Glenribbeen Lodge

Glenribbeen Eco Lodge: A Holistic Approach. 

Eco Friendly Accommodation - winner of the top EU Green Flower Award for eco accommodation 2009.
The Green Flower Flag was raised at a garden party (filmed by Irish national TV) in Sept '09

At Glenribbeen Eco Lodge we believe in taking the "holistic approach" to our way of living and that includes how we grow our food and how we heat /light Glenribbeen Lodge. We believe in using all possible resources to reduce our carbon footprint in the world.

Glenribbeen B&B Accommodation Waterford is regularly referred to as an oasis of peace and tranquillity by guests. As well as accommodation in the B&B and self-catering apartment there is a thatched stone tower in the corner of the South garden by the fish pond that provides a quiet spot to contemplate or simply watch the garden and Glenribbeen wildlife. In the house we try to provide a holistic form of accommodation that helps sooth away the cares and woes of the rest of the world.
To that end we -

• Grow our own organic food when we can, using old water-filed jerry-cans to raise the temperature for near year-round growing. (Solar-water-heating)
• Use the stream to create electricity. (see note 1 below)
• We use timber and waste paper to heat the house.
• We collect waste vegetable oil to make bio-diesel and pre-heat the central heating system. (see note 2).
• We use a 30 tube solar-panel system to heat the domestic hot water.
• A simple (home-made) windmill provides heat and light in the winter months in the glasshouse.
• Rainwater is collected and used to wash clothes and provide water for the garden, filling the fish and terrapin ponds etc.
• Kitchen sink water is used for irrigation and car washings.
• We offer various sorts of sports equipment of a non-mechanised type for our guest's pleasure as are various garden games. (see note 3).
• Some great walks start right at our gateways guests are provided with maps and/or directions and encouraged "to build up an appetite".
• Echo-locator and instructions are provided for "Glenribbeen Bat-Watch"
• Only organic type soaps are used to keep the house clean and NO soap is used to wash clothes. "Eco-balls" are used.
• CFLs are used everywhere "long term" lighting is used.
• Outdoor lighting is provided by solar-lights. 
• Few if any pesticides are used (some soapy-water perhaps)and we provide year-round food and shelter to (small) birds an (red) squirrels.  
• Nematodes and other 'natural resources' (beer) keep pests at bay.
• The gardens are designed to attract and feed as many forms of wildlife as possible, with good cover for the smaller animals. Vermin is caught and released as SEP's.

Your Hosts

Peter has lots of information on the Titanic as his grandfather James O’Connor (metal-worker and trombonist) worked for Harland & Wolf from 1909 to 1922. His family returned to Dundalk and bought a house in the first street of houses in the new Irish state. Peter's family are all musicians - 5 generations. Els comes from Amsterdam and was a dancer in the National Folk Theatre there before working with the Dutch Ministry of Environment

Note 1: The dam is in place and the fish ladder - now we're awaiting the generator.
Note 2: WVO was used for a time to run our diesel car but now used to fire the Drying Room and the Sauna. 

U-Tube of some of Peter's family playing in Dundalk - the aunties are behind - to left.


For OS map/photos of Glenribbeen from the air: see: ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,607749,599548,8

    

We spotted a bottlenosed dolphin stranded at Ballyvoorley Strand, near Dungarvan seagulls were poised to start pecking - so I whipped off my jeans and wrestled the poor beast back into the water - huge effort. Full story ; http://pfiddle.wordpress.com

AFTER you've been - and gone. Try answering this mindless survey to get entry for FREE DRAW for to Two (2) persons - Two (2) nights free-gratis and for niks in Glenribbeen Eco Lodge - or another B&B if you really are desperate. See: Click here to take survey">SURVEY