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Host rating
100 %
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Last replied
24 Jul 2026
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Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 6 days
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Find your perfect host
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Details
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Description
Hi everyone,
I'd like to host some volunteers for a couple of weeks this summer.
Best, Paul
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Hi!
This small project is in West Cork, Ireland surrounded by mountains near the source of the river Lee.
I live in a little cabin in a clearing in the woods where I grow vegetables, sometimes keep poultry and grow fruit trees. Its a small site but there are lots of different things to do here. Its a very basic place and the accommodation is camping.
I work as a self-employed permaculture designer and teacher and this is my home where I try out ideas. I also provide an orchard care service mostly apple pruning in the summer and winter. Hosting volunteers can be a source of motivation for me to organise and do work that I may have already grown accustomed to, and I am very happy to share the design concepts behind any work we will be doing. If you are interested in permaculture and motivated you will be able to learn quite a bit on the job : )
Volunteers won't be working on tasks related to commercial courses, should I run any at the time.
It would be an interesting place for anyone interested in nature, permaculture, cooking, gardening and preserving food. Its important for me that you are already good at sharing space and conscientious. Its an advantage if you have an interest in, and are happy to cook and prepare meals with natural ingredients, prioritising the efficient use of the organic vegetables that are growing here.
I'll be with you to show you how to do every task at the start and really enjoy working with volunteers however I often have to tend to other jobs and commitments.
Besides my work and the garden I am interested in nature, foraging, crafts, natural health, EMF protection & recovery, swimming, games, yoga, dancing, writing and lots of sports. I always have more ideas and designs than I can put into practice. I can teach juggling.
I don't smoke and I'm off alcohol, tea and coffee with a good while now. All this means that these substances are not available here for volunteers either and I'd prefer if they weren't brought here. -
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
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Interests
Hiking
Cycling
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Dancing
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Camping
Art & design
Books
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Gardening
Plant care
Sustainability -
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Depending on how long you stay, and on your prior skills and motivation, and what is happening here at the time you could learn some or alot of:
- how to operate a low maintenance poultry tractor system (if I have poultry at the time)
- sheet mulching
- hot compost making
- vegetable gardening skills
- other permaculture related skills/info
- renewable energy basics
This is a Gaeltacht area, where some of the population speak the Irish language, but in practice, English works here too. I also speak French and Spanish relatively well and some German. If you are interested you will be able to pick up some permaculture design concepts and techniques. -
Help
The main activities that I'd want help with here are (depending on the season and other factors) :
- weeding and hoeing
- cooking & baking
- cleaning and tidying the house and site
- planting vegetables
- making compost. This is a big one and also involves harvesting and gathering the materials
- sheet mulching of the nursery and garden
- watering
- painting
- Looking after poultry if I have them at the time. This involves moving the electric fencing & mobile chicken house, cleaning it out and collecting eggs.
- fruit tree care
- harvesting vegetables
- preserving vegetables - making kimchi
- making cider vinegar -
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Irish: Fluent
German: Intermediate -
Accommodation
At the moment volunteer accommodation is camping. I can supply the tents ground mats and bedding. You are welcome to bring your own of course, if you prefer. Prior experience camping is essential to volunteer here.
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This is a wild and beautiful place - but it is still wild and beautiful because it is remote and sometimes inhospitable. Many people think that they want to be in touch with nature, but not few appreciate the challenge that truly living in nature brings. In my opinion the living is good here but very simple.
The place is basic in some ways - compost toilets, limited water in the summer and limited electrical power - especially in the winter.
Spring water on tap in the cabin. There are two rooms to the cabin - my bedroom and the living room-kitchen-office. There is also a large covered deck which we use for lunch and dinner as much as possible. Cabin access is generally limited to kitchen related activities, charging devices, filling water etc, as its small, its my office and I need some hours to myself there.
Meals are from the garden vegetables, foraged vegetables, and eggs from the chickens (if I have them at the time), supplemented with a mix of bought organic and non-organic food from town. Vegans/vegetarians welcome but its important to accept that I also eat eggs and meat, and very occasionally kill animals here for food.
The shower is a very simple solar shower in the garden, and I have a composting toilet.
I share a well with my neighbours and water use is often restricted in drier weather.
Bathing opportunities in a beautiful but cold river pool nearby - I go in here sometimes but its cold, deep and about 800m away. -
What else ...
Beautiful scenery and nature. Great but cold swimming places. I'm near Gugán Barra which is a famous beauty spot with hikers and pilgrims. There is a walking route going right past my gate. There is no public transport directly to the site but I can collect you from a nearby 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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How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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My animals / pets
Cat
My neighbours' black cat basically lives here now too.
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (7)
Paul was organised and he had a list of tasks written out on a board in order of importance so that the volunteers had a choice in what task to do and when to do it (within reason).
Paul was relaxed and flexible with the … read more
By the time I got to Paul's place, the other 3 volunteers who had been there for a couple of weeks before me had ploughed … read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.7)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.9)
Paul was organised and he had a list of tasks written out on a board in order of importance so that the volunteers had a choice in what task to do and when to do it (within reason).
Paul was relaxed and flexible with the … read more
By the time I got to Paul's place, the other 3 volunteers who had been there for a couple of weeks before me had ploughed … read more
Basti completed … read more
When we were going to his home our bike got flat and he offered to pick up us and also gave us his tools to fix it. Everything we needed he helped us. In the time that we have been with him, he has transmitted his passion for the permaculture project and Irish … read more
Bon voyage Amandine!
