A GUIDE TO THE COMMUNITY, TRAILS & EVENTS

20www.thevillage.ie20 Guide to Cloughjordan Ecovillage

Welcome to Cloughjordan Ecovillage, a unique destination for learning about sustainable living, founded in 1999.

Cloughjordan Ecovillage brings together a diverse group of people in an innovative new community in Tipperary. The Ecovillage comprises of a 67 acre site, featuring beautiful and fertile land, over 100 residents living in more than 50 high-performance green homes, 20,000 newly planted trees and Ireland’s largest renewable energy district heating system.

Efforts to complete the construction of further planned homes continue.

Visitor Guidelines Stay in touch

Please: E-Mail • Park your car at the Step Road car park [email protected] or on Main Street and explore the

Ecovillage on foot Website www.thevillage.ie • Remember that our homes are private Twitter • Avoid close up pictures of homes and no @CjnEcovillage pictures of children please Facebook • Stick to the route marked on the map www.facebook.com/EcoVillageCjn • Keep your dog on a lead, and clean up

after it Address Sustainable Projects Ireland CLG, • Take all litter home with you North Tipperary Green Enterprise • Follow the Country Code: Leave No Trace Park, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, Ireland Photographs by: Eoin Campbell JustMultimedia.com Phone & Davie Philip Education & Visits - 086 085 1576 Covered under a creative commons licence. Ecovillage Office - 0505 42833 Visit Cloughjordan Ecovillage

Group Visits Cloughjordan Ecovillage welcomes visitors from all over Ireland and abroad. Each study visit is designed to enable participants to gain a deeper understanding of the range of social, environmental and economic topics explored at Cloughjordan Ecovillage. The schedule and content is tailored to the specific interests of the group.

To book your visit contact Ecovillage Education at 086 085 1576 or [email protected]

Weekend Tours Tours of the Ecovillage are available throughout the year every Saturday and Sunday rain or shine and are led by members. They leave from Sheelagh na Gig book and coffee shop on the Main Street of Cloughjordan at 3:00 pm and take around an hour. A visitor donation of at least €5 per adult is expected; it goes towards supporting the aims of the Ecovillage.

Visit Main Street Cloughjordan Drop into the Middle County Café, a community co-op with great food and local crafts. Visit Sheelagh na Gig Book and Coffee Shop a friendly and unique little shop. Explore the Thomas MacDonagh Museum showcasing the story of MacDonagh and his family. The Biodiversity Trail follow the orange path on the map

1. Coach House Square Ivy-leaved toadflax, stonecrop, cranesbill, hartstongue fern, smooth sow thistle, mosses and lichens thrive on these old walls, which may date from the 16th century. 2. Edible Landscapes Throughout the built area multi-purpose planting provides both wildlife habitats and human food. 3. Stream This ditch is an important habitat, and just like hedgerows, acts as a wildlife corridor. 4. Permaculture Edge Turn right into the allotments towards the community polytunnels. The plum trees on the left create a transition zone, increasing both biodiversity and productivity. Buzzards and kestrels visit here. 5. The Allotments Ecovillage residents can grow their own food here. There is also a shared community polytunnel. 6. The Apiary Our local beekeepers care for several bee hives behind a natural willow fence designed to protect the bees and their neighbours! The apiary is planted with many bee friendly plants. 7. Apple Tree Walk This delightful avenue includes 78 native varieties of apple tree from Irish Seed Savers, helping to preserve Ireland’s natural heritage. 8. Sensory Garden An interactive natural space being developed by residents for all to explore and enjoy. 9. Eastern Hedgerow Hedges provide wildlife corridors - safe routes linking other habitats. Foxes, badgers, red squirrels, hedgehogs, voles, shrews and mice have ben seen nearby. 10.Vegetable Field Organic, biodynamic farming is better for wildlife and for humans. The Cloughjordan Community Farm is operated on a Community Supported Agriculture basis to produce vegetables for its members. 11.Knocknacree Wood To the north you can see a 200 year old deciduous woodland of mostly beech trees, which hosts 200 more species than a spruce forest. New loop walks have been developed by the community so consider taking your next walk up there. 12.Northern Hedgerow This hedge is a rich natural habitat, which is home to thousands of plants and animal species. Elm, whitethorn, hazel, cherry, ivy, ash, spindle and blackthorn grow here. Hedges provide safe nesting places: look for robins, blackbirds, goldfinches, crossbills, coal tits, wrens and long-tailed tits. 13.Beech Walk and Seat These handsome trees date from the 18th century and are recorded on the original estate maps. Badgers, squirrels and birds find a source of food in the beech nut harvest. 14.Labyrinth Walk our seven circle Celtic labyrinth - and reflect on the natural beauty around you. 15.Community Woodlands These 17,000 broadleaf trees include most of the native species, and will provide a diverse habitat for wildlife. Continue along this eastern hedgerow, across the stile and follow the path to leave the woodland through the gate. 12 11

13 Cloughjordan ! Community Farm

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1:500 9 14 Labyrinth! Community Woodlands

15 Cloughjordan Amphitheatre CUAN BEO - THE GROW HUB

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Cloughjordan ! 7 WeCreate! Ecovillage Enterprise Centre 4 5 RED Gardens Energy Centre 6

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Lána Lána Pedestrian Parochial Hall Antiques 1 Post Office Entrance Clough Inn

Murphy’s Grocery 92.2 to Ecovillage 92.7 Middle Country Cafe Percy’s Garage The Corner House Thomas MacDonagh & Cycle Repairs Gulan Kebbana

Museum & Heritage Centre Take Away Food ! !

Grace’s Bar ! ! !

& Library Templemore Road ! Methodist ! Train Station 1km MacDonagh to Moneygall & Train Station Church & Hall St. Kieran’s Hall Rohan’s Grocery Pharmacy

Heritage Centre ! Centra

Church of Ireland Hair by Millie Railway Bar

GAA Cloughjordan Catholic Church Ecovillage Learning Alliance Entities based in the Ecovillage

Sustainable Projects Ireland Cloughjordan Ecovillage is a neighborhood demonstrating best practice in community development and rural regeneration. It is being developed by Sustainable Projects Ireland CLG, a registered educational charity and national NGO. The project is a mixed use development with a strong emphasis on economic, social and environmental sustainability. www.thevillage.ie

Cloughjordan Arts Cloughjordan Community Amphitheatre was conceived as a 1916 Centenary project and referenced native poet, playwright and revolutionary Thomas MacDonagh. It is a space for re-imagining, and for the telling of old and new stories. The Ecovillage has always sought to place creativity at the center of our community as a means of communicating and educating. www.cloughjordanarts.ie

Cloughjordan Community Farm Nestled in the heart of the Ecovillage, this Farm feeds over 80 local people producing healthy, nutritious produce grown to organic standards. Growing methods are natural, sustainable and help enhance biodiversity and soil health. Delicious produce is delivered to a central depot on Main Street, so this food journey is measured in metres rather than kilometres! www.cloughjordancommunityfarm.ie

Cultivate Cultivate is a practical sustainability organisation focused on active education, communication and citizen engagement. Based in the WeCreate Enterprise Centre, Cultivate supports a greater understanding of whole systems thinking as a key to sustainability and sees community-led projects being essential for a happier, healthier and more resilient future. www.cultivate.ie

Django’s Django’s Eco Hostel is an essential part of the infrastructure of the Ecovillage, offering accommodation to meet the needs of individuals and groups visiting to attend courses and other events in the Ecovillage. Django’s is a modern budget facility with 11 bright and welcoming en-suite rooms catering for individuals and groups of up to 35 people. www.djangoshostel.com RED Gardens The RED Gardens Project (Research Education and Development) is a series of food growing spaces in Cloughjordan Ecovillage. Bruce Darrell manages all the gardens and related research projects, as well as creating videos about these which are regularly published on his YouTube channel. Riot Rye Bakehouse & Bread School Riot Rye is Cloughjordan’s community bakery. Real Bread Ireland co-founders, Julie Lockett & Joe Fitzmaurice bake exclusively naturally fermented sourdough breads, using organic flours in their hand-built wood-fired oven. Their Bread School offers 1-day courses which specialise in all levels of sourdough baking. www.riotrye.ie WeCreate Workspace WeCreate is a centre for community innovation and social enterprise with a focus on sustainability. The centre offers a Coworking space and a rapid prototyping lab or ‘Fab Lab’ with digital fabrication equipment including 3D printers, Laser cutters, and CNC machines. A classroom and conference space is also available for rent and is regularly used by local, national and international organisations. http://wecreate.ie

20th Anniversary Events in 2020 Full details of these and many other happenings at www.thevillage.ie

Feeding Ourselves SpeakEATsy REGENERATIVE & COOPERATIVE APPROACHES MEAL & ENTERTAINMENT TO FARMING AND FOOD Saturday 18th April Saturday 7th March Saturday 17th October Using a participative and engaging format this is an annual A delicious meal, music, poetry, and a compelling conversation coming together of small farmers, community activists, food with an interesting thinker. Bring your dancing shoes too. sovereignty and cooperative advocates. For more information and Prebook on www.cultivate.ie as it sells out every time. booking see www.cultivate.ie Féile na nÚll Seeking Hope in Dark Times The Apple Festival EXPLORE THE CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE Saturday 19th September CHANGE - SOW THE SEEDS OF AN ACTIVE Bring your apples for mashing and participate in the Apple Bake HOPE Off, join the workshops and tours or just hang out and enjoy Saturday 4th April - Being Present the refreshments and many curiosities. This festival is one of Saturday 9th May - Grounding Hope the events of the European Day of Sustainable Faced with the stark realities of climate change we explore how to Communities. www.sustainable-communities.net nurture a spirituality in these dark times. These day-long explorations will complement one another so you can attend both Cloughjordan Ecovillage or either one. Explore the challenges of climate change and The Lessons of 20 Years A-Growing biodiversity while sowing the seeds of an active hope. Saturday 7th November Irish and Ecology This day-long symposium takes stock of the past 20 years and examines the next steps for the project. The focus will be on An Ghaeilge agus an Éiceolaíocht th April - Date TBA learning the lessons of 20 years a-growing in the context of society’s transition to a low-carbon future. Michael Cronin will give a bilingual talk on the subject of his new book on Irish and ecology. Tabharfaidh Michael Cronin caint dátheangach ar ábhar a leabhair nua ar an Ghaeilge agus an Community Amphitheatre éiceolaíocht. 2020 EVENTS PROGRAMME FEATURING SPECIAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS TBA Walking a Sacred Path This programme will feature a number of special 20th WORLD LABYRINTH DAY - All welcome Anniversary events between June and September this year Saturday 2nd May encompassing local, amateur and professional presentations Join us for an introductory talk and presentation on Labyrinths, including drama, music, poetry and film. followed by an opportunity for a guided walk of our 7 Circuit Full details www.thevillage.ie Celtic Labyrinth.

Ecovillage Nature EVENTS AT CUAN BEO A BIODIVERSITY WEEK EVENT THE GROW HUB AT CLOUGHJORDAN Sunday 24th May COMMUNITY FARM This is a free event held as part of the National Biodiversity Week supported by IEN and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It Spring Seed Share & Herbal and will be part of the Cloughjordan Biodiversity Week Festival. Botanical Workshops Sunday 29th March Elements of Change Festival A CELEBRATION OF REGENERATIVE CULTURE Wild Harvest Weekend Saturday 27th June and Sunday 28th June Foraging and Seed Saving Workshops In the inspiring setting of Cloughjordan Ecovillage, the team 3rd & 4th October behind Global Green at the Electric Picnic, Cloughjordan residents, Cloughjordan Arts and Extinction Rebellion have Winter Wellness Retreat collaborated to create an off-grid celebration of regenerative Saturday 14th November culture. Tickets (including optional camping and Earlybird) Nurturing, immune boosting, warm therapies and creative www.cultivate.ie. sessions www.cloughjordancommunityfarm.ie Cloughjordan Ecovillage sees itself as a unique model of how communities can respond to the many challenges of climate change, building not just ecological resilience but also economic regeneration and sustainability. It seeks to play an active role in facilitating learning, research and discussion about the challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon society.

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Visit our website for more details, or contact Ecovillage Education at 086 085 1576 or [email protected] for more information on how to join. www.thevillage.ie

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