Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
3 Oct 2025
Reply rate
94.7 %
Usually responds within 8 days
Feedback
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Host offers payment
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Details
Description
Hello there,
We're Alan and Mieke, we live in East Clare, close to the beautiful, lakeside village of Mountshannon. We are surrounded by wonderful countryside, with rolling hills, forests and of course the lake.
We have a very good community around us, with a lot of family and friends. Our home in general is not a quiet house, lots of people passing through :)
Alan is a retired housing officer who worked for the social sector (helping people get affordable and safe housing) and Mieke is in the process of changing her career and developing new skills.
Alan plays guitar and meets up with his band to play locally from time to time and you are welcome to come along.
Sophie our daughter lives on the land with her little girl Nina, 3 years old. They often drop in and/or eat with us.
There are Bus connections to Limerick city and Ennis, which take about an hour.
However, you are also welcome to join us on shopping trips etc.
We have a young very enthusiastic dog Bilbo, two cats - Mimsy and Charlie, and a few chickens. We also have a big garden with a tunnel (greenhouse), a vegetable patch (that is currently an unintended wild flower patch) , and some fruit trees.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Animal Care
Help around the house
House sitting
Interests
Music
Carpentry
Sustainability
Pets
Plant care
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Gardening
Animals
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Dancing
Hiking
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will find a warm welcome with us and hope you will be a part of our family and community during your stay. We live very rurally, but our house is not often empty :)
Alan loves entertaining - he plays the guitar - sometimes in the local bar in the village, he loves games (backgammon in particular) and storytelling.
Mieke knows a lot about food, preparation, gardening, herbs and being on the land, she loves foraging, using wild foods, and being outside.
We have the lovely small village of Mountshannon 2KM away from our house - perfect walking distance, in the village, are two bars, a new visitors centre has recently been opened which has a lovely cafe and explains the local history, introduces local artist and crafts people and most importantly connects people with the history of holy island just off shore the village. The village has is a small harbour and a little park, in the summer it is a hub for swimming and gatherings.
Au Pair Help
This host has let us know they’ll be complying with Irish regulations for au pair stays.here
Help
We are looking for someone to help us with various projects around the house and the garden (it is currently very neglected and a bee and butterfly heaven) It is only a small garden, but we have let it go this summer due to other commitments. We hope to get out to the ocean at least once to gather some seaweed for eating and the garden - this is a seasonal family outing! It would also be great is you are interested to help with a small building project - Alan is always pottering around making improvements here and there...
Tasks:
=> Helping out with the garden
=> Helping out with small DIY projects
=> Help us look after our home, keep it tidy and loved.
=> Caring for and feeding animals (dog, cats, hens)
=> Cooking dinner every now and then - this is often a communal event, everyone who is home and not busy doing other things gives a hand
We prefer to have Skype or Zoom contact before you arrive to get to know each other a bit better.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Intermediate
Accommodation
You will have your own small room in the house and we share the bathroom.
What else ...
Mountshannon is beautifully situated on the shores of Lough Derg in County Clare looking out to Holy Island - which has the ruins of a 9th-century monastic settlement. Further away, there is the wonderful West Coast of Ireland with its beaches and The Cliffs of Moher.
We live in a walkers paradise with plenty of hiking and walking ways all around us. The cities of Ennis, Limerick and Galway are around 45 minutes to 1 hour by car. We are happy to show you the surroundings or bring you to the bus stop so you can travel a bit by yourself.
You will be part of our family so you are welcome to join us when we go to the pub, a party, a movie night or other activities if you like!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
we have 7 hens, they provide us with ample eggs
mimsi
Sweet little mimosa is Charlie's tiny mum, very independent, but in is becoming more and more gentle in her old age. she came to us as a stray...
Charlie
Sweet lazy cat, he is now starting to get old - demands to be on your lap in the morning, then sleeps the rest of the day
Bilbo (3 years)
Springer spaniel, who loves swimming and running wild in the forest... he is never to be seen with one of his toys, always up for a game, but in the house very quiet and sweet... his best friend is our granddaughter Nina, who is 3
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Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Iris has finished her workaway stay with us after many months, we are so sad to see her go, she has become part of our family!
I can recommend iris, without doubt, for any workaway position. Iris is adaptable, able and very caring. She sees what needs to be done and takes initiative to get it done. New tasks are embraced and (most) always… read more
My main task was to support Ina. I enjoyed spending… read more
She is… read more
Alan is good at singing and playing the guitar. He invited me to the pub to listen to his band. It was so cool.
Mieke is an excellent cook. And she always helped me how to take a trip from… read more
If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings, their home is the place to go because Mountshannon is basically Hobbiton and their house Bilbo's house. Both them and their… read more
Alan and Mieke are lovely couple who always made me feel at home. We had so much… read more
She is able to work independently and willing to learn new skills when this is… read more
