Arts Studio - creative space - for 1, 2 or more

Quirky, cosy little arts studio, with traditional Irish character. Hidden in the heart of town, in this 'Middle Kingdom'. Kitchenette, shower-bathroom & treehouse balcony. Ideal for attending special occasions/arts festivals/work-stays. It is a favourite of visitors from home & abroad. Step & duck through a small door in the big gates, into an unexpected, tranquil haven - a 'magical' courtyard garden. Sleeps 2 on comfy divans, as double/singles. Breakfast provided. See details! The space This is a working artist's studio and gallery space which has been a charming local and county arts hub for over 20 years. It offers unusual, well-priced Bed and Breakfast accommodation. Available as semi-self-catering (with a complimented, healthy breakfast) or full self-catering for visitors using it as a good base for touring the region. The adaptable arts and accommodation space is suitable for a solo or duo with divans which are configured for either 2 singles or a double bed. Please note - the divans are NOT the standard sizes. ie. they are 2ft / 61cm x 6ft / 163cm. with foam mattresses.) NOTE: Extra cost for 2nd bed/linens. Request preferred set-up option on booking. Excellent cafés and some good restaurants are nearby, and of course the main attraction, Birr Castle Demesne & Historic Science Centre. Our studio is a very short stroll from the entrance to the castle, to local churches; to the fine library, and to all the shops. * * * BACKGROUND: In 2000, Tin Jug Studio was the first gallery to open in County Offaly. Though usually private, it is opened up to the public during local arts festivals, for visual arts exhibitions, performance art, poetry readings, creative workshops, launches, arts meetings and musical soirees. At the owners home next door, the Birr Writers Residency has been running since 2014. Four successful applicants annually are funded to stay a week, by Offaly Arts. And so too have other writers booked short stays in the arts studio for the relaxing inspiration of new work, or putting the finishing touches to a soon-to-be-published work. Others in the spheres of art have here stayed too: musicians, dancers, actors - attractive to an international as well as national list of visitors, from the States, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Italy, New Zealand, South America and more. Please read on for the essential details and options: * The accommodation is upstairs and has comfy, adaptable divans (not full beds). There is a tiny kitchen space with cooker, fridge, microwave, toaster and kettle. Coffee and teas are provided, as well as a basic amount of glasswear, crockery and cutlery, pots and pans. * A small shower-bathroom/loo (with towels, shampoos etc. provided). * A tiny balcony for sunny sitting. * Breakfasts for those choosing semi-self-catering, are served downstairs in the gallery. With seating upon the antique Irish settle bed and antique chairs. (This overlooks the courtyard garden.) * CD player and radio. NOTE - Nota Bene! The Sleeping Arrangements: * The beds are divans - adaptable platforms with comfy, foam mattresses. These are narrower than the standard single beds at 2 foot wide (600mm) x 6 foot long. The set-up options are for two, separate, single divans, or confirgured as a double (4 foot x 6 foot). The bedding of duvets and pillows (feather and foam) with freshly laundered sheets and towels are of course provided. There are extra blankets too. * NOTE on our big local attraction, Birr Castle Demesne, the interior of the castle being a home, is only open for short periods with a guided tour which must be booked ahead. It is worth extending a stay in town to experience more of the area - making sure to take in The Famous & Notables of Birr Trail, created by two Birr artists, Rosalind and Jackie. * As this is a working arts studio, visitors need to be aware there are rather arty elements as part of the unique experience of staying here, from the big, papier maché fish suspended from the ceiling; art materials and publications, with paintings, photographs and wood carvings on show too - some part of the owners collection and some are for sale. Visitors may of course use the art materials for sketching and painting. * Breakfast Options - 'High Breakfast' or 'Low Breakfast': Select any time for breakfasts served in the gallery - from 9.15am up until midday. However, prior arrangements can be made for earlier breakfast basics - provided within for the active worker or tourer. * Included in the price as offered, is the Tin Jug Studio Breakfast Basket, greatly complimented by those who have stayed and loved it: A delicious and attractively presented breakfast includes a healthy repast with local and largely organic foods. Please note that dietry options are also happily catered for. 'Low breakfast' is something new on offer and for which please request an Airbnb 'Special Offer' discounted price. This is simply pared down to fresh fruit juice and fresh croissants (or wholewheat seeded bread, or scones) baked locally. There are of course plenty of award-winning cafés close by such as Emma's, The Red Apple and The Loft for 'yummy' breakfasts with cappucinos. - A cooked course is also possible, at extra cost for one-night stays, or free with two to three-night stays and more. * The arts studio is entered by a separate entrance from the street. (DUCK your head, as you step inside the garden!) Once inside, it is mostly very quiet - some noise in the daytime from the yard over the wall, and some traffic noise. Usually very quiet at night. Being in the 'Centre of the Universe', Birr is a lovely heritage town in the heart of the country. It is at the confluence of routes from North to South, East to West and was once within the ancient fifth province of Mide. It is where the Cain Adamhnán - The Law of The Innocents was enacted well over 1300 years ago, when bishops and noblemen travelled to meet in Biorra to enact this remarkable law. There is so much to see and enjoy, which is not always well-promoted and is thus only well appreciated from experience. Yes, there are mountains for glorious un-touristy walks - adventurous cycling too - and this being the monastic Midlands there are places sacred to tread and marvel at, which once drew peole from all over Europe to study with the scholastic monks. Great river and lough trips give another flavour to visiting our 'boggy centre', where plains of healing herbs for grazing animals in Summer, and where migratory birds come to the Callows when the landscape changes to flood-lakes in the Winter. Our home and arts studio are a mere five minute walk from the main attraction, Birr Castle Demesne and Historic Science Centre. It astounds visitors to hear of the Parsons' family remarkable achievements and international impacts in astronomy, engineering and much more - all beginning in little Birr. Look up I-LOFAR for the latest news on Birr's role in monitoring the sun. But you may find your own ancestral or cultural connections to this town too. With its astoundingly significant histories and its people of present and past eras, who have made their own marks locally, nationally and internationally. There are a number of terrific arts festivals in Birr, including the newest and superb Festival of Music. Many aspects of all of our festivals take place at the Birr Theatre & Arts Centre. Seek out their website for upcoming events, performances, screenings, workshops etc. and perhaps even time your visit for one of them. Tin Jug Studio may also be holding events or have artist-involvement during some of these festivals, but accommodation availability will be noted on the calendar. We have taken part in National Drawing Day annually (May) for many years. Art tuition can also be booked, for drawing and painting 'en plein air' with landscape artist Jock Nichol, or still life in the studio, with the resident artist, Rosalind. Our SEASONAL ARTS FESTIVALS - CHECK DATES ONLINE April/May: Music Festival June/July: Scripts Playwriting Festival July/August: Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival October: OFFline Film Festival November: Hullabaloo Children's Arts Festival * Ask about special offers and options, which may include art tuition, pleasant pampering treats and guided hill walks, trekking on horseback in the hills, music nights at Leap Castle, etc., etc. * Bookable treats -: Reflexology with Brenda Kelly Abeyta - €50. Superb and immensly relaxing! etc. Guest access The arts studio has its own entrance into the courtard from the street. Please NOTE: 'Strictly', Saint Brendan Street has paid parking, however, we provide a notice for the windscreens of car owners, for the parking attendant to note! Free car park near-ish by. Other things to note With around 80% of the County Offaly's arty-creatives living in and around Birr, it also has a charming theatre with a high standard of varied entertainments. There are four to five arts festivals annually, from music to film, and Birr Vintage Week to Hullabaloo Children's Arts Festival. Check out Birr Theatre & Arts Centre for the current programme, exhibitions, etc. Tin Jug Studio as formerly hosted the Irish Latin American Film Festival, with the Cuban Ambassador and his wife launching it in 2014. We have held delightful Irish language events and gatherings during Seachtain na Gaeilge. Biorra le Gaeilge was launched here too. It was also the original home of the Birr Photography Group, and the founding meeting of Anam Beo. Rosalind was also one of the original members of the committee which begin the children's arts festival. Apart from the tranquil gardens of Birr Castle Demesne and fascinating Historic Science Centre, visitors can take a self-guided tours of the town. The most recent is The Famous & Notables of Birr Trail, created by fellow artists Jackie Lynch and your host. And it was launched by the renowned Irish actor Des Keogh in 2016 at John's Hall. There are 27 plaques on buildings and structures along this trail. The FAN Trail celebrates remarkable people of past eras whose achievements and their significance locally, nationally and internationally, had mostly been lost in the mists of memory. The two artists have since created a sister walking trail, A Town Reads Mitchell, with ten poems on panels by Susan Langstaff Mitchell - literary genius of the 19th/early 20th century. RECOMMENDED for those who also enjoy a variety of walks, from short looped walks, to longer - more challenging hikes, in our gentle Slieve Blooms. For which one must nevertheless be properly attired and equipped. We can lend a map(s) for hillwalking.