Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
16 Sep 2025
Reply rate
95.4 %
Usually responds within 8 days
Feedback
54
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Details
Description
Hello there and welcome to my eco friendly timber frame house in the heart of West Cork, about 2 mins drive from Dunmanway town.
I live on my own these days with my cat Gizmo. I have two adult children who have left home long ago and a grandchild.
I would like some help with my half acre permaculture project, forest, organic fruit, veg and herb garden and some DIY maintenance of my polytunnel, sheds and raised beds.
Help with making posters/ leaflets, website maintenance and some social media advertising is always welcome.
I love to share and exchange cooking healthy meals, mainly vegetarian using my own produce where possible and am happiest to cater for vegetarians or vegans.
My mum was a chef in Germany in the fifties, which has influenced my cooking together with my study of Macrobiotics and the Chinese Five Element Principles back in the nineties. We'll be living of the land as much as possible using our own home produce.
At this time I work three days per week in the city and you will share the space with another person where possible: you may want to bring a friend or if you're a couple you can keep each other company.
I also work from home as a therapist and may disappear into my treatment room for the odd session. I teach a few local Yoga classes and you can join me if you wish or stay at home with Gizmo.
I have lots of books to look at, mostly in English, some in German and plenty board games and some old fashioned DVDs for wet evenings, also love arts and crafts, always something in the making... and maybe skills to share? And stories...
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
House sitting
Interests
Self development
Vegetarian or vegan
Cooking & food
Yoga / Wellness
Nature
Plant care
Gardening
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I speak fluent English and German so there will be plenty opportunity to practice your language skills.
Learn about medicinal herbs for teas, oils and ointments, foraging, food for medicine.
Learn about regenerative organic gardening and working with the land and the seasons.
Join me in my daily yoga and Do-In practice or at my Yoga classes only if you like of course.
Get to know the locals, in pubs, at local music gigs or at my yoga classes
Help
Help in my 1/2 acre organic permaculture garden and polytunnel with regenerating soil microbes and fungi, composting, fertilizing brews, green manures, mulching, weeding, mostly no dig and a few raised beds, planting, harvesting and preserving, fruit, veggies and herbs for home use, I make infused oils and ointments from my own dried herbs, a great variety of tasks, all depending on the season.
Help with extending my forest garden and ornamental wild flower garden with spiral/labyrinth.
Help with general outdoor maintenance for existing flowerbeds, grass cutting and strimming, keeping the yard clean and tidy.
Simple DIY maintenance with a few outdoor painting jobs and small repair jobs (raised beds and compost surrounds).
Help with website and social media maintenance.
We will also share doing the daily chores around the house, e.g., cleaning, cooking, washing up, lighting and maintaining the fire in the stove during the colder months.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Accommodation
You will be sharing my eco-friendly timber frame house with me and my cat Gizmo (although he is used to staying outside most of the time)
I have two small and basic spare bedrooms, one with a futon and the other with a double bed, shared bathroom with flush toilet, bathtub and shower (heated by solar panel and solid fuel in the winter months).
We also share the living area and kitchen. I will provide food and produce, and we can share some of the cooking if you like. My house is clean, warm, bright and spacious.
I have good mobile reception and use my phone to hotspot my PC and laptop for Zoom/Skype meetings and to watch the odd movie/documentary/TV show. I don't have any WIFI as there is no fibre connection to my house on top of the hill.
My house is 2 mins drive away from Dunmanway, (20 mins down town and 30 mins up home by foot).
Dunmanway has bus connections to Cork city and Bantry/Glengarriff.
What else ...
Get to know surrounding areas on foot or by bus during your time off.
There is a brand new hiking trail starting just across from my driveway that shows of the stunning beauty of surrounding landscapes. So bring your hiking boots...
If you wish you may join me to visit local markets and towns, and occasionally castles, lakes and other nearby scenic attractions, like the Gearagh, Gougane Barra, Glengarriff/Kilmurry Woods, Drombeg Stone Circle or the local beaches.
During the summer/autumn I like to go swimming in the sea (about half an hours drive away) or in the river pools and you can join me if you like. Dunmanway also has an indoor 25m swimming pool including steam room, sauna, hydrotherapy and kiddies pool.
The Camino de Cork, the two day St Finbarr's Pilgrimage is practically on our doorstep starting in the nearby Drimoleague, Top of the Rock to Gougane Barra (ca 30k). You can get there by bus or I may be able to drop you off there and collect you if needed.
You may have heard of our rainy Irish weather, so please don't forget to bring rain gear and good sturdy boots. I do have a collection of wellies, so I can check for your size before you arrive if you wish.
Your own working gloves to protect your hands during garden work are essential to bring as well please.
Do let me know if you have any specific requirements regarding food intolerances, allergies etc
Unfortunately, due to sensitivity I cannot host smokers or people who use strong perfumes/deodorants or drink alcohol excessively. Thank you for respecting the sharing of my personal space.
Please note this workaway is an exchange of about 25hrs/week of your help for accommodation and food, mostly produce of my garden and the overall experience of sharing my space and lifestyle during your stay. There will be no money paid to you in addition to this exchange and you're expected to carry your own health insurance.
I've had many positive experiences with hosting wonderful volunteers due to carefully selecting like-minded, enthusiastic and somewhat experienced folks. I always meet interested people via an initial video call where possible. I find it extremely helpful to get to know and discuss our needs and interests in person and prior to hosting for all involved. I look forward to meeting you ☺️
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
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (30)
Margaret is a lovely person, she loves to talk and to take care of her beloved garden. She is warm and welcoming, she likes to cook for everyone and she doesn't mind bringing you around to visit the beautiful West Cork or Cork city, during your free… read more
Margaret is a warm, welcoming, and generous host who truly… read more
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Margaret is a lovely person, she loves to talk and to take care of her beloved garden. She is warm and welcoming, she likes to cook for everyone and she doesn't mind bringing you around to visit the beautiful West Cork or Cork city, during your free… read more
Margaret is a warm, welcoming, and generous host who truly… read more
During my almost three weeks at her place, I worked on a variety of projects including seed sowing, weeding, cutting wood, harvesting willow for basket making, doing some spring cleaning… read more
Margaret is a lovely and generous person. She is very knowledgeable about the body working, plants and food. I learned a lot with her about natural medicine (“grandmother remedies”) and recipes. I was surprised and a bid scared to live without… read more
Margaret had a list of jobs for the day and she explained how she wanted them doing. The work varied from weeding , planting tomato plants , cutting and edging the lawns to putting a… read more
The communication with Margaret before arrival was top notch. I never had the feeling that she might cancel last minute or ghost me.
Upon arrival, she immediately invited me into her „farm-ily“. She was also very happy to accommodate my travel-mate, who was unfamiliar with work… read more
Margaret's house is full of warmth, brightness and… read more
Very down to earth, bright, creative and communicative, Hannah is great company as well as a dedicated, hard worker both independently and as part of a team. I'm so grateful for her earthing my potatoes, weeding my garden and weaving a beautiful fence to protect and enhance… read more
I met a lot of nice people in her house and it was a perfect cultural exchange experience!
During the two months I spent at Margaret's house I did various gardening jobs and also had time to write my master's… read more
Thank you Sally and enjoy the rest of your gap year.
She's a gentle woman who takes good care of her plants and flowers around the house, her big beautiful vegetable garden, her lovely two cats and also us workawayers! I felt very warmly welcomed.
She has a great knowledge and I… read more
The days were were always varied. Sometimes we only worked a few hours other times we spent the whole day in the garden. On our days off Margaret took us to some… read more
Margaret it's a fantastic person I'm really great full for having the chance to spend time at her place🌷
I would 100% recommended to everyone!
mind the gap please
thank you… read more
Although quite young, you couldn't wish for a more helpful, ready and willing guy. Always cheerful, friendly and respectful, Diego won't shy away from any task and often has jobs done without having to ask. Kind and always up for some 'craic' (watch out for that Cork accent...)… read more
House is just amazing, landscape around is magical when a bit of sun comes out :), and the food is just incredible. We used to eat together every meal, which was great. We could learn so much about her and her stories. So if you are looking for a cultural exchange, you… read more
I already miss the experience in her place, I stayed for a month and it wasn't enough! She's such a kind soul, she loves to share her knowledge and her passions such as gardening, swimming, herbalism, yoga, macrobiotics and… read more
The weather was still astonishingly good. So we did a good bit of work in the garden, went for swims in the sea. Margaret also took me to her yoga lessons, for some great trips to Bantry market, to a lively acoustic session in Clonakilty where I joined in… read more
The house is lovely, bright and comfortable, it is on the top of a hill, in the middle of the nature, so it can give you a sense of peace in any moment, from the… read more
