Photo above: Unique, spectacular Burren
The Land here is otherworldly—-”The Burren and Cliffs of Moher Global UNESCO Geopark”
Writing Workshops
Poulnabrone Dolmen
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. This will be a carefully curated day of adventures that will bring us deeply into the landscape and story, and deeply into our selves.
Example places in the Burren:
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.
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.
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
The Environment as Metaphor in Creative Nonfiction
At its core, climate writing is about bringing the challenges of global warming to the forefront of the reader’s imaginative consciousness. While cli-fi is an emergent and fast growing field, often opportunities to invoke climates concerns—explicitly and implicitly—are often overlooked in creative nonfiction. This workshop will consider techniques to draw thematic meaning from environmental issues in personal essays and memoirs, as well as how to approach the subject as a topic in creative nonfiction. With prompts and writing exercises, participants will leave prepared to write a creative essay that seamlessly promotes awareness of climate change, while also considering how to write strong creative nonfiction.
About the Workshop Provider, Ryan Dennis
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
Workshop 4: To Be Announced
Worshop Leader and topic To be announced
About the Workshop Provider, Lynn Buckle
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
Books from Our Workshop Providers and Readers
Ryan Dennis, The Beasts They Turned Away 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
Take your best vacation photos ever! Optional Add-On
Photography Workshop and Headshots with Local Photographer Andreas Riemenschneider
If there are enough people who want to add on headshots and/or a photography workshop we will offer this as something to add on: $100 photo workshop; $60 headshots.