Gaoth Dobhair retreat leads the way on the best creative place in the world list

A Gaoth Dobhair international writing retreat has been chosen as the number one creative retreat worldwide by Independent Newspapers.

It heads a list that includes aa others in countries such as Asia, Africa, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Thailand and parts of Ireland including Cork, Waterford and Galway.

The weekend’s good news reached ‘Ireland Writing Retreat’ organiser, Columbia Hillen, a native of Romania, who launched her writing retreat with her author husband, Sean, exactly 10 years ago in Gaoth Dobhair and expanded it to other destinations including France.

Over the last decade, Columbia’s week-long writing retreats, which combine creative writing workshops at Teac Jack in Glassagh with cultural excursions and culinary experiences in the Gaeltacht region, have attracted participants of all ages and backgrounds from countries such as Germany, Iceland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. ‘Ireland Writing Retreat’ will host four writing retreats, including a specialised Discovery and Travel Writing Retreat, this year in Donegal and in the Pyréneés-Orientales region on France’s Mediterranean coast, close to the Spanish border.   

“I’m truly delighted that our wee corner of Ireland has been recognised in this way, especially considering some of the other retreats named are either in well-known international destinations or organised by leading institutions including Poetry Ireland,” she said. “Due to its impressive natural beauty, Donegal is an inspiring place for artists of all kinds but it is still not recognised as widely as many places in Ireland and other parts of Europe, not to mention further afield.

“Environmentally-friendly tourism including literary tourism has tremendous potential here in Donegal but has not been developed even close to its full potential. Most people on our retreats have never been to Ireland, and those that have, never been to Donegal. And they leave immensely impressed, so it's both word-of-mouth and written promotion for the area internationally.”