Feeling creatively starved in her career job as an ICU nurse back in the 1980's Cheryl found a hobby using beads. Her passion for using these colorful little orbs ended up sending her around the word and eventually led to her starting a retreat center in the west of Ireland.

“Creative passion is a powerful thing, and sharing that passion with others is one of the most rewarding of roles we can have. Making with our hands is a profound creative force, and allowing one idea, one experiment, or one possibility to lead to another is a risk well worth taking”.

Today, here in my little village of 500 people on the west coast of Ireland, her bead journey has evolved into something she could never have imagined when it began: a 25-bed retreat centre where creative explorers come together to gather, learn, make and share.

It is no longer about beads. It has grown to embrace many forms of artistic expression, supported by three large, purpose-built studios for glass, metalwork and the visual arts.

With accommodation, meals and the facilities to support the creative process, we are able to create a space where participants can step away from the demands of everyday life and become fully immersed in making. Just as important is the camaraderie—the conversations, discoveries, shared enthusiasm and unexpected connections that emerge when a group of creative people come together.

What began as a passion for beads has become something so much larger: a place where creativity can lead wherever it wants to go.

You can find more information on the Arts School and Retreat Centre here: www.mulrannyarts.com