The Nature of Inspiration
A Five Day Creativity Immersion
with Clare Mulvany & Athena Corcoran-Tadd
West Cork, Ireland
5 - 9 May, 2027
Tune in with your
creative voice & vision.
Join Clare and Athena for a 5 day creativity and nature immersion in glorious West Cork exploring the nature of inspiration through creativity, writing, and the natural environment.
Our home for the week will be the stunning Gortadrohid House, set on an island, surrounded by 24 acres of wild coastal land, overlooking Baltimore Harbour and Roaring Water Bay on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Over the course of five days, you’ll have an opportunity to tune in more closely with your creative voice and vision and explore the phases of the creative process through sensory and rooted ways.
With gentle movement, writing prompts, and nature connection practices, we will weave sensory exploration, poetry, and quiet time in nature together with joyful shared moments and delicious food.
The retreat is designed to help you free your creative energy and explore the depth of your own process, in collaboration with the land and in the company of a vibrant community – both human and more than human.
WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY
5 – 9 MAY, 2027
West Cork, Ireland
Mornings will start with gentle movement, and quiet journaling.
Each day we’ll have a different creative workshop, exploring the senses and various aspects of the creative process and writing prompts.
We’ll walk the land together, forage for stories, read poems by the sea.
We will learn to see with hare’s eyes, move with otter’s grace, discover with swallow’s range, be as still as stone, and write at the level of moss, leaf, wind and wing.
One afternoon, we will invite a local expert forager, to guide us in understanding the living landscape around us.
Another afternoon, we’ll have an optional excursion to a local historic sacred site.
Our time together will be a blend of spaciousness and structure. There will be time for silence, time for community. There will be time for reflection and time for connection.
At mealtimes, we’ll gather around the shared table, and you’ll have a chance to build connections and friendships, which we hope will travel beyond the immersion itself.
As night falls, we’ll light the fire and share stories, poems, songs, including hosting a special evening salon.
Perhaps you already have a practice of writing or journaling…
Perhaps you would like to begin a practice,
or return to one …
Five days
to dedicated to connecting to the nature of inspiration
This is for you if…
You’re curious to discover new doorways into your creative
and writing process.
You’re drawn to
learn from and with the land of Ireland, guided
by local experts.
You’re ready for an offline, analogue experience in
a beautiful setting
You recognise how essential it is to give yourself quiet,
restorative time in nature.
You’re seeking to listen in more fully to the work you are here to do in the world.
Celebrate Bealtaine,
the Celtic start of Summer…
The first phase of the retreat is all about inspiration – the inhale – listening to and with the land, awakening your senses to the many sources of inspiration, tuning in with what you are here to offer to the world.
The second phase is all about release – the exhale – unlocking your creative energy and your flow of ideas. You’ll have space to craft a piece of work and the option to share with the group, if you wish, by the end of the gathering.
Place will be an integral companion in our time together. At Gortadrohid, you may see some resident otters or hares, discover Spring wildflowers in the meadow, hear swallows newly arrived from the Sahara, take a cold dip in the Atlantic waters.
We’ll be inviting a local expert forager to lead us on a walk to discover the living, edible landscape which will be hosting us, with all its flavours and aromas.
We will savour beautiful meals prepared by a private chef using the local ingredients that West Cork has become famous for.
Around the dinner table, we’ll swap stories, share ideas and inspirations.
For the duration of the immersion, we will encourage you to turn off your phone, put aside your devices, and give yourself fully to an analogue retreat.
Find the flow from hand to page, recalibrate your nervous system and take time and space to truly listen inwards, free from distractions.
Our home for five days
GORTADROHID HOUSE
RINGAROGY ISLAND, West cork
A place to gather, create, and connect, on an island
at the edge of the Atlantic
What’s included
What’s included:
Five nights of comfort in a beautiful house surrounded by 24 acres of wild land and gardens, on an island
Artisanal dining prepared by a private chef using locally sourced ingredients. One lunch will enjoyed together during our excursion (also included)
Delicious home-made breakfast buffet
An abundance of refreshments, including coffee, tea, and seasonal snacks available throughout the day.
Stimulating writing workshops led by Clare Mulvany, designed for all levels of experience – no prior writing experience required.
Movement and yoga each morning, indoor or outdoor
Invigorating (optional) wild swimming
An exclusive evening salon of poetry, music and storytelling
Generous periods of rest to explore the property, linger by the water, or simply breathe in the surrounding nature
Local excursion (transport included) to a stunning sacred historical site
What’s not included:
Airfare, bus or or train fare from your location to the retreat
Travel insurance (strongly encouraged for all participants)
Any accommodation before or after the retreat
Any dining not taking place during the retreat
Alcoholic beverages at the retreat venue or on the excursion
About your hosts
Clare Mulvany is an educator, facilitator and author living in West Cork, Ireland. A graduate in International Education from Oxford University, she has been leading transformational learning programmes for over 25 years across the globe, weaving the strands of creative practice, service leadership and social justice. She is the author of ‘One Wild Life – A Journey to Discover People Who Change the World’, her writing and documentary photography has appeared in places like On Being and The Irish Times, and she writes a weekly nature based essay on The Wild Edge, Substack.She is currently a lecturer and facilitator in University College Dublin’s Innovation Academy and Portal – Trinity College Dublin, teaching creative and entrepreneurial skills. A qualified coach and mentor, Clare has hosted thousands of people in salons, writing workshops and creative retreats across the world.
Athena grew up in West Cork, fully immersed in the natural environment in which she roamed free with her two brothers. While creative writing was a large part of her childhood, music took centre stage. After winning international Irish music prizes as a young performer, Athena went on to graduate from Oxford University with a 1st Class BA in Music, followed two years at the Conservatorio G. Verdi in Milan, Italy. As a composer she has written for soloists, ensembles and orchestras, she has scored short and feature films, and her music has been performed across the globe. As a creative, her writing has been published in a notable music journal, she was part of the creative team behind a successful indie feature film, and she co-wrote and developed a feature film script, set in and infused with West Cork, which is awaiting production. Wearing other hats, Athena has worked as a guide and travel designer for many years and launched her own travel company, Athena Nomadica, which specialises in immersive travel experiences.Our Schedule
Friday
From 7pm: join us for a welcome drink at Arran Street East Schull. If you would like further refreshments, please feel free to bring your own.
7:30pm Candlelit Salon: enter a space of poetry and music. Clare and Athena will lead the salon with readings, live music, and shared poems to prompt conversation and seasonal reflections.
Saturday
Morning: we will meet over tea and coffee followed by a writing workshop with guided prompts and reflections.
Lunch: free time to explore Schull, have a bite to eat in one of the cafes or the hotel and wander along the stunning coast.
Afternoon Creative Workshop: we will continue our thematic exploration of Samhain with hands-on crafting.
(Optional: 6-6:30pm: witness the wild and wonderful Ballydehob Samhain parade.)
Evening gathering: bring a poem, song or story to share around the campfire (or indoors – weather dependent!)
Sunday
Morning: after tea and coffee we will spend some quiet time connecting in nature, followed by guided writing and optional sharing of your work and experiences.
Late lunch: free time to explore Schull, or head home if you need to.
Afternoon: optional sauna* and sea plunge
(sauna is an additional €15, paid on the day).
FAQS
-
4 breakfasts
4 lunches
5 dinners
5 nights at Gortadrohid
Daily workshops
Exclusive foraging workshop
West Cork excursion
Coaching and facilitation from Clare and Athena
-
We are 20 minutes from the town of Skibbereen in West Cork.
From Dublin: 2.5 hr train (city centre) or 3.5 hr bus (Dublin airport or city centre); followed by 1.5 hr bus, taxi or car rental from Cork city.
From Cork: 1.5 hr bus to Skibbereen, taxi or car rental.
We are happy to help arrange taxis from Cork city, Cork airport or Skibbereen.
-
Weather at this time of year can bring a range of sun, clouds and showers, especially in our increasingly unpredictable climate.
• Documents: passport (+digital copies of these in case of loss), tickets, travel insurance (recommended)
• Toiletries and any medication
• Light warm layer (four seasons in one day!)
• Light rain jacket
• Closed, waterproof shoes with good tread for walking
• Swimwear
• Refillable water bottle
• Writing material (notebook, pens, whatever you like to use)
• Journal
• € Euro cash
-
This is for anyone who is interested in exploring writing and creativity, and requires no previous writing experience.
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Nature of Inspiration 5 night immersion
Investment: €2490
Single occupancy supplement: €1200
Due upon booking: deposit of 50%
Balance is due 1st of March 2027
-
Your 50% deposit can be refunded up until 31 December 2026.
After 1st of January, 2027, the deposit is retained as non-refundable.
Cost & BOOKING
The nature of inspiration
Immersive retreat
Investment: €2490
Single occupancy supplement: €1200
Due upon booking: deposit of 50%
Balance is due 1st of March 2027
Cancellation Policy
After 1st of January, 2027, the deposit is retained as non-refundable.
Master Bedroom
Ensuite bathroom (bathtub and walk in shower)
Twin Bedroom
Shared bathroom
Ensuite Bedroom
Ensuite bathroom (walk in shower)
Downstairs Bedroom
External bathroom (partially private)
Bunk Bedroom
(max. double occupancy)
Shared bathroom
We have both had the privilege of living in the beauty of West Cork for many years now, immersed in its wildness and drawn into its many rhythms. Much of our work is infused with the nature of this place: for Clare it has taken the form of writing and photography, for Athena it has been music (performed and composed) and a film script collaboration. We look forward to welcoming you to dip a toe or fully plunge into the work that has been calling you, supported by us and inspired by this remarkable place.
Clare & Athena x