The farm is part of a large 18th century historic estate. It is located 45 minutes from Cork City and is surrounded by picturesque landscapes of hills, mountains, rivers and waterfalls. The farm produces vegetables in the summer and meat all year round (beef and lamb in the process of being certified organic). The project also focuses on maintaining the biodiversity of the surrounding forests, which are home to a wide variety of trees, bat houses, solidarity beehives for bees, etc.
The farm store sells produce from local farms to Cork City residents, helping to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas and encouraging the consumption of local, healthy produce in a country where the vast majority of vegetables are imported. Take a gap year and go on thisproject, which relies on the involvement of international volunteers to help them with their farming, farm store and café activities in vibrant and friendly Cork City. This project welcomes volunteers and interns throughout the year.
As with all of our gap year programs, the project in Ireland allows you to validate your year while making a positive and lasting impact on the local community.
Why do an internship in Ireland?
Taking a gap year and going to Ireland offers many advantages: the environment is safe, the culture is friendly, rich in heritage and history. From exciting cities to spectacular countryside, this is a magical place to visit and discover during a cultural and language immersion.
– Cultural immersion in Irish life with daily interactions with the local population.
– Multicultural environment with a group of international volunteers.
– Combination of rural and urban environment.
– A very experienced project coordinator, working with volunteers for more than 20 years.
– A variety of activities and learning opportunities, including: Farm work (agricultural activities, gardening, animal care, yogurt making, etc.) Sales and customer relations in the caf.
– Practice of English.
The number of working hours is approximately 35 hours per week with a variable schedule each day. In the summer months, the focus is more on gardening, maintaining the organic garden and surrounding fields, weeding, and much of the day is spent outdoors. During the colder winter months, activities are focused on tree planting, trail maintenance, stone wall maintenance, firewood collection, and the rainy days are devoted to painting, carpentry, woodworking and general house maintenance.
When volunteers arrive, they participate in all types of work. They are then able to decide which ones they prefer and focus on a specific task. However, organizers can rotate volunteers to avoid monotony and give them the opportunity to learn about many aspects of rural life.
Volunteers also have the opportunity to visit the farm’s café, located in downtown Cork. This part of the volunteering is optional, but most volunteers enjoy doing it two days a week. Duties include greeting customers, brewing coffee, selling farm products, and keeping the café clean and tidy. This gives the volunteers an excellent opportunity to practice their English. Transportation to and from the farm is provided. Volunteers also share kitchen and housekeeping duties in the project area.
Duties are varied and depend on the season and weather conditions, and may include:
– Gardening and tree planting.
– Feed the animals.
– Manufacture of yogurt.
-Construction, especially of stone walls.
– Going to farmers’ markets (in Cork) to sell farm products.
– Assisting at the farm cafe in Cork City (making coffee, serving customers, etc).
– Household chores.
Volunteers work 4 to 7 hours a day on the project, 5 days a week. They are expected to be proactive during the internship and show initiative. Working on a farm, one must expect to spend time outside, in the sun, rain or cold. Appropriate clothing is therefore essential.
Volunteers have two days off per week. During their free time, they can discover Cork, a friendly and vibrant city with many festivals and cultural events throughout the year. They can also visit the many attractions in County Cork or explore the Wild Atlantic Way which begins in Kinsale, just 30 minutes from Cork.
Why do an internship in Ireland?
Taking a gap year and going to Ireland offers many advantages: the environment is safe, the culture is friendly, rich in heritage and history. From exciting cities to spectacular countryside, this is a magical place to visit and discover during a cultural and language immersion.
- Cultural immersion in Irish life with daily interactions with the local population.
- Multicultural environment with a group of international volunteers.
- Combination of rural and urban environment.
- A very experienced project coordinator, working with volunteers for more than 20 years.
- A variety of activities and learning opportunities, including: Farm work (agricultural activities, gardening, animal care, yogurt making, etc.) Sales and customer relations in the caf.
- Practice of English.
The number of working hours is approximately 35 hours per week with a variable schedule each day. In the summer months, the focus is more on gardening, maintaining the organic garden and surrounding fields, weeding, and much of the day is spent outdoors. During the colder winter months, activities are focused on tree planting, trail maintenance, stone wall maintenance, firewood collection, and the rainy days are devoted to painting, carpentry, woodworking and general house maintenance.
When volunteers arrive, they participate in all types of work. They are then able to decide which ones they prefer and focus on a specific task. However, organizers can rotate volunteers to avoid monotony and give them the opportunity to learn about many aspects of rural life.
Volunteers also have the opportunity to visit the farm's café, located in downtown Cork. This part of the volunteering is optional, but most volunteers enjoy doing it two days a week. Duties include greeting customers, brewing coffee, selling farm products, and keeping the café clean and tidy. This gives the volunteers an excellent opportunity to practice their English. Transportation to and from the farm is provided. Volunteers also share kitchen and housekeeping duties in the project area.
Duties are varied and depend on the season and weather conditions, and may include:
- Gardening and tree planting.
- Feed the animals.
- Manufacture of yogurt.
-Construction, especially of stone walls.
- Going to farmers' markets (in Cork) to sell farm products.
- Assisting at the farm cafe in Cork City (making coffee, serving customers, etc).
- Household chores.
Volunteers work 4 to 7 hours a day on the project, 5 days a week. They are expected to be proactive during the internship and show initiative. Working on a farm, one must expect to spend time outside, in the sun, rain or cold. Appropriate clothing is therefore essential.
Volunteers have two days off per week. During their free time, they can discover Cork, a friendly and vibrant city with many festivals and cultural events throughout the year. They can also visit the many attractions in County Cork or explore the Wild Atlantic Way which begins in Kinsale, just 30 minutes from Cork.
He and his wife Sally have been hosting volunteers for over 20 years and live in Leades House with their two children. Colin is the main mentor and meets with the volunteers individually and regularly to review their progress. The project also includes 2 to 3 long-term workers and volunteers. Since supervision is not possible all the time, it is important that volunteers can work alone or in teams. New ideas are welcome and encouraged.
He and his wife Sally have been hosting volunteers for over 20 years and live in Leades House with their two children. Colin is the main mentor and meets with the volunteers individually and regularly to review their progress. The project also includes 2 to 3 long-term workers and volunteers. Since supervision is not possible all the time, it is important that volunteers can work alone or in teams. New ideas are welcome and encouraged.
Duration in weeks | Registration fees |
---|---|
Duration | Fees to be paid upon registration |
---|---|
4 Weeks | 1395€ |
6 Weeks | 1695€ |
8 Weeks | 1875€ |
12 Weeks | 2265€ |
16 Weeks | 2545€ |
24 Weeks | 3350€ |
Housing is allocated by local NGOs, not by Freepackers - the descriptions are there to give you an idea of the type of accommodation, as it is very likely that conditions will vary on site depending on the number of volunteers, weather conditions, availability, etc. Each volunteer will be accommodated according to the stated conditions, but it is possible that the accommodation may not match the description or images shown on this site word for word, for example, in the case of annexed housing, renovations, relocations, etc.
Volunteers live on the farm and share a room with other volunteers. The living conditions are simple and basic. The boys' room is separate from the girls' room. On weekdays, lunch, the main meal of the day, is served hot in the common kitchen. Volunteers are responsible for preparing their own breakfasts, lunches and weekend meals. However, food is provided. Shopping is done once a week for products that cannot be provided by the farm. The project does not purchase chocolate, candy, toiletries, alcohol, cigarettes or any other non-staple products.
The premises are heated only by wood stoves. Therefore, in order to take a hot shower, one must learn to light the fire and keep it lit all day. There is also a wood-fired sauna on the farm. The first thing is to learn how to light and maintain a fire / stove because comfort depends on it (especially in winter).
There is an internet connection and wi-fi is available in the house. However, the connection is not always reliable and live communication via Internet (Skype for example) is often difficult. Please note that during the summer months (May to July), there are usually 6-8 international volunteers participating in the project. Outside this period, there are usually 2 to 6 volunteers.
The farm is located in County Cork, in a beautiful rural area, with green fields, hills and woods, near the village of Coachford. It is relatively isolated but volunteers can regularly travel to Cork City from Wednesday to Saturday (when the café is open).
Transportation to and from Cork is provided free of charge to work at the farm's café. Transportation to and from the Macroom bus station is included on arrival and departure.
Buses to Tralee, Cork and Killarney are available from Macroom, and connections to other cities are available from Cork. Bus fares are subject to change, with a one-way ticket from Macroom to Cork City costing around €12.
For any international project, Real-step requires the purchase of travel insurance including coverage in case of accident, illness, repatriation and civil liability.
Note that liability insurance is included in the insurance policies of our partner Chapka Cap Student, and Cap Working Holiday because it is mandatory for internships and studies abroad. If you buy your Cap Student or Cap Working Holiday insurance online with our partner Chapka, you get 5% immediate discount by clicking on one of the 2 links above!
If you subscribe to another travel insurance, we will ask you to send us a certificate in English.
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