Clare Island Studio is a renovated stone cottage with a separate artist's studio. For details please contact clareislandstudio@gmail.com. The house and studio are available for rent year round and can be rented together or separately.
The remote beauty of Clare Island long inspired the work of one of Ireland’s most prolific painters, Tony O’Malley. The artist’s father was a native of Ballytoughey, a mountainous village at the northern edge of the island which breaks the journey from the harbour to the lighthouse. It was here, nestled in the shadow of the Big Hill (Cnoc Mór) with the Atlantic rolling in the near distance, that the O’Malleys settled in the 1860s. The family’s ancestral home, a stone cottage which had fallen into ruin in recent decades, has been carefully restored to attract a new generation of artists to Ballytoughey.
The Clare Island studio was launched in 2021 following an extensive renovation project that saw the transformation of the original stone-wall frame into a beautifully designed and tastefully decorated cottage. The ‘old house’, as it is still affectionately referred to, integrates modern conveniences while preserving the aesthetic of the traditional cottage. The flagstones around the house and window lintels from the original building give a sense of place and history while beautifully complementing the cottage’s more contemporary features.
Walking the road north to Ballytoughey from the quay with the big hill looming large in the distance, it is easy to see how the landscape would spark the imagination. Adjacent to the ‘old house’ is a large light-filled studio where artists have space to hone their craft. Immersed in the stillness of the landscape with views over Clew Bay, this is a space for slow reflection and creative exploration. The Clare Island studio welcomes practising artists – both established and emerging – seeking inspiration from this place of quiet beauty and rich history.
General information about Clare Island including how to get there is available at www.clareisland.ie.
Pick up from the ferry on arrival and drop off on departure are included in the rental cost. Travel around the island is on foot or by bicycle. Bicycles can be brought on the ferry or can be hired on the island. There is no roll-on car ferry service however cars can be brought onto the island by special arrangement with the ferry companies.
Available dates are shown in green