News

Our current main project is remodeling the farmhouse so that it can be a comfortable and attractive residence for retreatants as well as house the retreat centre kitchen and dining hall. The project began on the first sunny day in over a week, on August 15, when Stan De Freitas and Bart and Marion Gruzalski put a new roof on the shed on the south Farmhouse wall to protect the oil burner from rain. John O'Dea, our plumber, fixed the downstairs shower shortly afterwards, and Michael Brennan, from Ennis, fixed our boiler.

We launched our first workday on August 23, followed by a work weekend on August 30th and 31st. The response from the community [sangha] supporting Sunyata was and continues to be inspiring. We want to thank those people who have already accomplished so much.

For the first phase of the painting project, Brendan MacKernan was our Hercules: here on every official painting work day as well as bringing up all our painting supplies. Mairead Burke and Richard Gordon, along with James and William, were our first volunteers. They started the indoor project and returned later for a second day of painting. (James broke up a throw-away table for kindling and William tested all the mattresses and the cot.) Eoin, from Ennis, put two days of work into the first stages of preparation and painting. Joe O'Callaghan twice brought his hereditary gift for skillfully plunging headlong into painting jobs. Eoin McInerney began the first work day at 10AM and prepared rooms for painting. Eilish Ward (from Galway) and Phillip O'Dea got the first two bedrooms off to a flying start. Noirin Sheehan and Tom O'Brien came for two days from Dublin and were as focused as Zen masters. Ray Ryan was so committed to getting two coats on the big bedroom that he came twice. Jenny Ryan, Ray's daughter, added her zestful energy. Maria from Dublin cleaned the back area with such thoroughness that the walls look freshly painted and the refrigerator looks brand new (well, there is a dent in the side, but maybe that happened in shipping). Pieter Cremers and Ida Boelhouwer spent parts of three days filling holes, washing walls and painting. Sinead McAteer put in a solid work day even though she was not feeling well. Ann Powers drove all over Clare County getting some last minute paint supplies, a needed ingredient for lunch, and then worked all afternoon. Pat Punch and Eileen O'Connor painted with great humor and wit. Noelle Cullen came for an afternoon and then returned on another day with Peter Higgins, cleaning and painting with professional enthusiasm. Noelle and Peter also brought Oisin and Rory Higgins, who painted with the confidence of fine-art artists. Colm O'Brien and John Nolan kept the pace going as they finished walls and woodwork and started on the kitchen. Marion Gruzalski created delicious noontime meals for almost two weeks straight, as people came almost daily for pre-announced as well as spontaneous work days (folks called first and then came).

After the first series of workdays ended, volunteers continued to come to continue the work needed on the farmhouse. David Patterson hitch-hiked down from Galway and Colm O'Brien joined him for a day of painting that went far into the evening's darkness. Cáit Ní Liongsigh came in from Quilty, joined in for some hours of painting, then took all the curtains from the farmhouse home for washing and ironing. When she brought them back to Sunayata, Mairead Burke came over and hung them in the various rooms of the farmhouse.

Meanwhile, Bart was in California to give a talk and when he returned he performed a wedding ceremony in the Meditation Hall for Bella Watson and Daraugh Bradford. That evening Sister Anandabodhi began her retreat. Our mindfulness stress reduction course is off to a good start, as is the Tuesday evening yoga class, and we begin qigong on Thursday evening.

On other fronts, Richard Gorman opened up the garden area behind the office building and returned to begin chipping up the debris from that effort. John Coackley came all the way up from Garrahies Camp, Tralee, in Co. Kerry, and spent three days working on the electricity, sending Bart to shop for the few lights and fixtures that John didn't bring with him in his van. The result of John's efforts and multiple electronic contributions is that we have excellent night lights around the Meditation Hall, the farmhouse, the buildings around the stupa; a new oil burner timer in the farmhouse kitchen, as well as a light in the stupa. John returned for an afternoon of work a couple of weeks later and fixed yet more lights and smoke-detectors plus taught Bart a few basics of electrical safety. Rose Madrone, a visitor from California, pitched in while she was here, priming on the blue trim in the farmhouse kitchen. Eilish and Hiram Wood donated a much needed microwave that is now in the dining hall.

In addition to the tremendous work by supporters and visitors, those of us living here continue to keep the upgrades moving along. Marion has been working on the farmhouse front garden and painting the wall across from the farmhouse. She has been joined in these efforts by Audrey Telle, from France, who has become an integral part of our residential community. Audrey's contributions have allowed Marion and Bart to spend more time in the office working with emails (keeping up and currently trying to correct an email calamity), scheduling, teaching, registering retreatants, registering people who are taking the course on mindfulness stress reduction, supporting teaching activities, purchasing supplies (e.g., the new beds are on the way) and paying the bills. Audrey's contributions include gardening, painting, kitchen work, and she has uplifted all of Sunyata with her placement of beautiful flora arrangements throughout the centre. We gladly welcome her, are grateful for her many contributions, and wish her a long stay.

We also want to introduce Tomas Barcak whom we met after Sister Anandabodhi's retreat. He volunteered to work on the webpage and has been in residence doing that as well as attending Bart's retreat. We look forward to his occasional visits in our community where he will continue to update the webpage, as well as work on the various projects. Meanwhile, we are very grateful to him for picking up the webpage from Trey in California and completing the project.

Each of you is invited to join us in these and other activities and are invited to stay overnight if you would like. Our current schedule is morning meditation at 7:30AM, breakfast, work period until lunch around 12:30, naptime if needed, work period again, tea breaks when needed, a light meal around 6PM, and evening meditation at 7:30PM.
If you would like to come to help when there is no retreat going on, please call or even email us so we can coordinate our efforts. We have painting needs, carpenter needs, and gardening needs... plus plumbing, drainage, and much more.