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Eco friendly Vegetarian Guesthouse on Clare Island

Eco-friendly, self catering accommodation or vegetarian B&B is sometimes available outside the summer season at the Clare Island retreat centre.

This is a renovated traditional island cottage and its separate 2 storey modern extension. It is located on the lighthouse road, about a mile and a half from the harbour. This is a very quiet part of the island and offers superb views over Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick. It is ideal for people wanting a quiet time away from it all.

Accommodation in the old cottage comprises 2 large ground floor bedrooms (one en suite family room with sleeping loft, sleeps 3 / 4) and a small loft room, together with a large dining / sitting room, separate kitchen and toilet / shower. It sleeps up to 7.

The modern extension comprises 2 upstairs bedrooms, bathroom, downstairs toilet / shower, downstairs bedroom and kitchen / dining room. It accommodates up to 7 persons.

Wood burning stoves are installed in both houses with wood and turf supplied. The hot water supply comes via solar panels adjacent to the cottage (with electric immersion as back-up).

* Both houses are strictly non smoking.
* There are no television or microwave oven in either of the houses.
* Children and pets are welcome.
* The cottages are a long way from the harbour, pub and shop.

B&B rate 35 euros / per person sharing or 40 euros (single room), organic vegetarian breakfast. Evening dinner (when available, organic vegetarian food) 20 euros / person.

The accommodation and the new yoga studio are located on the Lighthouse Road, on the northeastern end of the island This is the least developed part of the island, and is very quiet, save for the sounds of birds, sheep, ducks, dogs, horses.... We are very committed to making sure that the development fits unobtrusively into the surroundings, and is as environmentally friendly as possible. We compost all our organic waste and recycle as much as possible. A natural spring nearby supplies the drinking water.

Accommodation is in a refurbished traditional island cottage which used to be our home, and which Ciara inherited from an extraordinary islander, Michael Joe O'Malley, her partner for over eight years in the 1980's. We have renovated it thoroughly and built an extension for additional accommodation. There are solar panels for heating the water, wood burning stoves for space heating and plenty of natural light. The use of natural material such as wood, terracotta and natural slates contribute to creating a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

Clare Island lies off the west coast of Ireland at at the entrance to Clew Bay. The largest of the off-shore Mayo islands, it has a varied terrain: spectacular cliffs with large numbers of nesting sea birds and a rich 'inland' topography of hills and bogs and small pockets of woodland, making it ideal for hill-walking.

The island's complex history can be read through its landscape: from archaeological remains of the Neolithic and Bronze age, to rare medieval wall-paintings in the 14th century abbey, to the 'pirate queen' Grace O'Malley's (Grainneuaile) castle and burial place. The island population is now around 140, yet everywhere there are traces of past generations, most significantly the 19th century population explosion and subsequent famine when the island's population of 1600 was reduced by half. Old potato ridges, or 'lazy beds' are everywhere: the evening sun reveals them jutting out from the land like the rib cages of some dying beast. The island has been much studied, with the R.L. Praeger's The Clare Island Survey perhaps the most well known.

The island lies roughly four miles off the nearest mainland point and the ferry crossing takes approximately 20 minutes. The current permanent population of 140 increases substantially during the summer when there is a steady tourist season. The island has a number of B&B's, one hotel with a bar and one shop, which is also the post office.