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9 Mar 2026
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Description
Our project began 10 years ago with a ruined, uninhabitable Irish vernacular cottage on 6 Hectares in the Mayo mountains. The Native Deciduous woodland is for carbon-sequestration and wild-life habitat and the nuts, fruits, wildflowers harvests for food and herbal medicines.
If you WorkAway here this Sprig 2026 you would assist in planting out another 250 small trees on the mountain. Spring tasks also include distributing lime on the land, bramble control, repairing dry stone walls damaged by recent storms. The long track up to the property requires maintenance and repair . Pushing wheel-barrows of earth up a 30 degree slope in bracing fresh mountain air beats working-out in a gym !You might contribute to rebuilding and making replacement doors for stone outbuildings to create additional bed-space and workshop. To mainten the old cottage the exterior must be lime-washed annually. You would help to repair the cottage's old oak half-door. You would participate in house-cleaning and meal preparation.
The project is remote but frequent local bus services run along the coast road 1 Km walk down the mountain.
There are hiking and biking trails nearby on The Great Western Greenway and bike-hire available in Louisburgh and Newport.
Mayo is rich in World Heritage sites, all accessible by bike along the Greenway or bus and the scenery along the Wild Atlantic Way is spectacular.
Westport and Ballina have noted traditional music and arts festivals.
We "repair, re-use, reduce" and eschew environmentally-damaging activities and consumption.
We are older adults and appreciate tutoring and advice on computers/Iphones/internet-stuff! We enjoy meeting new people and sharing our work and our days, and learning about their 'back-home' lives.
If you thirst for a tranquil, task-focussed environment with the gratification of "a job well done" this project would suit you. If you are not "in a rush" and genuinely open to engaging with the land and learning by doing, you would fit in here.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Elderly Companionship
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Hitchhiking
Yoga / Wellness
Water sports
Nature
Outdoor activities
Technology
Sustainability
Self development
Farming
Culture
Photography
Plant care
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
Gardening
Cooking & food
DIY & crafts
Books
Art & design
Mountain
Hiking
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Mayo is famous for its live Celtic folk music in local pubs and art-centres There are fairs and festivals all within easy commute by bus, rail or bike/Uber.
Attractions throughout the year include a celebration week of Mayo's Dark Sky Park (November), an annual Salmon Festival in Ballina (July), an International 4-Day Walking Festival in Castlebar (June). The Heinrich Boll Festival is held annually on nearby Achill Island in early May, The Westival Festival in Westport.
Mayo is strong on craft and art exhibitions and workshops, especially traditional crafts of spinning, weaving and dyeing.
Help
We welcome volunteers with commitment to "reduce, reuse, renew" in daily life to minimise environmental damage. You would help with our sensitive management of a small-holding including household tidying and meal-preparation. All tasks are clearly explained along the way and activities done together with Host.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
To be comfortable here you would need to have Intermediate Level English. Marie understands/speaks "an teanga beo" (the soft tongue - Irish) and would like to speak it more. Paul studied Russian as a young man and remembers a little. We both 'get the gist of' French and German without formal schooling in either language.
Accommodation
Your own bedroom in small Irish cottage with comfortable clean single x 2 or 1 double bed. Access to shower, bathroom, washing machine. Meals x 3 daily Monday to Friday.
Weekends are your "Personal Time" to explore County Mayo, the Wild Atlantic Way (surfing, off-shore island visits etc) individual or organized hill-hikes. Whenever possible we offer visiting WorkAwayers lifts to help them towards their chosen cultural or recreational destination.
We relish private time at the weekends. There are no formal "sit-down dinners" on Saturday or Sunday. However we happily provide sandwiches and flasks of soup/tea/coffee for hiking, walking or explorations around the County and Coastline. Our interests include birdwatching and Tai Chi and those usually fill the weekends. Visiting helpers are welcome to participate.
What else ...
There are local buses, bike-hire shops and taxis locally. We offer lifts to local towns each week - Castlebar, Ballina and Westport - for shopping and cultural events.
Coaches from Dublin Airport, Shannon Airport and Knock International Airport are close by. When/if we are available we pick up WorkAwayers from local coach-stops by arrangement.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
My animals / pets
Photos
