Help with our animals, garden and house in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland

Details

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  Description

  My husband and I live in a house about 3km from town. Our two daughters are away at college. We have a large garden, a vegetable plot, a few fruit trees and a glasshouse. There is plenty of space around us as we have a fairy forth in our back yard! We live in a quiet place with amazing views of the mountains and surrounding countryside.
  
  I need help with gardening, landscaping and general stuff around the house. We have two big dogs who can be noisy and very playful, we also have cats, hens, horses and a few fish for good measure, Unfortunately because of all the animals we have we can't accept pets as we have quite a few here already. If you have any health issues, including pet or food allergies, this is not the place for you as the dogs and cats are allowed in the house. While we do eat vegetarian meals, we can’t cater for anyone with special dietary requirements as we also quite happily eat meat.
  
  I need someone who is able to follow instructions and work on their own initiative as there are a variety of tasks around the place. A good grasp of English will definitely help.
  
  I always try to have dinner together in the evening but sometimes it doesn't work out. It is a good way to know each other, as this is an important part of the exchange. Friends and family call over from time to time and you are more than welcome to join in the conversation.
  
  The national park is approx. 2km away and there are loads of activities locally including rock climbing, walking, running and exploring the forests in the national parks. There is a good night life scene in town but nothing much happens where we live. During the summer months there are music concerts in the local hotel which is very popular. There is no public transport to and from town, but we do have a bicycle so you can visit the local attractions and explore the area in your free time.
  
  Check out killarney.ie for more information on the locality.
  
  Looking forward to hearing from you.
  Catherine and Liam

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  If you want to learn about gardening and growing vegetables in Ireland during the summer, I can show you what I know. I am a bit limited in the winter as the weather and cold doesn't suit most vegetables. It is also a great chance to spend some time in the countryside as we are very close to the National Park in Killarney. There are great opportunities for walking and exploring the area where we live.
  
  I love the national park and can show you some of my favourite walks, if you want to learn about basic horse keeping I am more than willing to show you what I can as I have two irish draught horses, which I ride for fun.
  
  I grow flowering shrubs & trees, vegetables, and soft fruits to varying degrees of success. I am open to sharing what I know as well as learning how to improve what I am doing - suggestions welcome.

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  Help

  We have quite a collection of animals (horses, dogs, cats, pigs, fish) which I will need some help with – feeding and cleaning out.
  
  Our garden is quite large and I have a lot of small projects going on including planting hedges, tending to the vegetable garden, fencing, weeding, painting and general maintenance around the place. If you have experience, it would be great, but not necessary, as I can show you everything you need to know.
  
  I expect five hours of help a day, five days a week. If you spend your weekends with us, you will be expected to help as you would do in your own home: helping with meal preparation, washing dishes, clean up etc.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  We have an ensuite double room available in our house. You are more than welcome to watch TV in the sitting room in the evening but if the weather is half decent you would probably prefer to hang out in the garden or head into town which has an array of irish pubs where you can listen to traditional music.
  
  We will provide food and share meals as we have a big kitchen counter where we usually eat. We eat all sorts of food from vegetarian to roast dinners including lots of pasta, rice and potatoes. I love trying new dishes so feel free to cook something traditional so you can feel at home as well.

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  What else ...

  As you would be staying in our house, we will try to make you feel welcome and show you around the area in our free time as we both work full time.
  
  I juggle work, managing the animals and gardening. I am very interested in organic gardening and am experimenting with nettle fertiliser (which smells awful), leaf mould, hen manure and well rotted horse manure. I usually have a load of projects on the go which I manage to complete - mostly. I am currently in a battle with the local rabbits as they keep eating my plants - which leads me to the many fencing projects, I have in mind.
  
  I would expect us both to respect each others space and privacy. We will share the cooking and cleaning up.
  
  You will have plenty of free time to explore the area as there are lots of things to do locally as Killarney is a major tourist destination with loads of organised tours around the county. We have a bicycle which you can use to go to the National Park, Muckross House, Torc Waterfall or into town.
  
  Transportation links to and from Killarney are quite good as we are serviced by both rail and bus links, although there is no local bus into town.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  We can provide space for a camper van in site.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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