Help us in the garden, DIY and restoration projects on a 200 year-old lake-side rectory in Co. Cavan, Ireland

Infos

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  Description

  Hi we are David and Sabina, our kids have grown and flown the nest and we decided it is time for a new adventure. So two years ago we sold our slick, modern house in the city and bought a 200 year-old lake-side rectory on 8 acres. Various fabulous Workaways have helped us to save the gorgeous gardens from brambles, overgrowth and neglect.
  
  We're not afraid of hard work and we are currently trying to give various projects the attention they need whilst meeting the demands of full-time jobs. David recently left the security that being an employee brings and has embarked on a new enterprise that involves travelling both nationally and internationally. Sabina used to travel a lot but now is working remotely most of the time with occasional travel. Sabina is a health psychologist, neuroscientist, author and motivational speaker. We share our beautiful home with our three dogs Dizzy, Dolly and Scruffy. It is vital that you love dogs. When Dave & I have to travel we will need you to walk, feed and smother them with love and cuddles.
  
  While we will consider people travelling alone there is just one double bed so at the moment our preference is for a couple or friends who don't mind sharing.
  
  We are loving our new home and wake up each morning marvelling at the amazing views and wondering whether we are going to wake from this amazing dream but no - we are actually living the dream

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Happy to help with English. Our home is more than 200 years old, steeped in history and synonymous with the history of the area and indeed Ireland during some troubled times.
  
  The gardens which extend over 8 acres are a combination of formal gardens, woodland and wilded areas. There is an incredible array of trees, shrubs and plants. Trees range from stunning traditional trees such as oak, horse chestnut, sycamore and copper beech planted when the house was first built in 1819 to an incredible mix of rare and unusual trees, many from Asia strategically planted by a previous owner. Renowned garden designer Daphne Shackleton designed the formal areas of the gardens approximately 20 years ago. Around that time the former owner also reinstated pathways throughout the grounds including a 400 metre walk along the lake from which the house takes its name.
  The Azaleas are a sight to behold throughout May. The gardens are a prime example of biodiversity attracting butterflies and bees in abundance. There is incredible biodiversity and wildlife, with foxes, hedgehogs, badgers, minks and otters living on the land. The house is a bird lovers paradise - We have the largest rookery in the county with a mix of corvids and a substantial heronry with 30 to 40 herons living and breeding here from January to September.
  
  Then there is the lake itself which is wonderful for lovers of water sports. We provide kayaks but the lake is used for skiing, wakeboarding, boating etc. The lake is 3.5 kilometres long and you will never tire of it. The lake is renowned for coarse fishing.
  
  We are walking distance (2k) from the town of Shercock which is a vibrant, friendly small town (more like a village), with several pubs, shops, hairdresser, hardware, garage and a cafe. There is a regular bus service from Shercock to Dublin which takes just over an hour that serves commuters (to Dublin early morning / to Shercock early evening)
  There is also a bus that links Shercock to Dundalk which stops in Carrickmacross where there is a bus to Dublin airport.
  
  We are located equidistant (12k) from three large towns with large supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, Tesco Super Value etc. restaurants, pubs and other nightlife.
  
  Cavan is replete with national parks including the Cavan Burren with its unique flora and fauna. Co Cavan is Ireland's lake district with a lake for every day of the year - 365 lakes - Co Cavan is located in Ulster and is very close to the border with northern Ireland giving visitors the opportunity to explore that culture also.

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  Aide

  We are restoring some outbuildings and doing some hard landscaping and ongoing gardening. We like to make use of, reuse stuff that we have available to us. For example we are paving a patio area with 'slices' of wood from fallen trees, lining paths with mulch, moving self-seeded saplings to other parts of the garden, using branches and ivy etx to make deadwalls and screening.
  
  We currently need help with:
  Removing ivy from old trees and old walls
  Wood chipping
  Clearing fallen trees.
  weeding
  Creating/maintaining paths
  Turning an old courtyard into a multi-use outdoor space - laying paving stones, laying decorative stone, planting, making furniture from fallen trees, fire pits etc, etc.
  We also hope to make a jetty
  
  
  Sabina is writing another book with a deadline in June and Dave has just started a new business venture so will be fully focused on those things so we will really welcome help with day-to-day housework, chores, laundry, doggy stuff and cooking, if it's your thing.
  
  
  Artists - to paint murals
  
  Sculptors / woodworkers - to turn an ugly very large tree stump into something arty or functional
  
  Housework - we have a lovely easy-to-clean home - helping us to keep it that way, hoovering, dusting, washing floors etc.
  
  There will be other creative projects around the house, out buildings and gardens and we are very open to suggestions if you have specific skills or ideas..
  
  General maintenance around the house and grounds.
  
  We may occasionally need someone to dog sit should we both have to be away at the same time

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant

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  Hébergement

  Workawayers will stay in a bedroom with own en suite shower room in our home

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  Autres infos...

  Cavan is a county with a lake for every day of the year, or so the saying goes.
  
  Explore the ancient sites of the Breffni County. Turn back time on a trip to Cavan Burren Park, where you’ll find unique megalithic tombs and later, stop off at Cavan County Museum to learn about days gone by.
  
  Travel to picturesque parks and take on vast walking trails, check out Cavan’s hidden treasures now.
  
  The locals are incredibly friendly and welcoming with plenty of pubs in every town.
  
  Gaelic sports are a big thing in Cavan you can go watch the local teams play or join a local team depending on the duration of your stay.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  Yes. We have fibre broadband which is a type of high-speed broadband. It uses fibre optic cables, which are better at transferring data than standard copper cables. It's the fastest and most reliable broadband in Ireland. Suitable for working from home but also suitable for online gaming and streaming movies and music.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  We really welcome people with their own camper van - for us this is the ideal situation as we can all have our own private space and our workaways can benefit from exploring the Ireland using us as a base, We have plenty of space to accommodate a camper van.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  25 hours per week

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