Hello! We are a family living on the West Coast of Ireland, in County Clare. We have 2 girls aged 17 and 19, and two pets- a cat and a small dog. The main projects we would appreciate help with for this summer is re-painting the interior of our house and gardening. We are a busy family and could also use help with things like cooking, cleaning, and minding the pets while we are at work. We are all friendly and will help you to see beautiful parts of Ireland and practice English.
We have a beautiful sea view and access to a local sandy beach within walking distance. We have lots of space around our home and the ruins of an old Napeolonic Fort in our garden. We live in a rural area and the closest village (Carraigaholt) and shop is 5 kilometers. We will provide you with a clean and spacious room with a private bathroom. On your days off we can drive you (if we are available) to the bus stop or local tourist destinations, and if cycling is your thing- a bike and helmet are provided. Good Wifi available.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
Interests
Self development
Culture
Events & social
Plant care
History
Astronomy
Animals
Nature
Yoga / Wellness
Water sports
Outdoor activities
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We help you to practice English, experience Irish culture and will help you you to explore the best parts of Ireland.
Au Pair Help
This host has let us know they’ll be complying with Irish regulations for au pair stays.here
Help
We would love help with cleaning, cooking, general housework, and other random things. No two days are ever the same here! The biggest priorities for you will be helping us re-paint the interior of our home and gardening. What we welcome most is someone who likes outdoor tasks, is comfortable painting, likes cleaning and cooking, is flexible to have different tasks everyday, and who is happy to be in a quiet rural environment in the countryside with lots of fresh air, peace, and beautiful scenery!
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Very Large Private Room with private toilet, clean, safe, good wifi, with ocean view, leading to small patio area in garden. Walking distance to a small beach.
What else ...
Cliffs of Kilkee (Same as Cliffs of Moher), Ennis, cycle to local village, walk to the beach, swimming, catch the bus to other citys (first 1K cycle to the bus), towns and villages.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Yes, I can host digital nomads. We have a good wifi connection, working from here is fine.
Pauline was such a great Workawayer. She was friendly, easy to communicate with, so helpful with everything in the household, the teens and we all really loved her company. She was happy to work by herself with instructions, or with us on projects or whatever we had going on. She fitted in so fast and always was so easy to work with. She has many… read more skills and talents (cooking, cleaning, housework, shopping, driving and computer skills) and learns very quickly and we all missed her when she left. We would highly recommend her as a workawayer, you will be lucky to have her if an exchange works out for you. A+++ for Pauline.
I had such a lovely time with Carmel and her family in Ireland! The work was different every day, I helped inside and outside the house. They even lent me a bike so I could explore the area, which is so beautiful and peaceful! I need to come back some day, especially to Kilkee.
I recommend staying with them, they were really nice and friendly and… read more I felt welcomed.
Kristyna was a great workawayer, helpful, kind and very easy to communicate with. She came for 3 weeks in September and she was easy to have around, very helpful with tasks both inside and outside the home. She helped with cleaning, gardening, cooking, laundry, small painting projects and other household and outside jobs. The time flew when she… read more was here and it seemed very short! I would recommend Kristyna to all hosts, she was a pleasure to have with us!
(Excellent
)
9 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (Maddy) for host
I spent 3 weeks in Ireland with Carmel and the rest of the family and i could not speak more highly about my time there. The entire family was so welcoming from the moment I got there and made me feel right at home. I was there end of September- mid October, so Carmel's job schedule varied a lot from day to day. I mostly helped out with cleaning… read more around the house, preparing food for the girls when they got home from school, some yard work, and any other general cleaning/ organization that needed to get done before the weather turned. I was also working remotely during my stay there, and Carmel was very accommodating in finding a schedule that suited us both. The property was beautiful and made it easy to spend time relaxing, whether that be going on walks with Woody (the family dog who quickly became my little pal), or just sitting and reading while taking in the beautiful views. Carmel was lovely in helping to make sure I got to see the beautiful sights of Ireland not only by helping me plan weekend trips and giving advice on the best tours to take in each location, but also driving me into town to go on walks or taking me to see the Cliffs of Moher- which was an experience I'll never forget.
Again, I cannot overstate how joyful it was to spend time with the family. I learned so much from Frank and Carmel about their own travels, and got to chat with Hannah and learn updates on what was happening at school. I also got to spend a lot of time with the lovely Rosie, and she kept me up to date on the newest Tik-Tok trends and games (Granny specifically) and we made many batches of homemade ice cream (we developed a pretty phenomenal mint chocolate chip flavor).
This was my first workaway opportunity and set a pretty high bar.
Thank you all for such a great experience, I am already looking forward to the next time I can come visit. Missing you all greatly! Hopefully see ya soon!
Cheers,
Maddy
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent
)
7 Nov 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Maddy)
Maddy's visit to our home was a wonderful experience. She is light hearted and fun and very easy to have around. All of the tasks she had to do were completed well and although our schedule was different every day, she had no problem adjusting hours and the work required, when necessary. She was reliable and dependable, and no task was ever a… read more problem for her. She was fast and easy to communicate, and our teenagers loved to have her around. The weather was not great when she was her but she was happy to get out and explore and make the most of it, whenever the weather allowed. We would highly recommend Maddy to all families and we hope she returns again sometime to visit. We wish her well on all our Work-away experiences!
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
20 Dec 2025
Left by host for Workawayer (Leane)
Pauline was such a great Workawayer. She was friendly, easy to communicate with, so helpful with everything in the household, the teens and we all really loved her company. She was happy to work by herself with instructions, or with us on projects or whatever we had going on. She fitted in so fast and always was so easy to work with. She has many… read more skills and talents (cooking, cleaning, housework, shopping, driving and computer skills) and learns very quickly and we all missed her when she left. We would highly recommend her as a workawayer, you will be lucky to have her if an exchange works out for you. A+++ for Pauline.
I had such a lovely time with Carmel and her family in Ireland! The work was different every day, I helped inside and outside the house. They even lent me a bike so I could explore the area, which is so beautiful and peaceful! I need to come back some day, especially to Kilkee.
I recommend staying with them, they were really nice and friendly and… read more I felt welcomed.
Kristyna was a great workawayer, helpful, kind and very easy to communicate with. She came for 3 weeks in September and she was easy to have around, very helpful with tasks both inside and outside the home. She helped with cleaning, gardening, cooking, laundry, small painting projects and other household and outside jobs. The time flew when she… read more was here and it seemed very short! I would recommend Kristyna to all hosts, she was a pleasure to have with us!
(Excellent)
9 Mar 2023
Left by Workawayer (Maddy) for host
I spent 3 weeks in Ireland with Carmel and the rest of the family and i could not speak more highly about my time there. The entire family was so welcoming from the moment I got there and made me feel right at home. I was there end of September- mid October, so Carmel's job schedule varied a lot from day to day. I mostly helped out with cleaning… read more around the house, preparing food for the girls when they got home from school, some yard work, and any other general cleaning/ organization that needed to get done before the weather turned. I was also working remotely during my stay there, and Carmel was very accommodating in finding a schedule that suited us both. The property was beautiful and made it easy to spend time relaxing, whether that be going on walks with Woody (the family dog who quickly became my little pal), or just sitting and reading while taking in the beautiful views. Carmel was lovely in helping to make sure I got to see the beautiful sights of Ireland not only by helping me plan weekend trips and giving advice on the best tours to take in each location, but also driving me into town to go on walks or taking me to see the Cliffs of Moher- which was an experience I'll never forget.
Again, I cannot overstate how joyful it was to spend time with the family. I learned so much from Frank and Carmel about their own travels, and got to chat with Hannah and learn updates on what was happening at school. I also got to spend a lot of time with the lovely Rosie, and she kept me up to date on the newest Tik-Tok trends and games (Granny specifically) and we made many batches of homemade ice cream (we developed a pretty phenomenal mint chocolate chip flavor).
This was my first workaway opportunity and set a pretty high bar.
Thank you all for such a great experience, I am already looking forward to the next time I can come visit. Missing you all greatly! Hopefully see ya soon!
Cheers,
Maddy
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
7 Nov 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Maddy)
Maddy's visit to our home was a wonderful experience. She is light hearted and fun and very easy to have around. All of the tasks she had to do were completed well and although our schedule was different every day, she had no problem adjusting hours and the work required, when necessary. She was reliable and dependable, and no task was ever a… read more problem for her. She was fast and easy to communicate, and our teenagers loved to have her around. The weather was not great when she was her but she was happy to get out and explore and make the most of it, whenever the weather allowed. We would highly recommend Maddy to all families and we hope she returns again sometime to visit. We wish her well on all our Work-away experiences!
(Excellent)
29 Sep 2022
Left by Workawayer (Régine) for host
First trip with Workaway and priceless memories. The house is lovely with a big beautiful garden and ocean view. I haven't slept so well in a long time. The place is quiet and peaceful, the air is clean and the people are naturally kind.
Carmel works hard and she still gave me a lot of time. During my stay, she took me with her to different… read more places and I also loved riding my bike and walking around the peninsula. This place is just beautiful, it's a paradise for those who need peace and quiet. Carmel also helped me with the organisation of my trips to Kilrush, Galway and Killarney (the transport is not easy to understand and she knows all the tricks to pay less).
The work to be done is not complicated, easy to do and the meals are planned in advance so it's easy!
My level of English is not perfect but the whole family was very kind and patient with me repeating and showing me things I didn't understand. They were extremely kind and interested in me and also explained a lot about Ireland. I loved living with them for three weeks and would recommend this family to anyone! :)
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
28 Sep 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Régine)
Regine was a wonderful work-awayer. She is calm and confident in her tasks and completed each job with diligence and thoroughly. She is easy to have in the family and we loved her company and she was very helpful always! We would highly recommend Regine to all hosts and we would be delighted to have her back again anytime and wish her well in all… read more future endeavors!
(Excellent)
29 Oct 2019
Left by Workawayer (Ana) for host
The family was so lovely. I admire the way than Carmel joins her family, and all the members makes me feel part of them in one time or another.
My experience was very relaxed, easy going communication. I enjoy to hang out with the girls. Hannah is really talentous girl and Rose Mary is so smart.
I loved walking around the house and Kilkee.… read more
Thank u very much for all the things I learnt with all of you,
Mónica.
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
2 Sep 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Bianca)
Bianca was such a great Workawayer! All of the members of our family loved her from the very beginning. She was always helpful, kind, courteous and willing to help will all kinds of tasks. We enjoyed many fun moments with her, and we couldn't have asked for a nicer experience with Bianca, she was truly great and you will be a lucky host if she… read more joins you! Take care Bianca and we hope we will see you in Ireland again sometime in the future!
(Excellent)
2 Sep 2019
Left by Workawayer (Bianca) for host
I spent one month with this lovely family and I couldn't ask for better! As it was my first Workaway experience I was a bit concerned about it but as soon as I met Carmel at the airport I felt absolutely welcomed and happy to be there.
I really love my Irish life, having breakfast watching the ocean and walking around Doonaha (the walk to the… read more beach was my favorite one!). I enjoyed every part of Ireland I've visited (Kilkee Cliffs, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, and not "Mother", as I thought it was called!!!...), it's one of the most peaceful and quite country I've ever been. The house is so beautiful, full of windows and surrounded by nature; you can look at the moon from the couch, swing in the garden, or go on the "secret beach".
Work in the house was very easy and I was always very happy to help Carmel with every kind of stuff like cleaning the kitchen, cooking (PASTA AL FORNO, as a proud Italian!!), vacuuming or making the laundry.
Carmel and Frank are very positive, kind, friendly, easy going and sensible people, it was a pleasure for me to talk about many different topics; I've had the pleasure of meeting Christine, Carmel's sister, and her family, and we spent amazing time in Kilkee and at the Dolphin-watching. The girls, Rosemary Emma and Hannah, are so lovely, they were my English teachers and my pancakes, cupcakes and cakes-maker (I loved every kind of sweet they cooked!!).
I can't explain I delighted I was to feel completely part of the family.
What I loved and I miss the most is my Irish lifestyle with the family and all of these stuff I used to do every day, such as making pineapples and banana smoothie for Rosie, watching a movie in the evening, going to Moody Cow (best milkshakes ever!) or having lunch and dinner with the girls.
Time has flown so fast and I hope to come back one day, get a Moody Cow with the girls and walk around Kilkee Cliffs, as my first day in Ireland. I'll never forget this experience and this adorable family!
Bianca
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
30 Dec 2018
Left by Workawayer (Julia) for host
I stayed with Carmel, Frank, Hannah and Rosie for six weeks. It was my first time doing workaway and therefore I was a bit worried about what was to come. But I soon found out that I was nervous for absolutely no reason.
Everyone was so friendly. I felt welcome from the first day on.
My first few days at Carmel and Frank’s house were a bit busy.… read more They had visitors from the US and on the following weekend Frank’s sister, her husband and their three children stayed for the weekend. Although there was so much going on during the first few days of my stay, the rest of my time in Ireland was quiet.
Carmel and Frank are two of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. They are thoughtful, kind, openminded and they make you feel at home in an instant. If there is any kind of problem they are happy to help. I can’t even recall how many times Carmel has helped me by catching the spiders in my room and bringing them outside.
Rosie and Hannah are both lovely, creative and lively girls. I spent most of my time with them and I miss them very much. They both have many hobbies like horse riding, dancing and hurling. They are both very musical and I will never forget our many attempts to do the cup-song.
The tasks were very easy. Spending time with Rosie and Hannah (which was always fun) and doing some housework. My main chores were walking Rosie to school and picking her up in the afternoon, doing a bit of laundry, some cooking and cleaning. And also a lot of baking. I will miss baking with Rosie – I’ve never, in my whole live, baked so many cookies and pies before. :D
There were also some tasks that Carmel and I did together. For example, we scraped paint off the garden furniture, repainted it and cleared out the room next to Frank’s office.
Carmel and Frank own a big house, a giant garden with a fort and an orchard with beautiful apple trees. It is a very lovely, peaceful and quiet place. The river Shannon and a gorgeous, very private beach are just a few minutes’ walk away.
I grew fond of this family very fast and I was sad to leave after just six weeks.
Again, a big thank you for making my first experience the best one I could possibly have had.
I miss you all very much and hope to see you again someday!
Julia
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
19 Aug 2018
Left by Workawayer (Lena) for host
I spend three wonderful months in Ireland, most of the time in co. Clare. It was my first time in Ireland and my first experience with workaway, so I was a bit scared when I arrived at Kilkee. But it was completely gratuitous, because this family is just so kind and loving, that you feel welcome from the first second you step into their houses!
I… read more spend my first month with Martina and Emma (thank you again for hosting me!), Carmel’s sister and her daughter. They live in Kilkee, about 7 km from Carmel and Frank’s house.
Kilkee is a wonderful place to live, a big sandy beach is just a few minutes away, there are deep rock pools to swim in and the cliffs are truly beautiful to go out for a little walk.
Emma is a lovely girl, full of energy, always joking …or reading :D and fun to be around.
Martina is very busy, but she is still finding some time for a little chat with you and is always helpful and understanding.
The work (just a bit help in the household and taking care of Emma) was easy going- I think I never worked five hours a day, neither in Martina’s nor in Carmel’s house.
After the month at Martina I left the house to live with Carmel. Working at Carmel’s house was not at all difficult, and there was always enough time left to enjoy the incredible good weather, to go down to the secret beach or to spend some time with the girls. There was always plenty to do so I never got bored or homesick (I think I was just simply too happy to get homesick :D)
The two girls are just so lovely and full of positive energy. I had wonderful moments with them and they really helped to improve my English.
Carmel and Frank are the perfect Host-Parents, kind, understandable, and always positive and full of energy. They help you with all their knowledge about Ireland and particularly the area they live in.
There house and garden is beautiful - I absolutely loved their swings and Window seat in the kitchen.
The time in Ireland means now so much more to me than I could write in this little feedback text! I got into this family so quickly and they really become a second family to me. I was so sad when I needed to leave! I miss them all so much, little Woodie, the dog who is always jumping around, the late night talks with Hannah, the time at the secret beach (or should I better say our little Swimming-walks? :D), Emma’s “not funny!” the hot chocolate-movie-time, Aishling’s “this is hilarious!”, the baking days with Rosy and yes, I never expected this but I even miss Rosie’s “Twinkle Twinkle” :D
I meet so many lovely people in Ireland and they all became so dear to me. It was very hard for me to leave them at the end and I really hope that I could come back to visit them again!
A big hug from Germany!
Lena
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
16 Jul 2018
Left by host for Workawayer (Lena)
Lena came to our home to help with all types of tasks, she was amazing and became one of the family so quickly! She was so helpful, always willing to get involved with whatever task we were doing. She was fantastic with the children and they really loved her company. She was polite, helpful, fun to have around and totally dependable. Her main role… read more was to care for the children and help with general household duties, and whatever she was asked to do, she did well. We were delighted to have her with us, and were so sad when it was time for her to leave. We recommend her to any host, she is a lovely girl and really helpful, and we hope she comes back to visit us sometime A+++++
(Excellent)
30 Jun 2017
Left by host for Workawayer (Genie)
Genie came to us from Russia and was such a lovely person to have with our family. She stayed for 2 weeks and she was always smiling and so helpful with everything in the household - just what we needed. She was always neat and tidy, and was willing to help with any and every job. She was very helpful with the children and the loved her, we all… read more wished she could have stayed longer with us - we miss her very much since she left, and we hope she will come back again next year! We would highly recommend her to all hosts.
(Excellent)
29 Jun 2017
Left by Workawayer (Genie) for host
I spent with Carmel and her wonderful family 2 weeks. These were truly unforgettable days, Carmel is very kind and understanding, and always smiling, it is so charging with positive energy. With Frank we met only in the evenings, this is so truly a positive person. I spent my time with Hannah, Rosemary and Emma. During this time, they became so… read more dear to me that it was very difficult for me to say goodbye to them.
The house is located in a very beautiful place, far from the city, and is filled with history. One minute to the beach, the windows overlook the ocean. This is an incredible place. Work in the house of Carmel was not at all complicated and brought me only joy. I helped with the girls, cleaned the house a little, and sometimes cooked dinner for the girls.
Carmel, Frank, Martina, Hannah, Rosemary and Emma - you're forever in my heart!)
I hope that we will meet again))
Regards,
Genie
You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
(Excellent)
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Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
Self development
Culture
Events & social
Plant care
History
Astronomy
Animals
Nature
Yoga / Wellness
Water sports
Outdoor activities
