Farm exchange near Kenmare, Ireland – Hello, I am a former American, British now, but I have lived on an island in Greece and spent twenty years developing a small Quinta in Portugal. I have now found my forever home in a small cottage with an acre of land overlooking the Bay of Kenmare, with mountains all around.

I need an energetic, knowledgeable gardening person who would like to help with not too difficult jobs around the property and cottage. I only speak English, with a tiny bit of Portuguese. I am an artist, and if the volunteer would like to learn a few crafts, I am open to teaching in spare time.

Host type and tasks

What type of host are you?

• Private individual.

What are you looking for help with?

• Building
• Farming and gardening
• General help

What’s the mission of your community?

I am living on my own but have near neighbours. I am looking to improve the grounds around the cottage, create gardens, plant trees, and keep up the raised beds to grow as much food as I can in the space it has. My mission in life is to create a bee and bird-friendly space, and grow trees that I probably won’t see grow to maturity, but that doesn’t matter as long as I can plant them.

Hours and days

How many volunteers could you host?

• Only one volunteer

When would you need volunteers?

Right away and for a few months.

How many hours of help per day?

4 to 5 hours of help per day

How many days of help per week?

5 days per week, 2 days off

Notes:

Ideally, I would like a non-smoker. I don’t eat meat of any kind but do eat fish, and lots of vegetables and fruit. I would prefer someone who doesn’t eat meat. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty in the garden that’s a plus, but I need a strong person who knows their way around a garden and can do odd jobs or even building projects.

Are accommodation and food included?

Yes, we offer food and accommodation.

What type of accommodation can you provide?

• Private room

Diet and nutrition information

I would prefer a vegetarian or pescatarian. If you have a special diet then I feel you would have to provide your own food for that. I am not a vegan but am open-minded about a volunteer being one.

Fees transparency

I don’t charge for the food I provide unless it is a special diet like vegan, and then the volunteer could buy their own food.

VISA support or invitation letters

Maybe. We can help with an invitation letter if the candidate has good qualifications.

Benefits and free time

Volunteers’ benefits

I have a car and can take the volunteer to the nearest village to get buses to larger towns, or can drive to larger towns so they can enjoy the countryside around, or get the bus to larger cities. If requested, I can also teach stained glass, painting with acrylics and mosaics. I can give a bit of pocket money if needed.

What to do in free time

This is a fantastic area for walkers and climbers. If you are into photography or painting, it’s ideal. There are other activities in the village that I could find out about, such as kayaking.

Location and how to get there

Language

English.

Geography

My cottage is a bit remote, with one close neighbour. There are farms all around this area, mostly sheep and a few cattle. The weather this spring has been magnificent, weeks of pure sunshine, which is unusual I think, for Ireland. There are days of cloud and rain but that’s what makes it so fertile and green. There are mountains all around, we are in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, famous for walks and climbing. I have never met such friendly helpful people and have been welcomed into the community with open arms.

There is a Resource Center in the village where they teach yoga, keep fit classes and other types of classes. It’s a very sporty village and a few famous sportsmen have statues to them here and further up the coast. We also enjoy an area called The Dark Sky, where there is no light pollution and it’s just down the road from my place.

How to get to your site

There are a few international airports, the closest is Cork.
There are buses from Cork to Kenmare and trains. I would come into the village to pick up the volunteer by car. There are buses but not regularly during the day. It’s about five miles to the village of Sneem. I have picked up hitchhikers going to local places and people are friendly and would help out.

Is there internet access?

Yes.

Contact details 📧