County Clare self catering accommodation, Ireland
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are trying to make both the cottage and our own house as carbon neutral as we posssibly can when it comes to energy usage within the buildings. We use a green electricity supplier Airtricity for both houses so a substantial amount of this electricity comes from wind. The cottage is heated by wood pellets that are sourced in Ireland and the stove from wood from the farm and the hot water from the solar panel. Our house is heated by a wood burning stove and back boiler and we also ahve a solar panel. We have for a number of years been cutting turf from our own bog but just recently realised the damage this was doing re the release of carbon into the atmosphere so have decided to use just our own wood from now on. To that end we must think about palnting more trees so that we will be self sufficient in timber.
The renovation to the cottage was carried out using as natural materials as possible. We used larch windows and doors with double glazing for increased insulation. We also used a hemp and lime plaster inside and lime outside for the same reason and to aid breathability in the stone walls. The ground floors were insulated the roof and the first floor were isulated and a solar panel was installed. Even though the house is very much 21st century now it retains features that show its age. Non of the rooms are square, there is a large fireplace and the plastering has no square edges which gives a lovely quirky look to all the rooms. All of this adds to its unique character that couuld not be replicated in a modern house.
Community
For the last 15 years we have been involved with the Irish Seedsavers a registered charity near Scarriff set up to preserve the genetic diversity of Irish seeds. They are now the holders of the Irish apple tree collection and do great work promoting seed saving, vegetable growing and courses in all sorts of country skills. In my work teaching organic horticulture I take groups there to show them the gardens and this year was involved in setting up a six day workshop over the summer aimed at getting larger growers like ourselves to save seeds.
Since people have stayed with us we have been actively promoting local business to our guests. This might be advice of where to go to eat, for a day trip, or where to find a service in the local town. The links page on our website is full of things to do all within an hours drive of the cottage or closer. We hope to take this further next year as we are signing up to join the Burren Ecoturism Network and would hope to have a much broader list of experiences to recommend that will be provided by local eco tourism providers.
We are currently looking at the possibility of setting up a recognised montainbike trail in the area based on exisitng forestry roads and tracks ( the basis of this is already in place). This would be a great asset for this part of Clare and would be much used by locals and tourists alike. We have seen an enjoyed the benfits of the Ballyhoura trails and feel that something similar but not the same would have great benefits for the local economy.
1of3
