Family homestead near the village of Cliffoney, Ireland
Last activity
: 8 Jul 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 10 days
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 122296622167
Website Safety
Feedback (6)
Left by host for Workawayer (Sarah)
Sarah was an absolute pleasure to host. She did amazing work in our polytunnel and we are still reaping the rewards of all of her labours. She was flexible, adaptable and hugely reliable. She has a beautiful nature and is very easy to be around. We would highly recommend her to any other host. Thanks Sarah x
Left by Workawayer (Sarah) for host
I spent two weeks with Gayle and Alan and their daughter and son in May, and even in that short span of time, I felt comfortable and at home! They were very welcoming, and clear and upfront about what to expect, which was great. Most of my time I was by myself (which was one of the expectations communicated ahead of time), as both Gayle and Alan
… read more have their full time jobs. The family was away for a long weekend in Dublin, but other than that, I would usually see them in the evenings for family dinners, which were vegetarian and very tasty.
I was able to get into a pretty steady rhythm and routine here, which I really appreciated. Typically, I would do three hours of work in the morning, have lunch and relax a bit, then do two hours in the afternoon. After that, I'd go exploring (hiking, walking, cycling, etc.) or just chill out. In terms of work, I mostly helped out with their polytunnel. I worked on cleaning the outside of the plastic - which, even though it's not the most interesting of activities, was very satisfying to accomplish!! I also got to work inside the polytunnel, doing weeding and transplanting. I love getting my hands in the soil, so this made me pretty happy :). The polytunnel is just overall a pleasant place to be in. There's even a lemon verbena shrub in there, which smells heavenly every time you brush past it. The only downside is that lots of midges (little biting flies) tend to congregate near the polytunnel, and they found that I was pretty tasty for nibbling on!
Cliffoney is a beautiful place (is there any place that isn't beautiful in Ireland??) and I got to explore beaches, climb a mountain, and wade in a forest stream. And Alan took me snorkeling for the first time in my life! I also got to spend a day volunteering at the democratic school Gayle teaches at, which was a fun experience. Overall, this was a fun and relaxing way to spend my last two weeks of a 3-month long trip in Ireland, and I would recommend Gayle and Alan as great hosts.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Danieli & Samuel) for host
What an amazing experience! I'm so grateful to have spent the last two weeks with such a lovely family in a stunning landscape. Since I arrived I instantly felt welcome and amazed by all the interests in common. Through their books, our chats and time spent there, I had a great opportunity to learn about permaculture, mycology, intentional life,
… read more democratic education, and so on. They gave me clear tasks, but at the same time I had the autonomy and flexiblility to suggest ways of dealing with the jobs that needed to be done. Such a peaceful and beautiful landscape, with nice hikes and things to do within walking/biking distances. Alan took me to surf one day, but unfortunately the conditions were not favorable. I was super comfortable at my accommodation (a camper in the garden) and I felt free to use the house. They even celebrated my birthday with me, and made sure I felt loved in this specific occasion. Ah, I also had amazing coffee, cakes, oyster mushrooms and good healthy food. Totally recommend them! And I'd love to go back some day in the next future 🤗🙏You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Nicolas) for host
Alan & Gale are the best! They helped me during a bad experience in another workaway and they hosted me for three weeks!
Alan at the moment have a lot of free time since he’s working on his new project with the mushrooms (are delicious!) so I worked a lot with him
I worked predominantly in the garden, in the vegetable garden, I seed the ground, I
… read more removed grass, I worked with him with the mushrooms, in the greenhouse etc
The work isn’t absolutely hard, I worked 5 hours per day and the weekend was free
Their family is amazing, their children are wonderful! Was the best workaway experience in Ireland!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Left by host for Workawayer (Sarah)
Sarah was an absolute pleasure to host. She did amazing work in our polytunnel and we are still reaping the rewards of all of her labours. She was flexible, adaptable and hugely reliable. She has a beautiful nature and is very easy to be around. We would highly recommend her to any other host. Thanks Sarah x
Left by Workawayer (Sarah) for host
I spent two weeks with Gayle and Alan and their daughter and son in May, and even in that short span of time, I felt comfortable and at home! They were very welcoming, and clear and upfront about what to expect, which was great. Most of my time I was by myself (which was one of the expectations communicated ahead of time), as both Gayle and Alan
… read more have their full time jobs. The family was away for a long weekend in Dublin, but other than that, I would usually see them in the evenings for family dinners, which were vegetarian and very tasty.
I was able to get into a pretty steady rhythm and routine here, which I really appreciated. Typically, I would do three hours of work in the morning, have lunch and relax a bit, then do two hours in the afternoon. After that, I'd go exploring (hiking, walking, cycling, etc.) or just chill out. In terms of work, I mostly helped out with their polytunnel. I worked on cleaning the outside of the plastic - which, even though it's not the most interesting of activities, was very satisfying to accomplish!! I also got to work inside the polytunnel, doing weeding and transplanting. I love getting my hands in the soil, so this made me pretty happy :). The polytunnel is just overall a pleasant place to be in. There's even a lemon verbena shrub in there, which smells heavenly every time you brush past it. The only downside is that lots of midges (little biting flies) tend to congregate near the polytunnel, and they found that I was pretty tasty for nibbling on!
Cliffoney is a beautiful place (is there any place that isn't beautiful in Ireland??) and I got to explore beaches, climb a mountain, and wade in a forest stream. And Alan took me snorkeling for the first time in my life! I also got to spend a day volunteering at the democratic school Gayle teaches at, which was a fun experience. Overall, this was a fun and relaxing way to spend my last two weeks of a 3-month long trip in Ireland, and I would recommend Gayle and Alan as great hosts.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Danieli & Samuel) for host
What an amazing experience! I'm so grateful to have spent the last two weeks with such a lovely family in a stunning landscape. Since I arrived I instantly felt welcome and amazed by all the interests in common. Through their books, our chats and time spent there, I had a great opportunity to learn about permaculture, mycology, intentional life,
… read more democratic education, and so on. They gave me clear tasks, but at the same time I had the autonomy and flexiblility to suggest ways of dealing with the jobs that needed to be done. Such a peaceful and beautiful landscape, with nice hikes and things to do within walking/biking distances. Alan took me to surf one day, but unfortunately the conditions were not favorable. I was super comfortable at my accommodation (a camper in the garden) and I felt free to use the house. They even celebrated my birthday with me, and made sure I felt loved in this specific occasion. Ah, I also had amazing coffee, cakes, oyster mushrooms and good healthy food. Totally recommend them! And I'd love to go back some day in the next future 🤗🙏You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Nicolas) for host
Alan & Gale are the best! They helped me during a bad experience in another workaway and they hosted me for three weeks!
Alan at the moment have a lot of free time since he’s working on his new project with the mushrooms (are delicious!) so I worked a lot with him
I worked predominantly in the garden, in the vegetable garden, I seed the ground, I
… read more removed grass, I worked with him with the mushrooms, in the greenhouse etc
The work isn’t absolutely hard, I worked 5 hours per day and the weekend was free
Their family is amazing, their children are wonderful! Was the best workaway experience in Ireland!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Serge & NADINE) for host
Many thanks to Gayle and Alan for welcoming us into their home and life. Tidying up the polytunnel was a big job but what a satisfaction when it was finished. We learnt how to make beds in permaculture and are thinking of doing so on our return to France. The dismantling of the glasshouse roof was a challenge but only a few panels could be saved!
… read more We are looking forward to the new layout. We were introduced to the vegetarian cooking which we loved. We enjoyed the exchanges on the Irish way of life and culture.
Between the mountains and the sea, we did some wonderful walks, Bundoran, Knocknarea, Sligo, Donegal, Mullaghmore, Carrick on Shannon...
Maybe we'll see you soon in France!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Elisa & Daniel) for host
We stayed for four weeks here in Cliffoney and our time was brilliant. To sleep in the lovely motor home was really enjoyable while we still got well in contact with Alan, Gayle and the children. It was a warmly atmosphere and we felt very welcomed from the beginning on.
The work was varied and always nice. There are plenty things to do in their
… read more big garden and they have so much cool plans for the future. We enjoyed the calmness on the bog in the morning while collecting the torf, working in the garden in good weather (which we had most of the time :) and also the possibility to do some things in the poly tunnels when it was raining. If you have any specific ability or interest we are sure they will be glad when you just do your thing in the garden.
In our free time there was much to do. It is a beautiful region for nice walks in the nature and hiking some smaller mountains. Also there are stunning beaches which you have for your own sometimes. Or we borrowed their bikes and made a little trip to the close but spectacular place Mullaghmore.
Spending diner time with Alan and Galye was always great (don't miss the pizza evening). They are so nice people and we had much good talks about everything. Also the food was wonderful.
We enjoyed our time so much and are really happy that we found you on workaway. :grin:You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Sophia) for host
I stayed for two weeks with Alan, Gayle and the kids and the better we got to know each other, the more I relished my time there. They are a busy home, so you'll mostly be working by yourself, or with other volunteers if there are any. If you have a rough idea about gardening though, this might actually be fantastic as you get to organize your
… read more time and tasks as you prefer. Also, they proved a great deal of confidence in me when they let me experiment with a clay-lined pond and a dry stone wall - something I had never done before but really enjoyed and valued learning about!
The working hours are really flexible; one sunny morning Alan suggested to go for a hike instead of work and kindly gave my two fellow volunteers and me a lift to the nearby mountains. Their property is situated in an absolutely stunning part of Ireland, with impressive rock formations, sandy beaches and the sea close by (make sure to tag along with Gayle for her swim in the ice cold water!). The vast bog land around the house is ideal for long walks, and company is guaranteed by the dogs and cats. ;)
I feel so lucky for having been welcomed into their lives for two weeks and can't wait to see how they're getting on with the big plans for their land!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Medicine for the soul with our fun loving kids in the beautiful town of Kinsale, Ireland
Gardening, surfing ,babysitting and eco-projects with a small family of musicians in Kerry, Ireland
We've noticed that there's less than 3 photos uploaded to your profile. With the new host profile layout this we would highly recommend having more than 3 photos so your profile stands out visually.
Please take a few moments to choose some images that show off your place or area:
Please log in to your Workawayer account to contact this host, or
sign up here!
Important information about visiting: Ireland
If you are not an Irish Resident, EU Citizen or UK Citizen and planning to visit Ireland to work, volunteer or study, YOU WILL NEED THE CORRECT VISA. To find out more information you need to contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE travelling.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
