Come and help on a small farm animal sanctuary on the Beara peninsula in west Cork, Ireland

Details

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  Description

  We are Jacquie and Alan and moved to beautiful Adrigole in West Cork on the breathtaking Beara peninsula and Wild Atlantic Way over 6 years ago. Although not young we are both pretty active and young at heart.
  Although it wasn't our intention ever, we've started a small farm animal sanctuary and have approx 100 animals....donkeys, goats, pigs, geese, sheep, ducks, hens as well as dogs and cats. All the animals are pretty friendly and like to interact with people and as the sanctuary has grown we find ourself needing help with a variety of things around the sanctuary and land.
  The animals all free range among each other and they are currently around the outside of house as well.
  
  This is a stunning area with the sea 400 metres in front of us and hills and mountains behind us. There is a pier in walking distance, a pub nearby, lots of areas to hike and beautiful spots to see all around the peninsula. There is whale watching, you can go kayaking nearby and there are many seals around the bay.
  
  Apart from the outside animals we also have 3 dogs and 22 cats (14 live in the house but go outside and 8 choose to live outside) so you must be comfortable that there will be animals in the house when you come in, all of which are pretty friendly
  
  Please note, **wellies and/or strong boots are essential** along with waterproof clothing due to the typical Irish weather.
  The land is incredibly muddy all through winter so please be aware that the work will be mucky
  
  I am mostly vegan and Alan is pescatarian
  
  **Please do not apply unless you want to have close contact with a variety of animals as the sanctuary is very hands on**
  
  **We will not tolerate drugs on our property and any discovery will mean you will be removed from the property immediately**
  
  **Since we signed up in March 2023 the different experiences with everyone has been amazing.
  As we often have more then one person helping I want to say that we will not tolerate people who are racist, sexist, homophobic, bigots or just rude and disrespectful to anyone else staying here. We are open to everyone who loves animals and wants to spend time with us and as much as we need help here we also want people to have a nice time and will do what we can to make sure that happens but anyone behaving in a way that causes other people helping here to be uncomfortable will not be tolerated and if issues can't be resolved then we will ask people to leave**

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will get to spend time in a stunningly beautiful area and have time to experience the peninsula. You will learn about caring for the different types of animals here, feeding regimes etc we also have a group visit every now and then so new friends can be made from different parts of Ireland. We have pubs in nearby towns that have music nights and we also have a lot of history in the area

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  Help

  We are looking for help with mucking out shelters, feeding and grooming the animals, painting shelters, fencing where appropriate, land clearing and some repair work around the place. Maybe some help with housework. You don't have to be able to do all of those things as everyone has their own strengths but confidence around animals and a kind attitude is essential.
  
  The animals come first and their welfare is the priority.
  
  Please be aware that when helping with the animals this can be dirty especially during wet days and although most of the animals are friendly there is always a chance of being bumped or knocked. This isn't aggression and will happen due to the size of the animals.
  
  Due to the nature of the animals here we are looking for help from people over the age of 20. The caravan sleeps three but ideally 1-2 people would be a maximum at a time if friends are wanting to come.
  
  Fluent English speakers please

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Caravan next to the house. It has cooker and fridge but you will also be welcome to come and use our kitchen. There is a shower in the caravan but you'll also be welcome to have baths in the house as well. Our door is always open and you'll be able to come and watch Netflix/Amazon/TV with us if you'd like or play board games or just chat.
  
  We also have a spare room in the house that can be used if you'd prefer and just to say again that there are 14 cats and 3 dogs in the house so as long as you're ok with that then you're welcome

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  What else ...

  We are in a very rural area and bus services are limited but we will be more then happy to drive you somewhere and pick you up should you want to go and explore any areas. We are very laid back and like to socialise and the only rules we have are regarding the animals, for their wellbeing and your safety and to just be respectful of our property. We are approachable should there be any issues and we really want anyone coming to enjoy their time with us.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  We have good internet connections and a room you can work from if needed

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Campervans are welcome however until we get fencing completed there may be a risk of damage from the animals which we take no responsibility for. We sadly wouldn’t be able to accept motorhomes at this moment

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Pets can come but they must be well behaved around other animals especially other dogs, cats, chickens and ducks etc as the animals here free range

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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