Fresh appeal for funds to renovate artist's former cottage on Mayo island

A MAYO community group is seeking the help of the public to raise funds to refurbish a 19th century cottage on Achill Island to use as a retreat for artists.

In 2024, the Achill Heinrich Böll Association launched a campaign to raise funds to purchase and renovate the cottage in Dooagh formerly owned by acclaimed Irish artist Camille Souter and convert it into a residency and retreat for artists.

In May, the group announced that they had successfully completed the purchase of a cottage on Achill Island and since then they have engaged the services of an engineer to survey the cottage and estimate works required and the cost of these renovations. 

A Go Fund Me page was set up by the Achill Heinrich Böll Association with a target of €50,000 set to contribute to the project.

In an update on the Go Fund Me Page, local artist Ronan Halpin, who set up the Go Fund Me page on behalf of the Achill Heinrich Böll Association, asked the local community and others to continue to support the project.

“We are now in September 2025. Camille's cottage was purchased, signed and sealed back in the spring. We have engaged the services of an engineer to survey the cottage and estimate works required and the cost of these renovations.

“Once we have these figures we will be in a position to seek grant aid and commence the refurbishment work. We still very much need your help to get this project completed so please donate and share,” he stated.

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Achill Heinrich Böll Association stated that it is their aim to establish a funded artists residency in memory of Camille Souter where professional artists will be invited to live and work, with financial support, for a given period of time.

“The residency will be operated by the Achill Heinrich Böll Association who have 30 years experience of running a writers/artists residency at the Heinrich Böll Cottage in Dugort on Achill Island.

“The proposal to provide an artist’s residency at Camille’s former cottage will serve to renew Achill’s connections with the arts, it will also afford a new generation of artists an opportunity to find inspiration there,” the group stated.

The English born artist lived in the cottage on Achill Island from 1958 into the early 1960s and on a permanent basis from the 1980s until her death at the age of 93 in March 2023. Previous to this she lived in London, Italy as well as her childhood home in Co Wicklow.

She was widely admired by generations of Irish artists, writers, poets and critics alike and was the recipient of numerous awards and honours including doctorates from UCD, Trinity College and the Sustained Contribution to the Visual Arts Award from IMMA. She was also the founding member of Aosdána and has inspired generations of Irish painters.

The cottage located on the road to Keem Bay is one of the oldest original cottages in the village which she had maintained in almost its original unique condition. It had a market value of €200,000 and planned renovations, including roof, chimney, bathroom and kitchen upgrades, rewiring, heating, insulation, cleaning and painting are expected to come to €114,000.

More information on https://www.gofundme.com/f/camille-souter-artists-residency