so many things in terms of Irish Culture.

• After time there we make our way to the local Hazel Mountain Chocolate for a rest stop and to hear about the eco-chocolate, and get a snack if desired.

• From there we’ll drive across the Burren to St Colman’s hermitage and holy well. This is a bit of a walk across limestone to Eagle’s Rock where the remains of Colman’s hermitage and holy well are; sticking around with time to write here.

• Then in the afternoon we come back via Ennistymon for lunch and do a small tour of the town relating to my book-length poem ‘Everyone Has a Different Ennistymon’.

• We return to Doolin via Brigid's Well close to the Cliffs of Moher. The whole day will give people a very good sense of place, and a meaningful connection to the landscape and culture.

About the Workshop Provider, Grace Wells:

Grace Wells is an award-winning eco-poet, environmental writer, and more recently poetry-film maker. Nature, spirit-of-place and environmental concern have been the main themes of her writing ever since the publication of her debut children’s novel ‘Gyrfalcon’, which won the Eilís Dillon Award and was an International White Ravens Choice. Wells has published three books of poetry with Dedalus Press, most recently in 2022, ’The Church of the Love of the World’. In 2021 Clare County Council Arts Office and Poetry Ireland’s selected her as Poet Laureate for Ennistymon as part of the Poetry Town project, and her book-length poem ‘Everyone Has a Different Ennistymon’ was published by Doolin Arts in 2023. Grace volunteers regularly for Hometree Charity re-establishing native woodland at various sites across Ireland. In 2021, she assisted Hometree in producing ‘Under Summer Pastures’, a collection of essays written by some of Ireland’s leading ecological thinkers exploring Ireland’s endangered Temperate Rainforests. She runs ‘The Little Sanctuary’, a small nature reserve, forest-garden and retreat space on the edge of Ennistymon, Co Clare.  gracewellslittlesanctuary.com

Workshop 2: Bruised, burning, beautiful: Writing Through Emergency

How do we write of these times?
How do we write of this earth?
How do we write of this earth in these times?

In this masterclass we will seek to find ways to write of the natural world— our kith and our ki and our kin alike— in light of the various crises of our age.

We will consider what it means to be a human animal living alongside other humans as well as other-than-humans; how we might give voice to the in-between-ness of our relationships, one with the other.  We will explore texts that unravel and challenge our views on how we might write the world around us— of which we are but one part. We will give ourselves space to mould our own words through writing exercises designed for those who feel drawn towards stewardship, kinship and community. We will leave the class with the knowledge that there is never simply one voice, one way to tell one story; the stories of this earth are multilayered, cacophonous; they glisten in the cracks in between.
 
Moth and moss,  fixed and fluid, feathered and slimy, seen and unseen; there is still so much to protect, to hold up to the light, to hold close. There is still time.

About the Workshop Provider, Kerri ní Dochartaigh

Kerri ní Dochartaigh is a mother, writer and grower. She has written for The Guardian, BBC, RTE, The Irish Times and others. She mentors and teaches worldwide. Her work currently explores ideas of emergency, interconnectedness and ecologies of care. Her first book, Thin Places, was published by Canongate in Spring 2021, for which she was awarded the Butler Literary Award 2022, and highly commended for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2021. Cacophony of Bone was published by Canongate in May 2023 and was longlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing 2023. She lives in the west of Ireland with her family. https://linktr.ee/kerrinidochartaigh

Workshop 3: Climates of Consciousness – Writing the Land For dreamers and inventors

 How do we create worlds?  How can landscape and environment impact and shape our characters and the choices they make?  This workshop will explore the role of climate in fiction and its impact on human consciousness, focusing on narrative world building.  Through a series of writing exercises and looking at key texts, participants will be invited to explore location and climate within their own work and consider new possibilities. 

About the Workshop Provider, Helen Blackhurst

Helen Blackhurst is the author of Swimming On Dry Land, published by Seren in 2015.  Her work has appeared in The Stinging Fly Literary Magazine and been broadcast on RTE 1 Radio Telefis Eireann as part of the Francis MacManus Short Story Competition.  Helen facilitates creative writing workshops in a variety of settings; her awards include Arts Council literature bursaries. https://clarearts.ie/people/helen-blackhurst/

Workshop 4: Saved by Words

Join award-winning author Lynn Buckle for a masterclass in how to embed nature, ecology, and climate crisis solutions into your stories. Whether you write poetry, historical fiction, crime, romance, sci-fi, or literary prose, learn how words can alter the behaviour of individuals and society, towards a more sustainable way of living. Deep-dive into this specialist workshop on solution-based creative writing and help save the future of the planet through your stories. Suitable for all levels of writing experience.

About the Workshop Provider, Lynn Buckle

Lynn Buckle is an award-winning Deaf/hard-of-hearing author published by époque press. Her second novel, What Willow Says is a celebration of nature, deafness, languages, and familial love. It explores the landscapes and stories of counties Kildare, Offaly, and Laois while presenting a unique perspective on trees. It was an Irish Times and Independent critics’ pick-of-the-year and went on to win The Barbellion Prize, an international literary award dedicated to the furtherance of chronically ill and disabled voices. She received the Greywood Arts Carers Award, The John Hewitt Society Bursary, and a Special Mention in the Saboteur Awards. She was shortlisted for The Red Line Short Story Award and represented Ireland as a UNESCO Cities of Literature Writer in Residence at the UK National Centre for Writing. She writes literary articles and creative non-fiction for The Irish Times, Arachne Press, Massachusetts Review, Exacting Clam, Books Ireland Magazine, and appears in various anthologies. She has worked in education as a qualified tutor for over 35 years and hosts the climate writers’ group, Writing for a Change, at The Irish Writers’ Centre where she teaches creative writing. She is also a visual artist and works for a national deaf and hard-of-hearing charity. Twitter: @Lynn_Buckle Instagram:     @lynnbuckle1 Web :  https://lynnbuckle.wordpress.com/about/

In-House Editing with retreat leader Ryan Dennis

Ryan Dennis will hold regular “office” hours in which he will work with retreat participants individually on their writing-in-progress. He will help guide them in the development of any projects they are working on, as well as offer close reading with line edits to move a piece towards a polished final draft. Ryan will make sure writers are supported in putting into practice what they learn from the workshops.

Ryan Dennis is the author of the novel The Beasts They Turned Away, published by époque press in March 2021. He is a Fulbright alumnus and PhD in creative writing, and has taught writing at several universities, including most recently the National University of Ireland, Galway. His work has appeared in various literary journals and he is a syndicated columnist for agricultural print periodicals in four countries and two languages. In 2020 he founded The Milk House, an initiative to showcase the work of those writing on rural subjects in order to help them find greater audiences. In 2021-2022 Ryan was selected as a Writer-in-Residence at Maynooth University. As part of the residency, he created and edited Voices from the Land, a collection of short stories, essays and poems by Irish farmers. http://www.penofryandennis.com

and there will be a reading and visit by Irish poet Nicki Griffin

Nicki Griffin lives in East Clare. Her debut collection of poetry, Unbelonging, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2013 and was shortlisted for the Shine/Strong Award 2014 for best debut collection. The Skipper & Her Mate (non-fiction) was published by New Island in 2013. Crossing Places, her second collection of poetry, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2017. A third collection, The Dark & the Light, is due in 2024. She was awarded a Literature Bursary Award by the Arts Council in 2012. She has been published in a wide variety of anthologies and journals and is a founding editor of poetry journal Skylight 47. She hosts a monthly poetry open-mic in East Clare.

Books from Our Workshop Providers and Readers

Discounts on many of our workshop providers’ books are available for retreat participants: you will be sent coupon codes for ordering once you sign up for the retreat….

Helen Blackhurst, Swimming on Dry Land from Seren https://www.serenbooks.com/book/swimming-on-dry-land/

Ryan Dennis, The Beasts They Turned Away from Époque Press: https://www.epoquepress.com/

Lynne Buckle, The Groundsmen and What Willow Says from Époque Press https://www.epoquepress.com/

Kerri ní Dochartaigh, Thin Places and Cacaphony of Bone from Milkweed Editions https://milkweed.org/

Nicki Griffin, Crossing Places and UnBelonging from Salmon Poetry https://www.salmonpoetry.com/

Grace Wells, The Book of Life, Fur, The Church of the Love of the World, and When God Has Been Called Away to Greater Things from Dedalus https://www.dedaluspress.com

Art Track with Martin Bridge

Art Track with Martin Bridge https://www.thebridgebrothers.com/

Art Workshop: Let the Land Guide your Vision

Together with other creatives we will be exploring the dramatic landscape of Doolin, County Clare, Ireland and translating its landscape, energy and lore into visual artwork. Our time together will be a balance between group excursions, individual exploration, and creation coupled with group sharing of work and diving deeper into technique (see schedule on details page). We will establish a small shared studio space in our lodge as a center of operation as artists of any level work together in their preferred Media.

Included in the retreat are 4 art workshops with Martin Bridge; excursions to Doolin Cave and to the Cliffs of Moher; a workshop tour of the area; 2 meals/day with other creatives; and publication in an anthology of creativity (words and pictures) of visitors and residents of this place (publication is subject to vetting for the anthology, and room—we intend to but cannot guarantee we will take all submissions). A reading/showing of our creative work is included on the last evening together—join us for this retreat of like-minded individuals connecting in various ways to the land in this very special place.

About the Workshop Provider, Martin Bridge:

Martin is proudly carrying his family tradition forth as he lives, creates and teaches in the hills of Western Massachusetts. His work spans a wide range of media from Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Theater Design and Site Specific Installations to Performance. One of the most central themes to his work is an exploration of the natural world and our place as humans in relation to the web of life that we are a part of. His work bridges realms of science and mysticism in an effort to challenge the cultural paradigms that dictate how we relate to both the natural world as well as our brothers and sisters. As an avid Permaculture designer he strives to create work that improves his own awareness of how he relates to the natural world and invites viewers to contemplate how to live in better balance with the world around us. His Permaculture works have been shared in international publications and educational material. Martin has nearly 30 years of experience as an arts educator working with both children and adult creators. Through his work he hopes to inspire and cultivate a greater sense of mystery and possibility in our experience of the world. https://www.thebridgebrothers.com/

What do you mean “Art Track?” The Art Track is so-called to differentiate it from the Writing Track. It includes the lodging and the 2 group meals/day just as the writing track does; but instead of the writing workshops, activities for artists are geared toward their needs. They are welcome to join the writers in the first day-long writing workshop which tours the area, giving us a lay of the land (see Workshop 1), and to join the guided cliff walk and the cave tour. Besides those activities, they will craft an itinerary with Martin who will be offering 5 workshops offered during our stay, and rejoining the larger groups for breakfast/lunch. Artists will of course be an essential part of our group reading/presentation on our last night, and hopefully part of the anthology should they wish—--please join us!

P.S. Writers can add on an open art workshop with Martin—-they won’t have time to do the entire track, but can still participate in doing art with him during the open period (sliding scale $50-$100).