Burren College of Art at Newtown Castle
The College is located just outside of Ballyvaughan in the Burren, a region famous for its natural beauty and unique ecosystem. We are an internationally recognized Irish non-profit college specializing in undergraduate, postgraduate and alternative approaches to fine art education. Our postgraduate programmes welcome international and national students, and are fully accredited by the University of Galway.
Our undergraduate programme is designed for students in North America who wish to study abroad in Ireland for one to two semesters, and we currently partner with over 40 colleges and universities in the US and Canada. Our workshops and residency programmes welcome practitioners at all levels of experience, from all over the world, and our ReSource programmes are designed to educate non-artists in the principles and procedures of creative processes.
Newtown Castle is a distinctive 16th century fortified tower house located on the College grounds, and built originally for a branch of the O‘Briens and passing thereafter into the possession of the powerful local family of the O’Loghlens. Peter O’Loghlen – with a title “Prince of the Burren” – was the last recorded occupant in the late 1800s.
The Castle is free of charge and open to the public Monday-Friday 9:00am-5pm.