At its heart, Dzogchen Beara is home to a resident community of Buddhist practitioners who uphold the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, in particular the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik, and the lineage of the Tibetan Buddhist Master, Sogyal Rinpoche.
The centre offers a place of refuge and healing, supporting the awakening of innate wisdom, love, and compassion. Dzogchen Beara is a member of the One Rigpa Network, an international network of centres and groups committed to making the Buddha’s teachings accessible and meaningful in the modern world.
Origins
In 1974, Peter and Harriet Cornish moved from the UK to the Beara Peninsula with the vision of creating a retreat centre. They purchased the lands and ruins that would become Dzogchen Beara and, over nearly twenty years, restored buildings, developed infrastructure, and planted tens of thousands of trees, transforming a remote cluster of ruins into a living retreat environment.
An Act of Extraordinary Generosity
In 1992, the Cornishes made an act of extraordinary generosity, gifting their home, land, and life’s work to a newly established charitable trust. The trust was placed under the spiritual guidance of Sogyal Rinpoche, author of the acclaimed Spiritual classic The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and founder of Rigpa.
The centre opened to the public as a place for Buddhist study and long-term retreat. Its early facilities included the hostel, five cottages, Centre House with retreat rooms and a shrine room, and the building that now houses the Café. Centre House remained the main venue for meditation and public retreats until 2024.
The Spiritual Care Centre
In 1993, Harriet Cornish died of cancer at the age of 44. Peter later wrote a short memoir, In Memory of Harriet, recounting her death and the care she received. The book deeply moved many readers and inspired support for the creation of the Spiritual Care Centre at Dzogchen Beara, officially opened by President Mary McAleese in 2007.
Sogyal Rinpoche and Later Developments
Sogyal Rinpoche played a significant role in Dzogchen Beara as Spiritual Director for 25 years. When serious allegations concerning his conduct were made public in 2017, he resigned from Rigpa, and from all teaching roles.
With all Rigpa communities, Dzogchen Beara subsequently undertook a period of reflection and transition, reaffirming its commitment to ethical integrity, transparency, and care for all who come to the centre.
The Temple and Stupa
Sogyal Rinpoche died in 2019, and Peter Cornish died in 2023. In 2024, the Dzogchen Beara Temple—whose creation was inspired by the long-held visions of both men—was formally opened. In 2025, a traditional Buddhist stupa, the most sacred of all Buddhist monuments, was constructed and consecrated on the western side of the Temple grounds. An earlier stupa had already been built below the site for the future temple, in 1997.
The Dzogchen Beara Temple is built to a monumental standard. Bringing together the best of the ancient and modern, it is designed to withstand Atlantic storms and to endure for centuries as a beacon of wisdom and compassion, radiating peace and hope to the wider world.