Art, coffee, alpacas and a little lane of their own: Maureen O’Neill’s creative vision for rural Mayo

If you happen to be wandering along the Great Western Greenway near Newport, you might be tempted off the beaten track by the promise of coffee, homemade treats and a glimpse into an artist’s working studio.

Stay a little longer, and you might find yourself making art, chatting to fellow visitors or being followed around the farm by three alpacas hoping you have brought them something to eat.

You might also see three alpacas have a habit of following Maureen O’Neill around the farm as she goes about her day, particularly when she is picking blackberries. Billy, Bertie and Bruce know the routine. There might be a tasty treat on offer, and they are not inclined to miss out.

“They look at everybody now expecting them to have a red apple,” she laughs. “They’re so spoiled, I wouldn’t swap them for the world.”

Her husband has taken photographs of the three trailing behind her in a line, often without Maureen even realising they are there.

These are a few of the small, everyday pleasures of life at Greenway Lane, the creative enterprise Maureen has developed on her family farm near Newport, alongside the Great Western Greenway.

Between her painting, art workshops, homemade baking, the café and the animals, there is rarely a quiet moment. Now, with new glamping accommodation and an additional studio in development, she is preparing to welcome visitors for an even longer stay.

“I’ve never seen it going this way,” she says of the business’s growth. “It was just literally the weirdest, most organic thing that’s kind of ever happened.”

A love of art that never went away

Art has been part of Maureen’s life since childhood. Her father worked for the former director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, giving her an early introduction to artists, paintings, sculpture and different creative disciplines.

It was an experience that left its mark. Maureen has always worked as an artist, primarily in oils, although she also experiments with ink and other materials. The landscape of the west of Ireland remains a constant influence, particularly its boglands, coastline, colours and textures.

She is not necessarily interested in painting a recognisable view. Instead, she enjoys seeing where a piece of work takes her once she begins.

“I’ve been doing it a long time and I’ve never ever wanted to do anything else,” she says.

When she began renovating the house on the farm, the intention was to create a working studio rather than a conventional gallery.

Visitors can see and buy artwork, but they can also get a glimpse of the creative process and the space in which an artist works.

More importantly, Maureen wanted people who had never considered themselves artistic to feel comfortable experimenting.

“I wanted some group where everyone could learn to experiment with art, even people who never thought they could in the first place,” she explains.

That philosophy has become central to Greenway Lane.

Giving people the confidence to create

That welcoming philosophy runs through the workshops offered at Greenway Lane. The studio offers painting classes and workshops in acrylic pouring, alcohol ink, sea-glass art and resin, while children’s art camps run during school holidays.

Participants travel from across Ireland, with some coming from the UK. For many, the attraction is the chance to try something different in a relaxed setting.

Maureen particularly loves working with children and seeing their confidence grow. Some arrive unsure of themselves, convinced they are not artistic. Before long, they are absorbed in experimenting with paint, clay, mixed media and found objects.

“Your biggest problem will actually be trying to get them out,” she tells parents who worry their children might not enjoy it.

Over the years, she has watched some of those young participants progress to art school and creative careers.

She also wants the studio to be accessible to everyone. An accessible easel allows wheelchair users to work independently, and she hopes the new studio space will build further on that inclusive approach.

For Maureen, creativity should not be reserved for people who already know what they are doing. Sometimes, all that is needed is the opportunity to give something a try.

From coffee stop to creative destination

Greenway Lane’s café came about almost by accident. When the Great Western Greenway was being developed, Maureen was approached about allowing walkers and cyclists to use facilities on the property.

She initially struggled to imagine people leaving the route simply to visit an art studio. A small coffee stop seemed a more natural fit.

The plan was modest, but the idea grew. The café became a place where visitors could stop for refreshments, enjoy homemade food and sit outside surrounded by the countryside.

Today, it is a seasonal business, opening from April to October, and has developed a loyal following.

Maureen says regular customers have become friends, with many disappointed when the café closes for winter.

That connection inspired her to begin Life Along the Lane, a seasonal online journal sharing stories from the farm, studio and café.

It is a way of keeping people informed about upcoming workshops and new ideas while giving them a glimpse of everyday life behind the scenes.

Making room for the next chapter

The next development came from a question Maureen heard repeatedly from workshop participants: where could they stay locally?

Visitors were travelling considerable distances to take part in classes, but overnight accommodation was not available on site. After initially directing people to nearby accommodation, she began exploring the possibility of providing somewhere herself.

The result is a planned luxury glamping development, with self-contained units designed to sit comfortably within the rural landscape while offering modern comforts, including kitchenettes, shower rooms and living and sleeping spaces.

Maureen hopes the accommodation will be available from January 2027, subject to the necessary preparations and permissions.

An additional studio is also planned, opening up the possibility of artist retreats and longer creative breaks. She would love to develop further experiences, including foraging weekends and walks with the alpacas, allowing visitors to explore the landscape as well as the studio.

For Maureen, the surroundings are not simply a backdrop to the business. They are part of who she is. Her family has lived on the land for generations, and the mountains behind the farm were her playground growing up.

She and her family wanted to find a way to keep the farm viable while holding on to a place that means so much to them.

“I’m most proud of the fact that I stuck to my guns and I didn’t listen to anybody,” she says. “I had an idea and I just went with it.”

That sense of belonging continues to influence her work and her plans for the future.

Asked what she is most proud of, Maureen does not point to the café, the workshops or the forthcoming accommodation. Instead, she talks about trusting her own instincts.

“I had an idea and I just went with it,” she says. “The way I always see it, it’s better to have tried than not to have tried at all.”

It is a philosophy that has served her well.

Greenway Lane has grown far beyond the small coffee stop originally envisaged, but its appeal remains rooted in simple things: a warm welcome, homemade treats, the freedom to be creative and the pleasure of spending time outdoors.

For anyone looking to escape the rush of everyday life, Greenway Lane offers something a little different. And with new accommodation on the horizon, Maureen hopes more people will have the chance to discover it.

Sometimes, she has found, the best things begin with a simple idea — and the courage to see where it leads.