Help needed on eco build in beautiful setting in wild west of Ireland

Une possibilité de fuite ?

Description

We are a couple with twin 3 year old girls living on a beautiful hillside with 2 lakes - great for swimming, kayaking, and hiking in Co. Donegal, near Donegal Town. We need help with building work, so if this is of interest to you please contact us.

We have just started an ecobuild project - a reciprocal roofed roundhouse with straw bale walls and an earth roof - so we need all the help we can get! There is also some renovation work - converting a ruined cottage into a workshop/shed - and building work in general.

We also need some help with our vegetable garden, occasional feeding of animals and help walk the dogs and kids! Anyone with cooking skills to help feed hungry workers also welcome!

All the work is mainly outdoor work.
Type of help

Gardening
Building
Babysitting / child care
Cooking / shopping
General Maintenance
Help with Eco project
Animal care
Help

We live in the wild and beautiful countryside of Donegal overlooking two lakes, wildflower meadows and heather-covered hills with views of Donegal Bay. We are building an eco-lodge with yurt accommodation to open Summer 2018.

This autumn/winter we are most keen on getting help with our build so if you have skills and an interest in eco/alternative/traditional building techniques we would love to have you here. There would also be some gardening and/or cooking work for those that are interested.

We also need help with renovating an old ruin (converting it into a workshop) building, maintaining an organic vegetable garden, clearing rhododendron, general site groundwork to prep the land, a share of cooking/washing-up, etc.

Most of the help will be outdoors, in unpredictable Irish weather!

We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 5 laying hens, some chicks, a cockerel, 5 donkeys and a foal…
Languages spoken

English, French & Spanish
Accommodation

We can offer workawayers accommodation in caravans. They have gas heating. In the summer we also have a 4m bell tent and you are welcome to bring your own tent. Facilities are simple at the moment - there is limited running water so a shower is a weekly rather than daily occurrence and we have compost loos.
What else …

We are 15 minutes from Donegal town on the North West coast of Ireland. It is an area of great natural beauty. 10 minutes from Rossnowlagh Beach - good for surfing. Great for hiking & cycling. (We have bikes you can use.) There are lots of adventure sports in the area. We are on the Wild Atlantic Way - halfway between Ballyshannon and Donegal town. Both of which have regular buses to Dublin/Airport. There is also a great pub 5km away which has live music and a shop attached. The nearest village is 5km - it has 2 pubs a small shop and a post office.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
How many Workawayers can stay?

More than two
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Travellers can practice their English and sample what rural lifestyle is like in the West of Ireland. You can learn about traditional and eco techniques of building.
Volunteering hours expected

Minimum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Photos

My Photo Album

Mathilde, Antoine, Jonny and Marcus at sunset on a stormy St Johns Point

Luis having a swim on 31 March

Geoffrey, Jonny and Luis having a well earned lunch

Luis and Geoffrey putting up a windbreak for the veg garden

Isabel, wet, muddy and happy!

Show all photos

Nick clearing rubble

Laerke and Kristian clearing the ruined cottage

Lough Mardal

Home sweet home

Clare on a local beach with the twins

Marcus with one of the girls in the Campervan

Our place

Feedback

04/07/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Thomas)

Thomas was a great help while he was here - he worked hard out in the fields mainly pulling up old fences to make the land a bit safer for us and the animals, thank you!

(Excellent )

30/05/2017

Left by Workawayer (Thomas) for host

Beautiful setting, nice people, welcoming attitude, willing to share, go off grid. What do you want more?
I loved my stay for multiple reasons, but definitely the setting and the people are the most interesting things. If you want a nice quiet stay in exchange for a couple hours a day of hard workd, 5 days a week, then this is the place. I can't… read more

(Excellent )

04/07/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Hanna)

Hannah was a great help to us when she was here - she and her friend George planted several thousand broardleaf trees which will hopefully turn into a beautiful woodland in years to come, thank you!

(Excellent )

31/03/2017

Left by Workawayer (Hanna) for host

We only stayed with Marcus and Clare for a few days, but it was a great experience. They are both very kind and we could always ask for their help and advice. What they are setting up is impressive, especially with two toddlers.

Thank you for all the delicious meals and an amazing stay. We hope to come back to see the forest when we're old. 🙂

(Excellent )

16/06/2017

Left by Workawayer (Lily) for host

I had a lovely time in Donegal. The landscape around their property is absolutely stunning. I learned to point on a stone structure which was really interesting and fun, it's always great to learn a new skill.The camper van was cozy and Clare made the most delicious food.

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

06/04/2017

Left by Workawayer (Georg) for host

I had the pleasure to spend one week with Marcus and Claire. It was my first Workaway experience and it was amazing.
They are so friendly and kind and try to do everything to make your life easier.
The work wasn't that hard and I really got addicted to plant trees for their perma culture project. I also hope that you will get the sponsorship from… read more

(Excellent )

20/02/2017

Left by Workawayer (Sarah & Milou-Ashley) for host

It seems that describing my experience with Clare and Marcus as "excellent" is simply not enough, they where exceptional hosts and If you are travelling to Ireland, It would be absurd not to consider staying with them.
Clare and Marcus are dedicated, considerate, and caring. They always made sure I had everything I needed and that my stay was… read more

(Excellent )

20/02/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Sarah & Milou-Ashley)

Sarah stayed with us for one month in January/February and was a great person to have around. Thank you for all your help clearing rhododendron and gorse from our future woods! Also for your help with the hedge around the donkey field and in the garden. We are now experts at Canadian canoeing thanks to Sarah's tuition - no more stupid canoe!… read more

(Excellent )

17/10/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Luca)

Luca was a good and eager worker. He is practical and enjoys working with his hands especially building things. He helped build a woodshed for us as well as working in the garden and removing old fencing from our land. He even made a chair out of rhododendron - so he's a man of many talents!

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

29/09/2016

Left by Workawayer (Luca) for host

I stayed with Clare & Marcus for two weeks. They're very friendly, easy going people who take life as it comes. I had a very nice time on their peaceful and quite remote place doing some field and construction work. Food was good too and always with fresh ingredients from the own garden.
I could use a bike to discover the area around or they gave… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

13/10/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Carla)

Carla stayed with us for 3 weeks in August 2016 and was invaluable at a very busy time for us. She did a lot of gardening & weeding, some delicious cooking and did a fantastic job entertaining our toddler twins (who are not always an easy audience!). We were in the middle of very big funding application and without Carla we would have been unable… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

25/09/2016

Left by Workawayer (Carla) for host

The time I had in Lough Mardal was such a good time, it would be a pity not to visit Marcus, Clare, their daughters, chickens and cats!
Most of my time I work in the fields, cutting thistles, in the garden doing some weeding or I went for a walk with Aïsha and Maisy, their lovely twins. I loved to work outside in such a beautiful… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

14/07/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Alberto)

Alberto has been a good guy to have here for the last few weeks. He is a quiet and thoughtful soul and a good worker too - taking on any task that he has ben asked to do without complaint even if it is something completely new to him. From his background in accountancy to digging a garden and clearing a huge pile of rocks is quite a leap and… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

14/07/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Naomi)

We loved having Naomi here. She is great company (and knows when to be social and when to leave us family space), brilliant with our twin girls, a creative cook, super helpful around the house (thank you for all that washing up!), proactive and intuative, a hard worker in the garden, a compassionate and caring help with our sheep and their… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

26/04/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Luis)

We really enjoyed having Luis here with us. He was a great help finishing the cabin and worked really hard in the garden - lots of digging! He is easy to get along with and has a lovely gentle personality. He was happy to do anything we asked and worked with enthusiasm. We hope to see you here again someday!

(Excellent )

25/04/2016

Left by Workawayer (Luis) for host

thanks Marcus & Clare for taking care of me the month of march. I ve learned a lot about carpertry and gardening and also enjoying working outside or doing kayak in the lake.
the place is really nice and the experience there amazing.
the acomodation wasnt luxury but i love sleeping in the campervan and the stouf inside the cabin
this moth i ve… read more

(Excellent )

20/04/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Geoffrey)

We were delighted to have Geoffrey come to spend a few weeks with us at Lough Mardal. He is a gentle soul with some lovely qualities; thoughtful, kind, helpful, interested. He was a hard worker - he helped us windproof our large vegetable garden with fencing and also planted a long hedgerow around it. He also did a lot of work digging paths and… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

14/04/2016

Left by Workawayer (Geoffrey) for host

Well sorry for the time i'm every time late, i'm sure i was late for my own birth hahaha
Anyway the experience that i lived in this place was probably one of the greatest of my life and the more spiritual, i was full of doubt about my life ,worried about my future but when i came to this place and volunteered for Clare and Marcus everything have… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

01/04/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Jonathan)

Jonny is a great workawayer and great company too. We were delighted that he was able to come back to us for a second stay. Our only regret is that he couldn't stay longer!

He has a good positive attitude and is very resourceful and quite capable of working on his own or leading a team. If he asks to stay with you you would be mad to say no!… read more

Thank you Jonny for all your help, good luck with the rest of your travels and come back to visit us when you can.

(Excellent )

26/03/2016

Left by Workawayer (Jonathan) for host

I've had over 11 hosts while on my travels, and out of those, I've only revisited two. Marcus and Clare are one of them. I first stayed with them for two weeks at the beginning of February, and when there was the opportunity, went to workaway with them again for a few days in early March. They are some of the most down to earth, realest people you… read more

(Excellent )

07/01/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Nick & Isabel)

Nick & Isabel were a pleasure to have with us. They were with us through some pretty bad weather but they didn't let this faze them and were always smiling. They did some great work clearing out an old ruined cottage and preparing the area for our cabin. They got on with things even when we weren't around which was great. Thank you for all your… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

20/12/2015

Left by Workawayer (Nick & Isabel) for host

Marcus and Clare were wonderful hosts! We spent two weeks at Lough Mardal helping to unearth an old stone cottage and with building the foundations for future projects. It was hard work, but very rewarding! We'd love to come back and see the completed site.

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

24/11/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Lærke Uldbjerg & Kristian Fonseca)

It was great having Laerke and Kristian with us. They were here through some terrible weather and still came out smiling. They both got stuck into anything they were asked to do and are not afraid of hard work (in wet and windy conditions!)

Thank you for all your help and we look forward to seeing you when you come back to visit us. Good luck… read more with your trip to New Zealand!

Marcus & Clare

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

24/11/2015

Left by Workawayer (Lærke Uldbjerg & Kristian Fonseca) for host

We spend two amazing weeks with Clare and Marcus. It was hard work, but a truly great life experience that we will never forget. Marcus and Clare are amazing and easy to get along with and the girls are adorable! We felt really welcome when we arrived and we are definitely coming back some day to see the finished clamping site. Thanks for a… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

29/09/2015

Left by Workawayer (James & Ryan) for host

We had a GREAT time with Marcus and Clare. They are laid back and very inspiring people. We helped them with the beginning stages of their garden, cleared brush, and even did some oyster farming at Marcus's cousins oyster farm. We also helped with our share of the cooking and washing up. We slept in a bell tent while we were there, cooked over a… read more

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

29/09/2015

Left by host for Workawayer (James & Ryan)

Really lovely couple. Easy to get on with and good proactive volunteers.

You can only contact Workawayers with active subscriptions

(Excellent )

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Help needed on eco build in beautiful setting in wild west of Ireland

Volontariat

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Ireland

Posted 2 semaines ago

Une possibilité de fuite ?

Description

Type of help

Help

Languages spoken

Accommodation

What else …

A little more information

How many Workawayers can stay?

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Volunteering hours expected

Photos

Feedback

Commentaires

Soyez le premier au courant des prochaines offres

Help needed on eco build in beautiful setting in wild west of Ireland

Volontariat Partir à l'aventure Ireland Posted 2 semaines ago

Une possibilité de fuite ?

Description

Type of help

Help

Languages spoken

Accommodation

What else …

A little more information

How many Workawayers can stay?

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Volunteering hours expected

Photos

Feedback

Commentaires

Soyez le premier au courant des prochaines offres

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S’inscrire

Volontariat

Partir à l'aventure

Ireland

Posted 2 semaines ago