The ‘Big House’

All eleven bedrooms in our ‘Big House’ are ensuite, centrally heated, and equipped with writing desks and Wi-Fi. Residencies in our ‘Big House’ are fully catered, and residents are expected to sit for dinner at 7pm, as per Sir Tyrone Guthrie’s wishes. We provide sheets and towels, so all our residents must do is bring all accoutrements required for work, personal hygiene products and medications.

Residents of the ‘Big House’ have access to our library and drawing room for work, or for gatherings. Explore further and you’ll find our poetry corner with a gorgeous view over our west-facing garden. Couples may not stay together in the Big House. Most of the bedrooms in our Big House are named in honour of the history of the families associated with the house – the Moorhead family, the Power family, the Guthrie family, and Butler family (Peggy Butler (née Guthrie), Sir Tyrone’s only sister, married essayist, Hubert Butler, and between them both, they founded the Kilkenny Arts Festival), and the Fitz-Simon family. Another room, the attic single, is named in honour of poet, John Jordan, while our Morning Room was a former sitting room to all associated families, so too the Guthrie Study, was a place of work for all associated families, while the Guthries’ Bedroom was always the main bedroom of the Big House.

While our food is excellent, we are an artists’ residential workspace, and not a restaurant, so the kitchen in our Big House is not guaranteed gluten, lactose, or nut free. Residents with a medical dietary requirement will be required to take up their residencies in the self-catering cottages. We cater for vegetarians and pescatarians in the Big House. We do our absolute utmost to support our resident artists following religious dietary requirements.

Self-catering cottages

Our five self-catering cottages are situated behind the ‘Big House.’ They are centrally heated, with fully equipped kitchens, shower rooms, sitting room with desk, and access to Wi-Fi. We provide sheets and towels, so all our self-catering residents must do is bring food, all accoutrements required for work, personal hygiene products and medications. Houses 1-4 have one bedroom with double bed, and each has a bed couch. House 5 has two bedrooms, each with double bed, and a bed couch. Couples / friends / collaborators who have been approved for residencies on an individual basis, may reside together in our self-catering cottages.

All residents have access to our gorgeous conservatory, which is situated behind the ‘Big House,’ and is a great place to meet, especially in the spring and summer months. Laundry facilities are available to all in the laundry behind the conservatory.

It can be cold and wet in County Monaghan, so please ensure to bring suitable clothing. That said, we have many days of gorgeous sunshine, and all residents are welcome to sit out to work or rest at our numerous picnic tables set out around the grounds.