In 2026, let the Burren show you the way…

Summer workshops programme overview

Other than the Burren College of Art, there are not so many art schools set by a restored castle in a wild, atmospheric landscape. With the Burren at your fingertips, your surroundings — limestone, sea-air, flora, cliffs and caves — become part of your creative muse.

For 2026, BCA is expanding its summer programme with a set of new June workshops — giving even more flexibility and a broader mix of media and approaches. Learning watercolours (with tutor Tiffani Love) is a great introduction to water-based painting, especially suited to capturing the light, texture and tones of the Burren landscape. Sculpting with Burren clay (with Francine Marquis) allows you to work directly with local clay, connecting you more deeply to place: earthy, tactile and rooted in the Burren itself. Printing and etching (with Clare Henderson) is ideal for anyone wanting to explore non-toxic aluminium etching, using non-traditional materials or inspired by the Burren’s surfaces. In Walking, painting and the Burren (with Conor McGrady) — while combining guided walks through the limestone landscape with studio painting, you gather visual reference and atmosphere in the field, then translate that into art in the studio. A wonderful way to merge landscape-inspired observation with personal creative expression.

These four day-June courses — a mix of sculpture, printmaking, watercolour and landscape-inspired painting — give both beginners and experienced artists a chance to jump in, experiment with media, and immerse themselves in the Burren’s atmosphere outside the more conventional August schedule.

Later in the summer, the programme runs across two weeks in mid to late August, offering a variety of week-long courses in painting, drawing, bookmaking, mixed media and botanical art. The workshops cater both to beginners – Oil painting for beginners or Burren botanical drawing – and to more experienced or exploratory artists – Abstract painting, Landscape painting, How to use your eyes, The art of making books. Tutors are established artists or professionals: Tiffani Love, Éilís Murphy, Ida Mitrani, Prof. Timothy Emlyn Jones  — bringing a mix of experience, skill and individual artistic vision.

What sets the Burren College of Art apart is not simply its courses, but the world in which those courses unfold. To make art here is to work in conversation with a landscape. The restored 16th-century Newtown Castle stands at the heart of it all, a refuge where studios glow with natural light and creativity feels both sheltered and unbound.

In this place, time stretches differently. Days unfold slowly, with room to walk, to breathe, to experiment, to look more closely at the world. Whether you are shaping Burren clay, tracing the contours of local flora or letting paint echo the rhythm of tide and stone, the environment becomes a partner in your process — a source of texture, calm and quiet revelations.

The summer programme gathers a small community of artists and learners from around the world, yet it never feels crowded. There is a gentle balance between connection and solitude: shared kitchens alive with conversation, studios humming softly with focused work and vast open spaces just steps away when you need a moment to yourself.

With the arrival of the new June workshops, the season opens wider than before. Whether you arrive as a beginner searching for a first spark or as an experienced artist seeking new direction, the Burren offers an invitation that feels deeply personal: slow down, pay attention and let the landscape show you something you didn’t know you were looking for.

We look forward to welcoming here and if you have any questions in the meantime, please send an email to julia@burrencollege.ie.

Oh, let’s not forget the actual gifts! As Christmas is just around the corner, a voucher might be the perfect gift for the artist(s) in your family or your best friend.

 

“Best gift I ever bought for myself. I can’t think of a better way to spend a week in a place that makes it easy to leave the world behind. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough”.

Ursula Meany, 2022 summer workshop participant

 

“As soon as you make your way up the drive of Burren College of Art, you know you’ve arrived somewhere magical. The five day workshop I signed up to was really inspirational and, like a truly great educator, our instructor drew out of us what was there awaiting to be expressed. I highly recommend this beautiful place. I’ll be back!”

Fiona Flinn, 2023 summer workshop participant

Accommodation

Our self-catering college accommodation offers 11 rooms in the Lodge, four bedrooms in the adjacent Daisy Cottage and six bedrooms in Newtown House located right on campus. Single occupancy is charged at €55 per night. If you wish to share your room with another workshops participant, twin occupancy is also available at €38 per person sharing per night.

The Lodge is set on extensive grounds with inspiring views of the Burren and is a pleasant 10 minute walk from the College and 35 minutes from Ballyvaughan village. The bedrooms are bright and well appointed. Communal areas include a large living room with an open fire, dining room, TV area, well-equipped kitchen, laundry and public washrooms. A patio area with chimney is an ideal outdoor summer gathering space. The Lodge has WiFi throughout and has wheelchair accessible rooms available.
Daisy Cottage is adjacent to the Lodge and has 2 en suite double bedrooms and 2 single rooms with a shared full bathroom. The house also has a spacious communal area and cozy sitting room, along with a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities.

Newtown House is located right on campus for those who prefer to work longer in their studios. The house is cozy and comfortable, with six bedrooms – some ensuite and some sharing a bathroom – a modern kitchen and unique dining / seating area.

Cancellation Policy

All tuition and fees are due at least 4 weeks before the start of the programme. The Burren College of Art accepts no obligation to refund any fee or part of after this date.