Learn permaculture skills volunteering off-grid in West Cork, Ireland
Last activity
: 15 Mar 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 4 days
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 588268997214
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Feedback (7)
Left by Workawayer (Dora) for host
I stayed with Paul for 5 weeks this summer. I felt comfortable quickly once I arrived. Overall I had a lovely experience.
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 working hours. Once the 5 hours were completed he didn’t really mind at what times. Although generally I worked morning-afternoon it was considerate of Paul to give me a choice.
There was a variety of tasks although most of the time the work was labour intensive (e.g. clearing dense overgrowth around the perimeter of his property to reenforce a fence and alot of building and turning hot compost piles). The less intense tasks were making tool belts from old material, reenforcing the stitching on his currach or harvesting meadowsweet which were very enjoyable. Paul was mindful if it was raining to do tasks indoors eg weeding in the polytunnel or sharpening tools on his porch.
The accommodation at Paul’s wouldn’t suit everyone although I did very much enjoy my time living in a tent. The caravan is handy for relaxing and it has an absolutely lovely wood burning stove that Paul installed which is lovely and cosey. At the moment there is limited space and seating so the caravan doesn’t accommodate more than 2 volunteers. There is no light in the caravan and there is a problem with the gas canister but as Paul’s profile mentions the caravan is undergoing renovations so perhaps by the time another potential volunteer is reading this, the accommodation situation will be more accommodating!
Thanks for having me Paul and best of luck with your future endeavours 😊You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Searlait) for host
I stayed with Paul for 2 beautiful weeks in August and I'm only just getting around to leaving the feedback now as it's taken me a while to digest the experience, and by leaving feedback it makes it final that it's over.
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 through most of the jobs Paul wanted doing, so I spent most of my time breaking up pallets to then floor his newly built shed. I also helped prepare the place for a course on hot-composting that Paul ran while I was there, and felt very lucky to be able to take part in the course too.
Paul's place is an intensely beautiful hillside spot which really isn't done justice in his pictures and really needs to be experienced. A very inspiring set-up with friendly neighbours who are also living self-sufficiently. There's alot to be learnt just by being there.
Paul is a funny, chill and interesting person who is very easy to be around and very appreciative of all contributions. He is very generous with his knowledge, and I enjoyed spending a day 'helping' (absorbing) as he maintained his orchard.
I particularly enjoyed our shared meal times, which usually involved games and always lots of laughter.
Paul's great at organising a group of helpers and is very clear with what tasks he'd like done (the man makes a great list!). When the work is done he is also very mindful to make sure everyone is enjoying their downtime and I have great memories of dipping in 'the pond', adventuring out on the open sea with his currach, games on the porch and great conversation.
It was a particularly emotional goodbye for me on leaving, which speaks to how much I enjoyed my time there, but I'm certain I'll be back at Paul's place again.This workawayer has chosen to keep their profile private, but can be contacted regarding this feedback by other workawayers.
Left by host for Workawayer (Searlait)
I hosted Séarlait for the last two weeks of the month of August in 2022 and it was a great experience for me. There were four and sometimes five of us sharing this little site with limited space and resources where I normally live alone. There were more people here than I had planned for at the time but Séarlait seemed to expand our capacity
… read more rather than use it up.
There were already three other volunteers here when Séarlait arrived but she slotted in seamlessly and was a great addition to the group. The choice of jobs at the time was limited but she made short work of a lot of pallet disassembling, which was critical to the shed building. Even though this work was well below her skill grade she was happy out and I'm grateful for the hard work done. Soon enough Séarlait and Melanie were flooring the shed together and I felt lucky to have them both.
Séarlait completed many other tasks here including: composting, hoeing, weeding, painting the shed, gathering and drying herbs, seed saving, and helping our neighbour raise the sides of a new structure. She also helped me improve the shed foundations.
Séarlait did more than her share of cooking and cleaning and left the kitchen very clean and tidy, which I was delighted with. She supported the workshop on hot composting that we ran here during her stay, and helped me with some summer orchard care.
It was great fun when Séarlait was here - lots of games in the evenings and I hadn't laughed so much in many years. I'll always remember with a smile the experience of hosting in the summer of 2022 - lots of great work done, drought-like conditions and loads of fun.
We've already talked about her coming back here and I look forward to when that happens.
Left by host for Workawayer (Melanie )
I hosted Melanie for the month of August in 2022 and it was a great experience for me. There were four and sometimes five of us sharing this little site with limited space and resources where I normally live alone. Melanie was initially planning to stay for two weeks but thankfully stayed for four. It was so good having Melanie around that I was
… read more happy for her to stay as long as she wanted.
The main job I wanted to complete that summer was to finish building a garden shed but I really expected to be doing it alone. Soon enough however I gave it over to Melanie to floor and clad it while I could get on with other jobs. Anyone who knows me well knows how particular I would be about such a job being done to a high standard and that speaks to the trust I had in Melanie.
Melanie completed many other tasks here including: sheet mulching, composting, hoeing, weeding, priming and painting the cabin and shed, disassembling pallets, fixing a yurt, gathering and drying herbs, seed saving and helping our neighbour raise the sides of a new structure.
Melanie is a wizard in the kitchen and did more than her share of cooking, getting the most out of the garden veg leaving the kitchen very clean, tidy and better organised than it had been before.
Melanie supported the workshops on orchard care and hot composting that we ran here during her stay.
It was great fun when Melanie was here - lots of games in the evenings and I hadn't laughed so much in many years. I'll always remember with a smile the experience of hosting in the summer of 2022 - lots of great work done, drought-like conditions and loads of fun.Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.7)
Left by Workawayer (Dora) for host
I stayed with Paul for 5 weeks this summer. I felt comfortable quickly once I arrived. Overall I had a lovely experience.
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 working hours. Once the 5 hours were completed he didn’t really mind at what times. Although generally I worked morning-afternoon it was considerate of Paul to give me a choice.
There was a variety of tasks although most of the time the work was labour intensive (e.g. clearing dense overgrowth around the perimeter of his property to reenforce a fence and alot of building and turning hot compost piles). The less intense tasks were making tool belts from old material, reenforcing the stitching on his currach or harvesting meadowsweet which were very enjoyable. Paul was mindful if it was raining to do tasks indoors eg weeding in the polytunnel or sharpening tools on his porch.
The accommodation at Paul’s wouldn’t suit everyone although I did very much enjoy my time living in a tent. The caravan is handy for relaxing and it has an absolutely lovely wood burning stove that Paul installed which is lovely and cosey. At the moment there is limited space and seating so the caravan doesn’t accommodate more than 2 volunteers. There is no light in the caravan and there is a problem with the gas canister but as Paul’s profile mentions the caravan is undergoing renovations so perhaps by the time another potential volunteer is reading this, the accommodation situation will be more accommodating!
Thanks for having me Paul and best of luck with your future endeavours 😊You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Searlait) for host
I stayed with Paul for 2 beautiful weeks in August and I'm only just getting around to leaving the feedback now as it's taken me a while to digest the experience, and by leaving feedback it makes it final that it's over.
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 through most of the jobs Paul wanted doing, so I spent most of my time breaking up pallets to then floor his newly built shed. I also helped prepare the place for a course on hot-composting that Paul ran while I was there, and felt very lucky to be able to take part in the course too.
Paul's place is an intensely beautiful hillside spot which really isn't done justice in his pictures and really needs to be experienced. A very inspiring set-up with friendly neighbours who are also living self-sufficiently. There's alot to be learnt just by being there.
Paul is a funny, chill and interesting person who is very easy to be around and very appreciative of all contributions. He is very generous with his knowledge, and I enjoyed spending a day 'helping' (absorbing) as he maintained his orchard.
I particularly enjoyed our shared meal times, which usually involved games and always lots of laughter.
Paul's great at organising a group of helpers and is very clear with what tasks he'd like done (the man makes a great list!). When the work is done he is also very mindful to make sure everyone is enjoying their downtime and I have great memories of dipping in 'the pond', adventuring out on the open sea with his currach, games on the porch and great conversation.
It was a particularly emotional goodbye for me on leaving, which speaks to how much I enjoyed my time there, but I'm certain I'll be back at Paul's place again.This workawayer has chosen to keep their profile private, but can be contacted regarding this feedback by other workawayers.
Left by host for Workawayer (Searlait)
I hosted Séarlait for the last two weeks of the month of August in 2022 and it was a great experience for me. There were four and sometimes five of us sharing this little site with limited space and resources where I normally live alone. There were more people here than I had planned for at the time but Séarlait seemed to expand our capacity
… read more rather than use it up.
There were already three other volunteers here when Séarlait arrived but she slotted in seamlessly and was a great addition to the group. The choice of jobs at the time was limited but she made short work of a lot of pallet disassembling, which was critical to the shed building. Even though this work was well below her skill grade she was happy out and I'm grateful for the hard work done. Soon enough Séarlait and Melanie were flooring the shed together and I felt lucky to have them both.
Séarlait completed many other tasks here including: composting, hoeing, weeding, painting the shed, gathering and drying herbs, seed saving, and helping our neighbour raise the sides of a new structure. She also helped me improve the shed foundations.
Séarlait did more than her share of cooking and cleaning and left the kitchen very clean and tidy, which I was delighted with. She supported the workshop on hot composting that we ran here during her stay, and helped me with some summer orchard care.
It was great fun when Séarlait was here - lots of games in the evenings and I hadn't laughed so much in many years. I'll always remember with a smile the experience of hosting in the summer of 2022 - lots of great work done, drought-like conditions and loads of fun.
We've already talked about her coming back here and I look forward to when that happens.
Left by host for Workawayer (Melanie )
I hosted Melanie for the month of August in 2022 and it was a great experience for me. There were four and sometimes five of us sharing this little site with limited space and resources where I normally live alone. Melanie was initially planning to stay for two weeks but thankfully stayed for four. It was so good having Melanie around that I was
… read more happy for her to stay as long as she wanted.
The main job I wanted to complete that summer was to finish building a garden shed but I really expected to be doing it alone. Soon enough however I gave it over to Melanie to floor and clad it while I could get on with other jobs. Anyone who knows me well knows how particular I would be about such a job being done to a high standard and that speaks to the trust I had in Melanie.
Melanie completed many other tasks here including: sheet mulching, composting, hoeing, weeding, priming and painting the cabin and shed, disassembling pallets, fixing a yurt, gathering and drying herbs, seed saving and helping our neighbour raise the sides of a new structure.
Melanie is a wizard in the kitchen and did more than her share of cooking, getting the most out of the garden veg leaving the kitchen very clean, tidy and better organised than it had been before.
Melanie supported the workshops on orchard care and hot composting that we ran here during her stay.
It was great fun when Melanie was here - lots of games in the evenings and I hadn't laughed so much in many years. I'll always remember with a smile the experience of hosting in the summer of 2022 - lots of great work done, drought-like conditions and loads of fun.
Left by host for Workawayer (Sebastian)
I hosted Basti for the month of August in 2022 and it was a great experience for me. There were four and sometimes five of us sharing this little site with limited space and resources where I normally live alone. I felt that Basti's experience and genuine care for the collective good helped make it a wonderful time for all of us.
Basti completed
… read more many tasks here including: sheet mulching, composting, hoeing, weeding and drain dredging, cleaning, priming and painting the cabin and shed, disassembling pallets, fixing a yurt, gathering and drying herbs, seed saving, collecting, splitting and stacking wood and helping our neighbour raise the sides of a new structure. He also helped me improve the foundations of a shed.
Basti is a wizard in the kitchen (and on the barbeque) and did more than his share of cooking getting the most out of the garden veg which I was delighted with and left the kitchen very clean and tidy.
Basti supported the workshops on orchard care and hot composting that we ran here during his stay and took beautiful photographs that I will use to advertise future events here.
It was great fun when Basti was here - lots of games in the evenings and I hadn't laughed so much in many years. I'll always remember with a smile the experience of hosting in the summer of 2022 - lots of great work done, drought-like conditions and loads of fun.
Left by Workawayer (Sarah) for host
My two weeks in Paul’s place were definitely the closest to Nature that I’ve ever been. When it was sunny, everything gleamed gloriously and the dragonflies brought the magic. When it was wet, it was rainforesty and glorious and the frogs brought the magic. (Having lived in Dublin nearly all my life, I’d not seen either species for real in
… read more 20+years).
I learned about the smart-working cooperation that permaculture seems to be about, making me feel a lot more confident in my own capacity to learn about Nature, in that it’s the most beautiful logic.
We agreed a list of jobs for me on day one, so I could choose what suited the weather and work away when Paul was out.
He explained the point of all the jobs and l enjoyed contributing to the running of the place.
The caravan is simple: 2beds/seating areas, stove, kettle, cool box, but my bed was comfy and I loved the walk to the toilet/shower.
Gugán Barra is another easy walk away and up the hill is kind of interesting too.
I loved learning not to take power for granted and to just “make toast while the sun shines”!
It was lovely to meet someone so vibrant, driven and practical.
Go raibh míle Paul:)You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Fernando & Lorena) for host
We have stayed at Paul's home and all we can say is that he is a wonderful person.
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 culture. Since we arrived we felt confident in him by his naturalness. We hope to meet you again at some point and be able to give you everything that you have given us from the first moment.
A hug from Lorena and Fernando to you and MonkeyYou can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Sarah)
Sarah stayed with me for two weeks and really helped me get my spring season going! She was kind and thoughtful and a great help in the garden, splitting wood and in the kitchen showing me new ways to cook tasty meals. Her own profile is very accurate - host her if you get the chance. Good luck with your travels and welcome back anytime Sarah : )
Left by Workawayer (Sarah) for host
After two wonderful weeks at Paul's place, I can say that I learned a lot, and not only about permaculture principles, but also about another way of living and perceiving things differently. In addition to permaculture knowledge (thanks a lot for the teaching sessions), I also learned some Irish words and knowledge about woodworking. I will not
… read more forget this magical place, and I already miss it a lot. Thanks Paul, I'll come back to see your great projects and play some tennis table as well :)
Hello to Monkey, Harry and David, and see you soon!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Carmen)
I'm very happy that Carmen came to stay with me for 2 weeks to help me out. She helped me with some projects I had been waiting to do for quite a while and did them very well! She's a very kind person full of life and would be a blessing on anywhere she goes. Good luck with all of your plans Carmen : )
Left by Workawayer (Carmen) for host
The last two weeks at Paul's place just flew by! I am so happy for having had the opportunity to discover this magical, little place in nature and to get to know Paul.He is a very inspiring person and a great teacher.During my stay I learned a lot about permaculture principles and sustainability. It made me perceive the environment we live in from
… read more another angle. I left the head filled with new ideas and goals.Thank you so much for everything Paul!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Marie & Maëlle)
I hosted Marie & Maëlle for a week in June - they were really great in every way. They are a great team and I thought were really positive about their trip and interested in the work here. Thanks for coming to help - Bon voyage!
Left by host for Workawayer (Amandine)
Amandine stayed with me for two weeks helping with lots of gardening work. She was great in all aspects of work and very easy to live with including being very clean and tidy. Her own profile description is very accurate plus she is a great cook! Highly recommended to anyone who can host her.
Bon voyage Amandine!
Left by Workawayer (Amandine) for host
I stayed two weeks at Paul's farm, it's a beautiful place, in the nature. Every morning, i woke up with a gorgeous scenery and the singing of the birds. The work is not difficult (weeding, mulching, take care of chickens,pick up stones, painting, cooking) and I learn a lot of things concerning permaculture that I will to apply at home. Paul is a
… read more lovely person, he is very considerate and he loves to share the culture of his country. He was very patient with my bad English. I appreciated the healthy meals, he is a great cooker! I highly recommend Paul, it was a great experience,(and my first). I thank him very much for making my stay enjoyable!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Home help in West Cork, Ireland
Creative & friendly family seeking some back-up for our children & pets in Northwest Donegal, Ireland
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Creating/ Cooking family meals
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