Come help me with permaculture and creative projects in Clonbur, Ireland

Details

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  Description

  Hi, my name is Stephen and I'm looking for some help getting my garden under control and also some help with some building projects. I have a lovely home overlooking Lough Corrib and would love to get the gardens into shape and ready for a couple of building projects while I have some time off from work. I work in the film industry as a prop maker and so have periods when I'm away a lot on a film and then down time when I'm at home. I have an acre site on a slope with mature trees and lots of overgrown rhododendron and fuscia. I'm completely new to gardening and am now realising how much work is involved just clearing the site for planting and building. I'd love to take a holistic approach incorporating some permaculture and as few chemicals as possible. I'd like chickens, and maybe a goat or sheep to keep the grass and weeds down. I'd like to grow some food and plant some nice flowers and just generally get it looking good. Once the land has been cleared I'd like to build a sauna, hot tub, cabin, tool shed and various planters and other garden stuff.
  The house and area is beautiful and just far enough away but not too far, being 3 kms from the lovely town of Clonbur and 9kms from Cong. There are lots of outdoor activities with amazing walks, wild swimming , cycles, camping, foraging, fishing, boating, sailing, horse riding, hiking all on the doorstep. I have a spare room with 2 single beds which I'd love to get some helpers in. I have lots of books and films and love to fish, hunt, cook, hike...anything outdoors and I'm happy. There are lovely pubs and restaurants in Clonbur and Cong and lots of tourists pass through these towns every day. I'd love to meet people who have good gardening experience, growers, self builders, makers... with a good attitude and motivated. I'd be looking for 5 hours help each day in exchange for all meals and board in the spare room. I like to cook and it would be great to alternate the cooking with my guests. I've lived all over, in the US, Spain, Australia, UK and have pretty good Spanish(or had anyway). I'm very much looking forward to this new experience where I'm hosting as I did something similar as a guest when I travelled and met some amazing people. I'm 46, Irish , eat everything, including vegan and veggie cooking as well as trout and birds that I hunt myself. I'm pretty handy due to the variety in my job and have a full tool kit for pretty much everything from welding to woodworking .Hope that covers everything...if not just ask! Thanks
  
  new side note: I have a caravan on site now which has everything working in it except shower. So this may suit a couple that are keen for their own space, or a couple of friends who know each other and dont mind sharing the space. cheers!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Van life

  

  Culture

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  Animals

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Camping

  

  Cycling

  

  Hiking

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  So I guess travellers could learn as I do when we start on projects. I've read Walter Segal books on community self building and it's this energy that gets me fired up and what I've been missing. When I work with my job in film it's the group effort which always amazes me....the mega mind, the exchange of ideas, problem solving etc. I can also teach anyone who's interested how to fly fish, boat, weld, woodwork, hike hidden areas, camp on islands and whatever else I can offer.

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  Help

  Gardening/growing
  Permaculture
  Building
  Animal rearing

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I'd like to keep up my Spanish and happy to practice with any Spanish speakers.
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  Accommodation

  My house has 2 good sized bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a good shower. It's spacey and feels homey with lots of lake views and areas to sit out and enjoy a warm day or sit inside and enjoy a book or film by the open fire. The spare room has 2 single beds which would suit two friends or a couple or two strangers. There's also lots of room to pitch a tent if you'd prefer that and more accommodation will become available as we complete projects. You'll have access to all the food in the kitchen and I'd like to alternate a cooked meal with my guests 5 nights a week.

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  What else ...

  My house is 50 mins drive from Galway city and there's a bus service from Cong a couple of times a day. 3.5 kms to Clonbur, 9kms to Cong, 3kms to Cornamona...lovely cycles to both so bring a bike if you have one. It's a tourist area so there's lots to do if you like the outdoors.
  I'm chilled out and open minded but keep my place tidy and would like my guests to feel the same. I'm new to workaway but hosted some guests when I lived in galway and that was a positive experience making many new friends. I also did some couch surfing when I travelled around the world several years ago, which was great.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  I'd happily host digital nomads as long as they're willing to get stuck in on some manual labour. I Have a dog(springer spaniel) named Luna.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  I have a space down at the front of the house across the road from the lake where workawayers could park their van. Soon I'll have a space up at the back of the house where it will be quieter(off road) but thats not available yet.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  I'd allow well behaved dogs on the property, in fact would welcome them so no problems there. lots of space around for walks and doggy swims in the lake.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Luna (springer spaniel)

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