Stay with us on the Wild Atlantic Way, County Mayo, Ireland

Details

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  Description

  Welcome to our rural smallholding and woodland on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way in the mountains by the sea.
  
  Myself and husband Paul are in our 70's, both retired. We grow food for the table, manage the land for carbon-sequestration (including establishing Native Deciduous Woodland over the past 10 years!) and manage mountain habitat for wildlife. Nuts, fruits, wildflowers etc. are harvested to make natural medicines.
  
  I am a retired psychotherapist, previous experiences included sculptor/an art teacher. These days after the days' work out on the mountain I enjoy weaving and spinning. Husband Paul is a retired academic. We have lots and lots of books! We have lots and lots of long conversations and debates over the evening meal.
  
  In 2026 more tree-planting is planned in Spring. A heritage barn is in process of being restored to be used as a workshop/sculpure studio. The homestead needs to be lime-washed and repaired, old sheds brought into use and new wooden doors made and hung. As always on land which has been "brought back" from chemical treatments there is lots and lots of weeding and bramble-management. There is house-cleaning/management and (importantly!) good fresh organic food cooked and eaten companionably.
  
  Our mountain retreat is remote. There are hiking and biking trails nearby on The Great Western Greenway, traditional music and arts festivals locally in Westport and Ballina. Mayo is rich in World Heritage sites. Weekends usually include hikes with a local walking group (Foxford Ramblers...........see our adventures on FaceBook).
  
  We enjoy hosting people who enjoy and are capable of engaging in the daily efforts of (re)creating this environment and who share our efforts to "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 love meeting new people and sharing our work and our days, and learning about their 'back-home' lives.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Elderly Companionship

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  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
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Mayo is famous for its live Celtic folk music in local pubs. Fairs and festivals Workawayers would enjoy 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 and an international writers' Cultural Festival in Westport. Mayo is strong on craft and art exhibitions and workshops, especially traditional crafts of spinning, weaving and dyeing, and we provide equipment and tuition for you to explore these skills and make beautiful things.

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  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.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Italian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  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. To manage here in the West of Ireland you would need to have Intermediate Level English.
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  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. Our weekends tend to include family, friends, and outings including organized mountain-hikes or festivals so weekends are often "soup-and-sandwich" affairs. We happily provide sandwiches and flasks of soup/tea/coffee for hiking or 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.

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  What else ...

  There are local buses, bike-hire outfits 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 within close reach and we are happy to pick up Volunteers from local coach-stops by arrangement.

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

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